So I’m rushing to type this out as it’s 7 A.M. on the west coast and I have to hurry up and pack, get dressed, and be downstairs in my hotel lobby by 8:30 A.M. PST to make it in time to get to the last day of WWDMAGIC. But just now a friend brought an FDA report that says 400 shades of popular lipsticks contain lead to my attention. Um, as hardcore fans of lipsticks, we need to check this out.
According to the Washington Post,
Five lipsticks made by L’Oreal and Maybelline, owned by L’Oreal USA, ranked among the top 10 most contaminated of the cosmetics, according to testing by the Food and Drug Administration. Two Cover Girl and two NARS lipsticks also landed in the top 10, as did one made by Stargazer.
Yikes. This is hitting very close to home.
And if you love Maybelline’s Petal Pink Lipstick, you better be sitting down when you read this next excerpt from the Washington Post article…
The FDA’s most recent analysis found the highest lead concentration — 7.19 parts per million — in Maybelline’s Color Sensational Pink Petal lipstick. But the average lead contamination in the 400 lipsticks it tested last year was 1.11 parts per million, very close to the average from the agency’s 2008 analysis.
The FDA seems to think the amount of lead found in lipsticks should not raise concerns, however the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has a much different view. Apparently lead can build up in the body over time (I mean, we do apply lipstick several times a day everyday) and could cause issues in the future. You can read more of the Washington Post article here.
In the meantime, here’s a list of ten lipsticks found to contain the most lead. Thankfully none I use are on this list, but I still have to go through the full 400 lipstick list.
1. Maybelline’s Color Sensation in Pink Petal. (Lead content: 7.19 ppm)
2. L’Oreal Colour Riche in Volcanic. (Lead content: 7.00 ppm)
3. NARS Semi-Matte in Red Lizard. (Lead content: 4.93 ppm)
4. Cover Girl Queen Collection Vibrant Hues Color in Ruby Remix (Lead content: 4.92 ppm)
5. NARS Semi-Matte in Funny Face. (Lead content: 4.89)
6. L’Oreal Colour Rich in Tickled Pink. (Lead content: 4.45)
7. L’Oreal Intensely Moisturizing Lipcolor in Heroic. (Lead content: 4.41)
8. Cover Girl Continuous Color in Warm Brick. (Lead content: 4.28)
9. Maybelline Color Sensational in Mauve Me. (Lead content: 4.23)
10. Stargazer lipstick in shade “c.” (Lead content: 4.12)
Luckily, I’ve been receiving info from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, it’s amazing what can “legally” be put into our products. After reading some of there articles, i can’t even bring myself to support certain bath and body spray companies. Danielle when you get a chance if you haven’t seen the “Story of stuff”, you really should, It opened my eyes. http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/
Scary!
Thanks so much for keeping us “hip” in every way concerning cosmetics. You rock. I just got impassioned from mac…. .23 on the list YIKES…considerably low, but still!
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you’re welcome!!! :)
Uhm, Danielle, did you try ctrl + f and then the name of your lipstick to find yours on the list? lol
Anyway.. good thing I’m not into lipstick
I am a foundation and concealer nut, hope that sht don’t kill me one day.
I can see the doctors now as they see the results of what was in my body: mufe, what is mufe? and mac? we have to look into this further.smh
Author
Hey charlie!
Girl, I JUST got a second to sit still for a bit and haven’t had a chance to look at the full list yet. I’m NERVOUS! lol.
LMAO @ the doctors seeing MUFE and MAC in your body!!!