Information About Lead in Lipstick
Lead is bad for humans, and we should make every effort to distance ourselves from it. Children aged six and younger are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning. That is why it is important to keep children away from lead-based paint in homes, for example. Since the 1990s, warnings regarding lead in lipstick have been circulating in various media outlets and frightening women, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This scare creates a need for information about lead in lipstick. Does this Spark an idea?
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Urban Myth
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In 2003, a scare regarding lead in lipstick was going around. The claim was that lead in lipstick could cause cancer and that the lipstick that stays on the longest contains the most lead. Women were supposed to be able to detect the presence of lead by putting some lipstick on their hand and scratching the lipstick with a gold ring. If the lipstick changed to black, then that lipstick contained lead.
Urban Myth Debunked
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As with many urban myths, there can be some truth to them, and this one is no exception. Certain lipsticks do contain lead, and certain long-lasting lipsticks do contain more lead than other kinds, according to an FDA report. But, that is about the extent of the reality of that rumor. While lead is dangerous and can lead to lead poisoning, which can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, behavior problems, slowed growth, headaches, high blood pressure, muscle and joint pain and reproductive problems, it does not cause cancer, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As far as being able to detect lead using your gold ring, Snopes.com reports that gold and any other testing agent, such as silver, copper and pewter, all leave marks no matter what they rub against. The testing agents themselves are what leave the marks, not lead in lipstick.
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FDA Regulations
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The FDA regulates cosmetics. The FDA does allow trace levels of lead in color additives in lipstick, according to its website. The FDA says that its scientists analyzed the total lead content in lipstick and did find lead in all of the lipsticks tested. But the levels found, ranging from 0.09 parts per million to 3.06 parts per million, are within a safe range. Parts per million, in this case, denotes how much lead exists proportionally per million parts examined.
Lipstick Is Safe
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The FDA determined that there is no cause for concern regarding lead in lipstick, especially since women do not ingest lipstick, or only do in very small quantities if it happens. When lipstick is used topically with the levels the FDA deems safe, then there is little reason for concern, according to the FDA.
Lipsticks with the Highest Lead Levels
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The FDA will continue to evaluate lead in lipstick. The findings from an FDA study, as of 2009, reveal that Procter & Gamble's Cover Girl Incrediful Lipcolor in Maximum Red contains the most lead of any lipstick tested. Revlon, Inc.'s Revlon Colorstay Lipcolor in Red Velvet contains the second highest level and Cover Girl Queen Collection in Ruby Remix has the third highest level.
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References
- Photo Credit lips image by DXfoto.com from Fotolia.com
