ABOUT
Smart discussion of the latest science and news on toxins in your food, water, and air, and what government agencies should be doing to protect public health. Written by EWG staff.
DONATE TO EWG!
Help us protect your health and environment! Please donate $5 to EWG today.
GET EWG'S TIPS & ACTION ALERTS
Sign Up here to receive email updates and tips from EWG and stay informed on the issues that matter most to you.
ENVIROBLOG VIA EMAIL
Join EWG's live chat with Chef Ann Cooper
School lunch: More fruits & veggies, please!
Texas Schools are Drilling for Dollars
Why do blowouts take so long to fix?
SEARCH ENVIROBLOG
FEATURED
Support the 2010 Safe Cosmetics Act. It's Urgent.
Why, oh why is there plastic in my aluminum water bottle?
Cell phone radiation series - Part 2: 8 Ways to reduce your exposure
Test Your Knowledge of Cosmetics Safety: 8 Myths Debunked
EWG's Tips for Parents: The Series
EWG's Tips to avoid BPA exposure
EWG on TV
Cutting the Pork from U.S. Farm Bill
Sunscreen safety & DC drinking water
Perchlorate in people, kids' personal care products & plastics, and sunscreen
BPA in baby formula & safe cosmetics
What can I do about fluoride in my water?
What is new carpet treated with? What can I do?
Are stainless steel water bottles safe?
Is mineral-based makeup safer?
PEOPLE TALKING TOXICS
TALK TO US
Did we miss something? Email Enviroblog.
« Blog Action Day tip: Know your source | Main | "Onederwear" makes me wonder about our common sense »
Lead in Lipstick?
To be honest, before I started working for EWG, I really didn’t think much of the makeup that I put on my face every day. I believed that the products were safe because I was able to buy them in stores. I had no idea that $50 billion personal care industry regulates itself and there are almost no guidelines or testing requirements by the government.
After over a year at EWG, I didn’t think anything else could surprise me. Until a few days ago, that is, when the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (EWG is a founding member of the Campaign) released its new study of lead in lipstick. The Campaign tested 33 red, brand-name lipsticks (like L'Oreal, Cover Girl, and Dior) and found that more than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested (61 percent) contained detectable levels of lead. None of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient.
One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested into the body. Nevertheless, the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick, which makes sense when one considers the disturbing absence of FDA regulatory oversight and enforcement capacity for the personal care products industry.
We all know lead is bad; it's a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral disabilities. No amount of exposure is without harm. Pregnant women and young children are most vulnerable since it can cross the placenta and interfere with the normal development of the fetus. Lead has been removed from paint and gasoline -- why do we need it in lipstick?
Actually, we don't. The test done by the Campaign also shows that it is possible to make lipsticks without it. No detectable levels were found in 39% lipsticks tested.
It's 2007 and the US FDA still lacks important, obvious regulations on cosmetics. Until we see that change, you may want to check out these safer lipstick alternatives.
The information that Ewg.com has on their website regarding Arbonne lipstick is incorrect. Arbonne does not have a lipstick Belgium Berry. This needs to be removed.
November 5, 2007
Does chapstick for lips have lead
or just lipstick? How do I get
a list of safer lipstick alternatives?
Enjoy and find this website very
interesting.
Thank you,
Alive Magazine (see http://www.alive.com/4805a12a2.php) reports that women ingest 4 pounds of lip stick in their lifetime.
Mike Smith
First, kids dying from lead in toys. Now, they find high levels of lead in lipsticks. What's next - lead in food? Are women going to start dying now too from using lipstick too much?
Freaky!
There's a detailed report about it at http://www.myproductalert.com/lead-in-lipsticks.html
I read the piece on lipstick (which I new about already) but was surprised to hear of a "safe" level for candy - like kids don't eat candy? I want to know more....as will a few parents, I think....
Thanks
Irene, that's good question. Let me talk to our scientists about what that so-called "safe" level is and what it means, and I'll put together a post on it.
You did not say which lipsticks were among the 67% that were safe??? What are they?
My understanding is that all iron oxides contain naturally occurring heavy metals like lead. Even the most natural lipsticks (including those with green ratings on skin deep) have iron oxides for color. So how can we know they are low in lead?
Does L'Oreal Endless lipstick contain high levels of Lead?
Hola, estoy tan sorprendida de toda la informacion tan interesante que he leido sobre el plomo en lapiz de labios, que realmente estoy muy preocupada. Gracias por tan interesante informacion. Precisamente, este 4 de mayo 2009 tengo una presentacion, sobre este tema, que espero crea conciencia y que nos podamos unir para que los grande intereses paren de anadir este mineral tan peligroso. Con razon tanta mujer enferma!!!! Que lapiz de labios uds. pueden rcomendarme que no tengan este mineral y yo poder decirlo en mi preesentacion? Lo pueden enviar a mi correo electronico? Gracias por su atencion a este particular. Sinceramente, Millie.
English:
Hello, I am so surprised by all the interesting information that I have read about lead in lipstick, which worries me very much. thank you for the interesting information. It so happens that this upcoming May 4th, 2009 I have a presentation on this subject which I hope can create awareness and I hope we can unite so the big industries stop adding this dangerous mineral. No wonder there are so many sick women!!!! Is there a lipstick that you can recommend that doesn't have this mineral? I'd like to mention it in my presentation. Can you send me this recommendation to my email? Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely, Millie.
Millie, You can search our cosmetics database to find products with low hazard ratings. Lead, of course, is not listed as an ingredient. You can visit the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for more info: http://tinyurl.com/c7oeru. It's not easy rooting out the lead in specific products unless they've been individually tested.