Frequently Asked Questions About Lead in Lipstick
Where can I find the complete list of lipsticks tested for this report?
Does lipstick really contain lead?
Is just a little bit of lead really harmful?
Is there an FDA limit on lead in lipstick?
Why was red lipstick tested only? Is it more harmful than other colored lipsticks?
How does lead get into lipstick?
Is it possible to find lead-free lipstick?
What should I buy?
What advice would you give to those women who want to wear lipstick despite these dangers?
Do other makeup products contain lead (e.g. foundation or eye shadow)?
How can I get involved?
Q: Where can I find the complete list of lipsticks tested for this report?
A: You can download a PDF of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report, A Poison Kiss, which includes a complete chart of what we tested and how much lead we found in each sample. Download the report here, then turn to page 10 of the report.
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Q: Does lipstick really contain lead?
A: According to independent lab tests initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, yes, some lipsticks available for sale in 2007 contain lead. The report, “A Poison Kiss,” names the brands tested and the levels of lead found in them. More than half of 33 top-brand lipsticks tested (61%) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). One-third of the lipsticks exceeded the 0.1 ppm FDA lead limit for candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Among the brands tested found to have the highest lead levels were L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior – showing that the more expensive brands are no safer than drugstore brands.
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Q: Is just a little bit of lead really harmful?
A: The most recent scientific studies indicate that there is no safe level of lead – no amount of exposure is without harm. 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 does not break down in the body, but builds up over a lifetime of exposures.
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Q: Is there an FDA limit on lead in lipstick?
A: No, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not have a limit on lead in lipstick. It's yet one more example of the disturbing absence of FDA regulatory oversight of cosmetics.
In 2006, the FDA established a lead limit of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) in candy, based on the level the agency believed to be the lowest achievable. The lowest level of lead that can be practicably obtained in lipstick is non-detectable, according to our test results. Lipstick, like candy, is ingested directly into the body. Yet the FDA has not set a lead limit for lipstick.
The FDA has set a limit on lead in FD&C color additives – which are sometimes used to color lipstick – at 10 to 20 ppm. But there is no FDA limit on the amount of colorant that may be used in cosmetics. Lead may also be introduced from other sources, yet the FDA does not require testing of finished cosmetics for lead or any other hazardous substances.
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Q: Why was red lipstick tested only? Is it more harmful than other colored lipsticks?
A: Red lipstick is the most iconic lipstick shade, and the shade most used by women with all skin tones. We also wanted to make sure that there was consistency in our study, and suspected that lead might be present in an opaque lipstick more than a light color or a gloss. Since there is no data on other shades we cannot say whether red lipstick is more likely to contain lead than other shades. We hope that the FDA will conduct this testing, rather than leave this a mystery!
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Q: How does lead get into lipstick?
A: Two possible ways: Colorants used in lipstick may contain lead, or lead may be introduced as a by-product from ingredients mined or obtained from other raw materials, which can include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, or from materials such as ozokerite (mineral wax or paraffin) and petroleum-based ingredients (petrolatum, mineral oil). Either way, our product tests show that it’s possible to make lipstick with no detectable lead.
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Q: Is it possible to find lead-free lipstick?
A: Yes, and no. The good news is, our tests prove it is possible to make lipstick without lead, and cost doesn’t seem to be a factor: 39% of the products tested had no detectable levels of lead. Some less expensive brands such as Revlon ($7.49) had no detectable levels of lead, while some more expensive brands like Dior Addict ($24.50) had relatively high lead levels. The bad news is that consumers without access to laboratory testing cannot determine which lipsticks contain lead and which do not--and you definitely won't find lead listed among the ingredients.
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Q: What should I buy?
A: We can’t say. Our product tests covered just a tiny percentage of lipsticks on the market, so they can’t be used as a guide for what to buy. We don’t want anyone to think the testing of these 33 products is the last word on which lipsticks contain lead. This is just a starting point. The tests reveal that lead is commonly found in lipstick, and that companies are making products with lead levels all over the board.
The bottom line is that we can’t shop our way out of this problem. We need to change the laws so that consumers are protected from toxic ingredients in cosmetics.
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Q: What advice would you give to those women who want to wear lipstick despite these dangers?
A: Women should be able to wear lipstick and be safe from heavy metals and other nasty, toxic ingredients! The data from our tests last month show that lipstick can be made without lead. Right now we cannot say which brands are safe, so it is a case of "buyer beware." Limiting one's use of lipstick to special occasions might be a good way to go while we work on to empower the FDA to regulate cosmetics, and while we push the industry to manufacture safer products.
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Q: Do other makeup products contain lead (e.g. foundation or eye shadow)?
A: Possibly. Lead could be a contaminant (and therefore not appear on ingredient labels) or an ingredient in other cosmetics products, like hair dyes (where it shows up as lead acetate), but since it is not illegal to use lead in cosmetics in the U.S. and since no government body requires pre-market testing for cosmetics products it's tough to say. We do know that there are plenty of ingredients linked to cancer, birth defects, reproductive problems, obesity and other serious health problems in cosmetics.
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Q: How can I get involved?
A: The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is calling on the industry to reformulate products immediately to remove lead, to require suppliers to guarantee that raw materials are free of lead and other contaminants, and to join the campaign in demanding that the FDA more strictly regulate personal care products. You can stay informed about this and other issues related to the safety of cosmetics by signing up for our e-mail alerts. Then tell your friends!
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