New Product Tests Find Lead in Lipstick
The phrase “beauty is pain” has now become “beauty is poison,” according to a report released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The study found that 61 percent of the brand-name red lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, a proven neurotoxin that can cause a variety of learning, language, development and behavioral problems.
Again demonstrating an alarming deficiency when it comes to regulating toxic chemicals, the Food and Drug Administration has not taken any action to protect consumers from lead in lipstick. As lipstick products are directly ingested into the body, the standard set for the amount of lead permissible in candy is comparable; one third of the lipsticks tested exceeded this limit.
Lead is by no means a necessary ingredient in lipsticks: 39 percent of the lipsticks tested contained no trace of lead as an ingredient. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is calling for a reformulation of beauty products to remove lead, and for the industry to join the growing movement to push the FDA and local authorities to regulate toxic chemicals in personal care products.
In Massachusetts, the pending Safer Alternatives Bill seeks to replace hazardous ingredients in household products with nontoxic alternatives wherever it is feasible. This bill seeks to fill the void of action on the federal level and ensure that everyday products are no longer harmful to public health when safer alternatives are available.
