The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Red Flag: Lead Threat in Lipsticks

Nothing says "glamour" like luscious red lips, especially during the decadent holiday party season. But before you pucker up, we wanted to alert you to one recent report from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics which suggests that many popular brand-name lipsticks may contain potentially unsafe amounts of lead.
From CNNMoney.com: "According to new product tests, 61 percent of brand-name lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, which can be toxic if ingested.

The top brands testing positive for lead included L'Oréal Colour Riche "True Red," L'Oréal Colour Riche "Classic Wine," Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red" and Dior Addict "Positive Red," the group said.

The FDA said it is aware of concerns about lead in lipstick and is following up on the report, a spokeswoman said."

Our advice: Concerns over unsafe amounts of lead in everything from cosmetics to children's toys has been all over the news lately. If you're feeling unsure, skip purchasing suspect products and go for brands with a reputation for using all-natural ingredients.
Comments
Yikes! This is so scary. I thought lead in makeup went the way of the Roman Empire -- I didn't think it was still used in today's cosmetics! :-( I didn't see Nars on there, but that doesn't mean there's no lead in their lipsticks. Makes me think twice about wearing reds now...
#1 cathy (Homepage) on 2007-11-27 11:11 (Reply)
right?? who knew.
#1.1 The Budget Babe on 2007-11-28 13:12 (Reply)
So, it's only red lipsticks? Do you still need to be wary of nude/pink colors? My favorite red is the classic red from Maybelline, and i have heard of unsafe levels of lead, but i always shrugged it off as a rumor.
#2 Kerri on 2007-11-28 21:33 (Reply)
My first impression was that it was only the reds, but upon closer inspection, it looks like lead can be found in other colors as well.

You can view the entire report with the full list of 33 lipsticks tested here:
http://www.safecosmetics.org/document.cfm?documentID=107

Thanks for the question!
#2.1 The Budget Babe on 2007-11-28 22:57 (Reply)
that's really weird - i have always had a reaction to red and reddish lipsticks. now i know why!
lead? yikes.
:-(
#3 maggie z on 2007-11-30 16:20 (Reply)
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