One-third of the lipsticks tested contained an amount of lead that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy. Specific details based on individual brands and varieties are available in this report.
The worst offenders?
- L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” tested in at 0.65 ppm
- Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maxim
Given that these levels are 5-6 times higher than those allowed in foods, and that most lipstick is licked off over time, well... ladies, do you really want a carcinogenic snack with your lip smack?! I thought most of these companies did animal testing to avoid having to use humans as guinea pigs, but I guess I was mistaken...
These levels are over 30 times higher than levels of lead found in lipsticks by several other major brands, such as Body Shop, Revlon, Mac, Avon, Dior, Estee Lauder, or Wet N' Wild... and other brands have no discernable levels of lead at all. So, is it really too much to expect the cosmetics industry to get rid of lead in their lipstick?
(Perhaps they believe that causing brain damage increases their customer base?!)
