There’s WHAT In My Lipstick?!

February 15, 2012 9:40 AM

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It’s a crucial part of any woman’s look, that perfectly shaded pucker. Before, our biggest concern about makeup was the assurance that it wasn’t tested on animals, but now, there is cause to worry about what is in the lipstick we put on our lips. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released the results of a test that discovered traces of lead in 400 popular brands of lipstick, ranging from top of the line all the way to bargain brands.

This is the second test of its kind that the FDA has performed. In 2007, the agency tested 20 brands of lipstick and found lead in all of them, but none over 3.06 parts per million. What is more shocking is that this most recent test has found lead levels higher than what was found in the 2007 test; the highest concentration was 7.19.

See the full list of 400 lipsticks from the FDA.

Who were the 5 worst offenders? Maybelline’s Color Sensational in Pink Petal topped the notorious list with 7.19 ppm. Coming in second is L’Oreal’s Colour Riche in Volcanic (7.0 ppm). NARS has two Semi-Matte shades sitting in the worst 5; Red Lizard (4.93 ppm) and Funny Face (4.89). Cover Girl Queen Collection’s Vibrant Hues Color in Ruby Rey Remix was found to have 4.92 ppm.

What does lead in lipstick mean? Lead is a toxin. In adults, lead poisoning can cause reproductive problems (in both men and women), high blood pressure and hypertension, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle or joint pain. In children, the effects are more severe; brain damage, damage to the nervous system, behavior and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches. According to SafeCosmetics.org, there is no safe level of lead exposure.