Twenty lipsticks? Could it be possible that lipstick could be causing women to become sick?
FDA conducted two follow-up studies and found much more lead in the lipstick samples tested. Up to 7.19 part per million of lead–more than 20 percent of the so-called daily amount that is considered safe in drinking water. That’s if they are applied three times a day. In some cases, depending on the lipstick, the increase in lead can be 14 times more. Not just lead, other minerals that are not safe have been detected–aluminum, cadmium, chromium, and manganese.
Some of these lipsticks are so nasty. Cadmium is a carcinogen that has been found in biopsies of breast cancer. Who would want cadmium, for example, in lipstick. Even guys upon kissing are exposed!
If FDA and CPSC cannot ban these products, you can. Don’t buy the stuff.
Here’s the list.
Is there a lipstick out there that is safe? The FDA 2012 test found less than one part per million of lead in Wet n’Wild, Bobbi Brown, and Shiseido lipstick.
From EWG’s web site:
What you can do. As always, there’s the personal and the political. To prevent your own exposure, you should use lead-free lipstick or no lipstick at all. Because lead is not a listed ingredient, it is impossible to identify lead-free brands without testing. Going without is safer.
To get political, you can ask the FDA to step up to the plate and ban lead in lipstick. You can also contact the folks who make your favorite lipstick and let them know that you like their product – but would prefer it without a dose of lead, please and thank you.
For more on the useful properties of lead, the 2007 New York Times article, “The Pernicious Allure of Lead” is fascinating – showing the poisonous metal’s unbeatable usefulness over time.
masked CANARY 