After doing my presentation in class on the production of waste, I was drawn to a quote Annie Leonard included in her book: "Roses are red, lipstick has lead". The idea that lipstick, a product most women use daily, contained any sort of harmful materials astounded me. So I researched into this issue more only to find a report made by the FDA that found of 20 lipsticked tested--in an experiment-- all 20 contained some form of lead. The report then goes on to say how the testing was expanded to 400 lipsticks sold in the Untied States, and the results concluded that the "lead concentration" was averaged at 1.11 ppm. But the FDA concludes that this level of lead in lipsticks, is not any sort of safety concern. The information and conclusion that this report gives leaves me uneasy, because although the FDA states that the current levels of lead in lipsticks are not harmful I worry for a future where they are.
http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productandingredientsafety/productinformation/ucm137224.htm#q5
I would agree that I would not want to wear lead on my lips, where it could get inside my mouth. I would assume we could only tolerate an extremely small amount, and women wear lipstick often enough to raise concern.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did find a website that does sell lead free lipstick. The price may be more expensive than normal lipstick, but I wouldn't really know.
Here's a link to the article: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/lead-free-lipsticks-470402#slide-1