Poison Kiss: Lead in Lipstick

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Poison Kiss: Lead in Lipstick

Women are being warned that some lipsticks could contain lead. The

warnings come in the wake of a U.S. ruling that a class action suit can proceed

against luxury goods giant LVMH, the manufacturer of Dior Addict Positive Red

lipstick, which has been found to contain lead.

The lipstick was among dozens of lipsticks found to contain lead when the

U.S. group Campaign for Safe Cosmetics commissioned an independent laboratory to

test lead levels in 33 brand-name lipsticks.

Sixty-one percent of the lipsticks tested had detectable lead levels.

One-third of the lipsticks exceeded accepted U.S. levels of lead for products

that are ingested. The Dior lipstick was found to contain more than twice as

much lead as is allowed.

Sources:

a.. The Sydney Morning Herald July 20, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Last year it was revealed that many lipsticks sold in the United

States contain lead. And these were not off brands from a discount store,

either.

More than half (61 percent) of 33 name-brand lipsticks tested in

September 2007 contained lead levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million

(ppm). And one-third of them had more lead than the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy.

It may sound shocking, but the FDA has not set a lead limit for

cosmetics, including lipstick!

Yes, you put it directly on your lips. And yes, you ingest it when

you wear it (the average women ingests 10 pounds of lipstick in a lifetime). But

it can contain as much lead as the manufacturers see fit, and it doesn't have to

say so on the label.

Among the U.S. lipsticks with the highest lead levels were:

a.. L'Oreal Colour Riche " True Red " -- 0.65 ppm

b.. L'Oreal Colour Riche " Classic Wine " -- 0.58 ppm

c.. Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor " Maximum Red " -- 0.56 ppm

d.. Dior Addict " Positive Red " -- 0.21 ppm

I think names like " Toxic Red " or " Maximum Lead Red " would be more

fitting, don't you?

The issue has surfaced again in the media because it was recently

ruled that a class-action lawsuit against LVMH, the manufacturer of Dior Addict

Positive Red lipstick, can proceed.

It will be interesting to see how the case turns out, considering

that .

It's Not Illegal for Lead to be in Your Lipstick

I'm not one for increased government intervention, but come on.

What exactly is the point of having a " Food and Drug Administration "

if they are not going to make sure that toxic substances are kept out of the

products you put on your lips or slather all over your body?

And when it comes to toxins, lead is certainly at the top of the

list.

Studies have found that there is no safe level of lead, and since it

does not break down in your body you will accumulate it for a lifetime.

According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which conducted the lipstick study

last year:

" Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and

behavioral problems. Lead is also linked to infertility and miscarriage.

Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to exposure

because lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain, where it

interferes with normal development. "

Lead in your lipstick may come from one of two places: colorants,

which may contain lead, or as byproducts from ingredients obtained from raw

materials like petrolatum, mineral oil and paraffin. The only limit that the FDA

has established is for FD & C color additives that are sometimes used to color

lipstick, and these are allowed to contain 10-20 ppm of lead!

Anything Goes When it Comes to Cosmetics

Lead is just the beginning of the toxins that exist in your makeup

and cosmetics. It says right on the FDA's Web site:

" The regulatory requirements governing the sale of cosmetics are not

as stringent as those that apply to other FDA-regulated products...

Manufacturers may use any ingredient or raw material, except for color additives

and a few prohibited substances, to market a product without a government review

or approval. "

This is not so in many other regions such as the European Union,

which banned the use of chemicals that may cause cancer, mutation or birth

defects. Apparently the FDA has no problem with these, because they get the

green light here in America.

Ingredients to watch out for include:

a.. Paraben, a chemical found in underarm deodorants and other

cosmetics that has been shown to mimic the action of the female hormone

estrogen, which can drive the growth of human breast tumors.

a.. Phthalates, plasticizing ingredients (present in nearly

three-quarters of 72 products tested by the Environmental Working Group), which

have been linked to birth defects in the reproductive system of boys and lower

sperm-motility in adult men, among other problems.

a.. Mercury, used in mascara, gels, and even eye drops, this metal

can damage your brain function. Look for it listed as " thimerosal. "

a.. Musks, used as fragrances, can accumulate in your body, and

have been linked to skin irritation, hormone disruption, and cancer in

laboratory studies.

a.. Artificial fragrances, which are among the top five known

allergens, and can cause asthma and trigger asthma attacks. Fragrances can also

contain neurotoxins and cause hormone disruption.

a.. Petroleum byproducts, used in makeup, shampoo (even baby

shampoo), face creams and more, these chemicals have been linked to cancer.

a.. Methylisothiazolinone (MIT), a chemical used in shampoo to

prevent bacteria from developing, which may have detrimental effects on your

nervous system.

Are Any Lipsticks Safe?

Your cosmetics should be just as pure as the food you eat because

ultimately they both end up in the same place: your body. Look for products that

actually list their ingredients, and then accept only those with items you

recognize.

You can also look for products that have signed the Campaign for

Safe Cosmetics " Compact for Safe Cosmetics, " which is a pledge to formulate

products that do not use ingredients that are known or suspected to cause

certain health harms. Another great resource is the Environmental Working

Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.

You can look for many categories of cosmetics and choose only those

with a low (0-2) score.

Last but not least, I am proud to report that my team has been

researching this topic extensively and we are very close to launching one of the

best skin care product lines out there. It is truly effective, has absolutely no

synthetic ingredients, and is packaged in glass bottles.

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