Lead In Lipstick: How Dangerous Your Lipstick Can Be?

The recent news about lead in lipstick made me look on my cosmetics box and check if the lipstick I am using has lead on it.

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics did a test on lipstick and 400 different lipsticks tested were positive of lead. Lead is a chemical that is present and was banned because of its toxicity level even on small amount. There is no safe level of lead exposure s we really have to be very careful on using products that has lead on it.

Here’s some of the result of test done on lisptick:

• Maybelline Color Sensational, Pink Petal (7.9 ppm)
• L’Oreal Colour Riche, Volcanic, (7.0 ppm)
• NARS Semi-Matte, Red Lizard (4.93 ppm)
•  Cover Girl Queen Collection, Ruby Remix, (4.92 ppm)
•  Nars Semi-Matte, Funny Face (4.89 ppm)
•  L’Oreal Colour Riche, Tickled Pink (4.45 ppm)
•  L’Oreal Intensely Moisturizing Lipcolor, Heroic (4.41 ppm)
•  Cover Girl Continuous Color, Warm Brick (4.28 ppm)
•  Maybelline Color Sensational, Mauve Me (4.23 ppm)
•  Stargazer Lipstick, #103 (4.12 ppm)

If you’re interested to know, California’s safety limit is 5.0 ppm for lipstick. Here’s a detailed list of over 1000 lip products and their lead content (CLICK CLICK)

The Daily Green however publish a list of lipstick that are lead free (tested in 2007):

• AVON Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee
• The Body Shop  Lip Color Garnet
• Clinique Long Last Lipstick Merlot
• Dior Replenishing Lip Color Red Premiere
• Estee Lauder Maraschino
• MAC Matte Lipstick Viva Glam 1
• Revlon uperlustrous Love That Red
• Revlon Superlustrous Bed of Roses
• Revlon Colorstay Lipcolor Red Velvet
• Tarte  Inside Out Vitamin Lipstick
• Wet n Wild Mega Colors Cherry Blossom