Yesterday, I came across an article from the Washington Post about FDA recent testing result on lead in lipsticks (click here for full article). Similar study was done in 2007. In its most recent study, the FDA picked 400 popular shades and found that half of the top 10 lipsticks that contain lead are from L’Oreal and Maybelline (both are under the same parent company, L’Oreal). Actually I am surprise that even natural brand like Burt’s Bee is on the list.
FDA’s Full List of 400 Lipsticks Containing Lead
If you are like me, you are probably wondering how does lead get into lipstick? According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, this occurs when raw materials or pigments use in lipstick are contaminated with lead. Also, FDA studies only contain a very small sample of all the brands and shades that are available on the market. At this point, it is hard to tell which product is safe and which is not. On FDA website, when asked if there is a concern about the safety level of lead found in lipsticks, the answer is “no”.
“Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities. We do not consider the lead levels we found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern.”
Whether or not you agree with this statement is a matter of personal opinion.
If it*s true this stuff is mostly made in China, then this is a good reason to get our jobs back into the good old USA. Let*s put our own lead in our own products.
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