One of Three Lipsticks High in Lead

One out of three brand-name lipsticks recently tested showed levels of lead higher than the federal government allows in candy, according to news from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.

The campaign recently tested 33 brands of red lipstick bought in four cities across the country -- Boston; Hartford, Connecticut; Minneapolis; and San Francisco -- to determine how much lead the products contained. More than half (61 percent) showed lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million, the campaign found, though none listed lead as an ingredient.

A full third of the lipsticks tested had more lead than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows in candy: 0.1 parts per million. The FDA set that standard to protect children from directly eating products with lead. However, the agency has no similar standard for lipstick, although lead from lipstick can also be directly absorbed into the body, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said.

"Repeated, daily exposures to low levels of lead add up - and they add up on top of lead from paint and drinking water, which is especially a problem in low income communities," said Stacy Malkan, author of the new book, "Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry." "There's no excuse for lead in lipstick or toys. Companies should act immediately to reformulate lead-containing products."

Among the brand-name lipsticks with the highest levels of lead were L'Oreal Colour Riche "True Red" (0.65 parts per million), L'Oreal Colour Riche "Classic Wine" (0.58 parts per million), Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red" (0.56 parts per million) and Dior Addict "Positive Red" (0.21 parts per million).

The cost of a lipstick didn't necessarily indicate whether the product would have more or less lead, the center's study found. For example, the Dior Addict brand that ranked fourth highest for lead content was priced at $24.50, while most of the less expensive ($7.49) Revlon brands -- Superlustrous Love That Red, Superlustrous Bed of Roses and Colorstay Lipcolor Red Velvet -- had no detectable levels of lead.

Other brands showing almost undetectable or very low levels (less than 0.02 parts per million) of lead included Avon's Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee, the Body Shop's Lip Colour Garnet, Clinique Long Last Lipstick Merlot, Dior's Replenishing Lipcolor Red Premier, Estee Lauder's Maraschino, MAC's Matte Lipstick Viva Glam, Tate's Inside Out Vitamin Lipstick and Wet N Wilda's Mega Colors Cherry Blossom.

Lead is a neurotoxin that can build up in the blood over repeated exposure and cause a variety of health and developmental problems: decreased attention span, learning disorders, brain damage, anemia, kidney damage, miscarriage, reduced fertility and hormonal changes. Pregnant women and young children are especially vulnerable to lead exposure, and lead can cross from a pregnant woman's blood through the placenta and into a developing fetus' brain.

"Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels," said Mark Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice. "The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure."

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is a coalition of groups aimed at eliminating potentially harmful chemicals in makeup and personal-care products. Founding members of the organization include the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, the Breast Cancer Fund, the Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, the Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, the National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women's Voices for the Earth.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, "New Product Tests Find Lead in Lipstick." URL: (http://www.safecosmetics.org/newsroom/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=26)