STOP! Don’t Buy L’Oreal, Cover Girl or Dior Lipstick
The following brands contain high levels of toxic lead in them: L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red,” L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine”, Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” and Dior Addict “Positive Red.”
L’Oreal had the highest lead results in the samples tested by a consumer advocacy group. You should be upset at L’Oreal, Cover Girl, Dior and other cosmetic companies, also at the FDA for not monitoring the substances that we use (and ingest) more carefully, and ultimately for corporations caring more about profit than the health of their consumers.
We live in a “Consumers, be Aware” world. But, how could we have known that lead existed in a product if lead isn’t listed as an ingredient? Consumers should always be cautious, but how could they make decisions if they are being deceived when information such as lead levels are not disclosed?
We can only wonder what else contains lead (or other poisons) that we are not being told about. How about some baby toys, clothing, pet food, or how about some human food? Sounds familiar?
Boycott
I don’t care what their excuses are, it’s apparent that they (L’Oreal, Cover Girl, Dior, the FDA and others) are lax on quality control. Should women just stop wearing lipstick?
The way I see it, women should start a campaign to boycott the use of lipstick (maybe only lipstick from L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Dior) until the FDA and other agencies can ensure these products are not poisonous.
Vote With Your Money
Avoid having memory problems, avoid having autistic kids, avoid infertility and miscarriages, be wary of lipstick. You can chose to stop using lipstick or start purchasing non-mineral and natural lipstick. Keep reading to find what brands you should stop purchasing.
You Must Be Outraged
If you’re not, then you have not been paying attention. I switched to a mostly organic diet about a couple years ago because I no longer trusted the people and agencies meant to protect us, it’s become very obvious how inept these people are after all the recent outbreaks in meat, peanut butter, spinach, tomatoes, pet food, etc..Do you remember the news?
I don’t want Chinese products, I want clean and good quality products made in the USA under strict regulations.
Stay Healthy, Save Money
Staying healthy is one way you can save money. I write this article hoping that I could help my readers avoid these poisonous lipsticks and stay healthy.
Lipstick is Not Food, Right? Wrong!
An average woman swallows about 4-6 pounds of lipstick in a lifetime. That is almost 100 tubes. Source (www.wikihow.com/Buy-Lipstick). Why then isn’t lipstick considered worth regulating by the FDA?
Men, you’re not off the hook, you also should be concerned, we all know that lipstick taste and we know what it means to us, don’t we?
Claims or Facts?
The FDA said they were investigating lead in lipstick. They say that these reports of lead are just “claims” that they are now investigating. Let me tell you something and you can make up your own mind. If the FDA comes out and says that these lipstick products are fine, do you think I’m ready to believe them? Are you?
It’s just a matter of their claims against the claims of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics independent lab testing. It seems that for every person arguing against the safety of a product there is another person arguing for its safety. I prefer to err on the side of caution; do you?
Read this article and decide who’s results you trust more.
I will quote selected sections from The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website. Their website is very informative. Please visit their website for the latest information: http://www.safecosmetics.org/your_health/poisonkiss.cfm
A Poison Kiss
While you may not be able to test for lead by rubbing a gold ring on your lipstick as some urban legends suggest, laboratory testing initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has found that some lipsticks from top brands do contain lead.
Lead is a potent neurotoxin and linked to numerous other health and reproductive problems—and it doesn’t belong in lipstick.
For more information, read their press release: http://safecosmetics.org/newsroom/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=26
You can also download a copy of “A Poison Kiss” here: http://www.safecosmetics.org/document.cfm?documentID=107
To take action, follow this link: http://action.safecosmetics.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=14281
Does Lipstick Really Contain Lead?
Some websites claim that lead in lipstick is just an Urban Myth (eg. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/lipstick.asp) However, according to independent lab tests initiated by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, yes, some lipsticks available for sale in 2007 contain lead. The report, A Poison Kiss names the brands tested and the levels of lead found in them. More than half of 33 top-brand lipsticks tested (61%) contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).
One-third of the lipsticks exceeded the 0.1 ppm FDA lead limit for candy – a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Among the brands tested found to have the highest lead levels were L’Oreal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior – showing that the more expensive brands are no safer than drugstore brands.
Is Just a Little Lead Really Harmful?
The most recent scientific studies indicate that there is no safe level of lead. To rephrase that, Any Amount of Exposure is harmful.
What is Lead?
Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems.
Lead is also linked to infertility and miscarriage.
Lead does not break down in the body, but builds up over a lifetime of exposures.
Why Isn’t the FDA Regulating Lipstick?
The FDA lacks regulatory oversight of cosmetics the U.S.
The Food and Drug Administration does not have a limit on lead in lipstick!!
An average woman swallows about 4-6 pounds of lipstick in a lifetime. That is almost 100 tubes.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website says that in 2006, the FDA established a lead limit of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) in candy, based on the level the agency believed to be the lowest achievable. The lowest level of lead that can be practicably obtained in lipstick is non-detectable, according to our test results. Lipstick, like candy, is ingested directly into the body. Yet the FDA has not set a lead limit for lipstick. Why is that the case?
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website says that the FDA has set a limit on lead in FD&C color additives – which are sometimes used to color lipstick – at 10 to 20 ppm. But there is no FDA limit on the amount of colorant that may be used in cosmetics. Lead may also be introduced from other sources.
How Does Lead Get Into Lipstick Anyway?
Through colors used in lipstick, or from ingredients and other raw materials, which can include zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, or from materials such as ozokerite (mineral wax or paraffin) and petroleum-based ingredients (petrolatum, mineral oil).
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics say that it is possible to make lipstick with no detectable lead.
Is There Lead-Free Lipstick Out There?
Yes, non-Mineral, all natural and herbal lipstick is lead-free.
Some less expensive brands such as Revlon ($7.49) had no detectable levels of lead, while some more expensive brands like Dior Addict ($24.50) had relatively high lead levels.
A final word of caution by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics:
Our product tests covered just a tiny percentage of lipsticks on the market, so they can’t be used as a guide for what to buy. We don’t want anyone to think the testing of these 33 products is the last word on which lipsticks contain lead. This is just a starting point. The tests reveal that lead is commonly found in lipstick, and that companies are making products with lead levels all over the board.
The bottom line is that we can’t shop our way out of this problem. We need to change the laws so that consumers are protected from toxic ingredients in cosmetics.
How Can I Get Involved?
Visit: http://www.safecosmetics.org/your_health/poisonkiss.cfm
Non-Mineral and Natural Lipstick
This is a customized google search (click here) that should return results on natural lipstick that is better for your health and beauty.
This search is for organic lipstick products (click here).
Whole Foods Markets carry a wide range of cosmetics and lipstick that’s natural.. Watch the video on their site for more info: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/socialmedia/wholebody/2007/09/28/natural-cosmetics/
I Want to Read More
Enjoy these resources / links:
- Cosmetic Safety Database by Environmental Working GroupFDA Looking into Lead-Laced Lipstick
Group Finds Lead In Lipsticks – Levels Higher Than Federal Limit
High levels of lead found in some lipstick
Why are there no regulations on lipstick??
Is There Too Much Lead In Lipstick?
Lead in Lipstick Report Draws FDA Attention
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