The latest lead-contaminated product on American shelves? Lipstick.

[marmar]

from OurFuture.org:



E. coli conservatism in the makeup kit
Submitted by Rick Perlstein on October 31, 2007 - 9:45am.


The latest consumer product tainted with led? Lipstick. From Safecosmetics.org:


Toys made in China aren’t the only products laced with dangerous heavy metals: lipstick manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of American women also contains surprisingly high levels of lead, according to new product tests released today by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The lead tests were conducted by an independent laboratory over the month of September on red lipsticks bought in Boston, Hartford, Conn., San Francisco and Minneapolis. Top findings include:

More than half of 33 brand-name lipsticks tested (61 percent) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). None of these lipsticks listed lead as an ingredient.

One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested into the body. Nevertheless, the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick, which fits with the disturbing absence of FDA regulatory oversight and enforcement capacity for the $50 billion personal care products industry.


That's all right. It's not like lipstick goes anywhere near the mouth, does it? Note, too, that we're not talking about imports from China: these are products made right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Here's a primer from Safecosmetics.org, by the way, on why we should be worried about lead, in American-made lipstick and Chinese-made children's toys both: "Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure. Lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage. 'Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure,” said Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, president, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.'"

http://commonsense.ourfuture.org/e_coli_conservatism_makeup_kit?tx=3

[Pachamama]

1. China won't need to invade us or use nukes on us - they are destroying us via lead poisoning and our

economy.....Brilliant strategy and meanwhile Americans are being poisoned and get too brain damaged to know it.....

[formercia]

3. Just like Lead helped to destroy the Roman Empire.

Instead of plumbing(plumb=lead) the babies can chew on the toys.

[Pachamama]

7. Plumb is the Latin word for Lead? I didn't know that...

So the Chinese are brilliant...our babies can get the lead real early when their nervous system and brains are just developing and the women can get it in their system via Lipstick....

Ugh....

[formercia]

10. The Romans made water pipes from Lead.

The cumulative effect over the years lead to some serious public health issues.

Excuse the pun.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead

Lead is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pb (Latin: plumbum) and atomic number 82. A soft, heavy, toxic and malleable poor metal,

[Pachamama]

16. Thanks! I remember vaguely the periodic charts Pb, but didn't connect Plumbum to Plumbing!

Its one of those many things I love about the DU....

:hi:

[tandot]

2. I use chapsticks most of the time and they now sell them with 100% natural ingredients

However, who knows what other cosmetics I use have high level of lead or other harmful substances in them.

[TahitiNut]

4. (Hmmm...) The last I checked, lead is "natural."

:shrug:

[tandot]

8. You are right. However, I checked the ingredients:

Ingredients: Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilia) Wax, CocosNucifera (Coconut) Oil, Flavor, Beeswax, Natural Flavors, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Copernicia Cerifera (Camauba) Wax, Limnanthes Alba ( Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parki (Shea Butter) Extract, Tocopherol

[AspenRose]

5. Sure hope Aveda doesn't have lead in their lipstick.

Or Chanel, or MAC. :scared:

[robinlynne]

11. I wouldn't count on Chanel.... the others are safe.

[Katherine Brengle]

6. Just one more reason not to wear lipstick, as if it weren't already ridiculous enough. nt

[TahitiNut]

9. Amen.

Along with high heels, an accoutrement of courtesans.

[glowing]

13. I do love a heel... not to wear all the time... but a sexy heel creates

a beautiful leg line, paired with a sexy, black number... and I get really lucky. But my husband certainly doesn't expect me to barbie doll up at all times.

Of course, I appreciate it when he dresses in a suit and tie and that isn't exactly comfortable either. I think its more of an incentive to run home and start undressing.

[AlCzervik]

12. i'll stick with my boring old carmex.

[Lisa0825]

14. from Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/lipstick.asp

Now, I am not one to blindly trust any industry, but I also have a healthy skepticism for alarmist warnings as well.

[Bonobo]

15. Nope. It's Halloween wax lips now.