| Natural Lipsticks Like Burt’s Bees Can Still Contain Lead by Elizabeth Nolan Brown , Bliss Tree February 17th, 2012 |
Yesterday, I mistakenly told you that Burt’s Bees made lead-free lipstick. Um, psych? Some of its lip shimmers were among the highest in lead of the 400 lipsticks tested by the FDA, but assuming the brand is safe is an easy mistake: It’s known for being all-natural and associated with an eco-friendly, organic lifestyle. Why would we worry? But it’s not the only natural or organic brand on the FDA’s lead list. So how much lead in lipstick is acceptable? No one’s sure.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says no amount of lead exposure is
safe. The FDA concluded from its study that “the lead levels found are
within the range that would be expected.” Because lipstick is only used
in small quantities, the agency doesn’t consider these lead levels a
safety concern. For more on metals in makeup, check out this report from Canadian organization Environmental Defense. |