Lead in lipstick

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The Worry Over Lead In Lipsticks

This year, millions of kids’ toys were recalled after lead was found in them. Now a new study shows that more than half of the 33 red lipsticks tested from drug and department store brands contained detectable levels of lead, a proven neurotoxin in humans. One-third of them exceeded the Food and Drug Administration’s level for lead in candy. As it turns out, the FDA—which regulates the beauty industry—has no pre-market approval authority over cosmetics and can only ask for a product recall, not demand it. And manufacturers don’t have to file data on ingredients or report injuries. “Nearly 90% of the over 10,000 chemicals used in cosmetics have not been evaluated for safety,” says Malkan of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which conducted the study. Critics of the study assert that any trace amounts of lead ingested from red lipsticks would be harmless. To learn which brands are lead-free, go to Parade.com (see below – I copied the page of the report that gave the results: )

Lipsticks with nonâ€detectable levels of lead (less than 0.02 parts per million)

Brand Product Name/Shade Lead Parent Company State Purchased/Date

Avon Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee <0.02 Avon MA* 08/27/07

Body Shop Lip Colour Garnet <0.02 LʹOreal MA 08/27/07

Body Shop Lip Colour Garnet <0.02 LʹOreal CA 08/23/07

Clinique Long Last Lipstick Merlot <0.02 Estee Lauder MA 08/27/07

Dior Replenishing Lipcolor Red Premiere <0.02 LVMH MA 08/27/07

Estee Lauder Maraschino <0.02 Estee Lauder MN 08/26/07

MAC Matte Lipstick Viva Glam 1 <0.02 Estee Lauder MA 08/27/07

Revlon Superlustrous Love That Red <0.02 Revlon CT 08/27/07

Revlon Superlustrous Bed of Roses <0.02 Revlon CA 08/23/07

Revlon Colorstay Lipcolor Red Velvet <0.02 Revlon CA 08/23/07

Tarte Inside Out Vitamin Lipstick <0.02 Tarte MA 08/27/07

Wet N Wild Mega Colors Cherry Blossom <0.02 Markwins CA 08/23/07

Wet N Wild Mega Colors Cherry Blossom <0.02 Markwins CT 08/27/07

Lipsticks with detectable levels of lead but less than 0.1 ppm lead (the FDAâ€recommended limit for candy)

MAC Matte Lipstick Viva Glam 0.03 Estee Lauder MN 08/26/07

Revlon Love That Red 0.03 Revlon MN 08/26/07

Cover Girl Queen Collection Ruby Remix 0.03 P & G CT 08/27/07

Clinique Long Last Paprika 0.03 Estee Lauder CA 08/23/07

Dior Replenishing Lipcolor Red Premiere 0.04 LVMH MN 08/26/07

Body Shop Garnet 0.06 LʹOreal MN 08/26/07

Wet N Wild Cherry Frost 0.06 Markwins MN 08/26/07

Clinique Angel Red 0.09 Estee Lauder MN 08/26/07

Burtʹs Bees Lip Shimmer Merlot 0.09 Burtʹs Bees MA 08/29/07

Lipsticks with lead levels higher than 0.1 ppm

Maybelline NY Moisture Extreme Scarlet Simmer 0.11 LʹOreal CT 08/27/07

Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor Maximum Red 0.12 P & G CA 08/23/07

Peacekeeper Paint Me Compassionate 0.12 Peacekeeper MA 08/27/07

Maybelline NY Moisture Extreme Midnight Red 0.18 LʹOreal MN 08/26/07

Maybelline NY Moisture Extreme Cocoa Plum 0.19 LʹOreal CA 08/23/07

Dior Addict Positive Red 0.21 LVMH CA 08/23/07

Cover Girl Continuous Color Cherry 0.28 P & G CA 08/23/07

LʹOreal Colour Riche True Red 0.50 LʹOreal MN 08/26/07

Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor Maximum Red 0.56 P & G MN 08/26/07

LʹOreal Colour Riche Classic Wine 0.58 LʹOreal CT 08/27/07

LʹOreal Colour Riche True Red 0.65 LʹOreal CA 08/23/07

* Purchased from Web consultant based in Boston