Does Your Lipstick Contain Lead?

Does lipstick contain lead, or is that just a myth? While visiting the FDA's website to learn about the recent Tylenol recalls, I was surprised to see that there is an FDA page on the safety of cosmetics. I did not realize that cosmetics were regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. There website explains that cosmetics do not be approved by the FDA, but they do need to meet safety standards set forth by the government. As a result of safety inquiries regarding the amount of lead that is in lipstick, they have published a page on the matter.

Lead in Lipstick: Limits on Contaminants

The FDA states on its website that there are no set limits for the amount of lead that can be in lipstick, and that reports of lead being found in lipsticks have been coming in since the 1990's. They say that as recently as 2007, a group called the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found lead in twenty-five lipsticks that were on the market. The FDA decided to follow up on the lead in lipsticks claim and performed their own test. They found trace amounts of lead in ALL of the lipsticks that they tested.

Lead Content in Lipstick: Cause for Concern

While the FDA stated that they found lead in all of the lipstick samples they tested, they state that there is no cause for concern. This is because the lead levels in lipstick are within the normal range, considering the dyes that are used in creating it. Lipstick is considered to be a topical application, not something that is ingested. That means that it can have more lead in it than food can and still be considered safe. There is no indication that the FDA may revise their lead standards for lipstick, or take into consideration that lipstick is often ingested while eating, and women do not want to eat lead.

How Much Lead is in Your Lipstick?

The amounts of lead in the lipsticks vary, but the lead found in the lipsticks tested by the FDA are listed at their website. They tested the same lipsticks that the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested in the prior study, so you can compare the results. The amount of lead is listed as ppm, and the lowest amount was 0.09, which was the amount of lead found in Avon Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee. The highest amount of lead listed is in a Cover Girl Lipstick - 3.06 ppm in Cover Girl Incrediful Lipcolor in Maximum Red.

Is Lead in Lipstick Safe?

The FDA reports that the average amount of lead per lipstick is 1.07 ppm. They also state that the UPPPER limit for lead in candy is 0.1 ppm. Now, I do not eat lipstick like candy, but I am going to draw my own conclusion that lipstick contains lead. I put lipstick on my mouth and it gets ingested. I am ingesting lead. It makes me very happy that I have been writing about organic makeup! I am going to have to investigate organic lipsticks to see if they contain lead. I will let you know what I find out!

Sources:

www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety

http://www.safecosmetics.org