Friday, November 02, 2007

I Love Those Luscious, Glittering, Carmine-Red Lips, But...

Tests performed by a consumer safety group found that nearly two-thirds of 33 brand-name lipsticks contained lead, often in excess of the FDA's maximums for lead in candy.

The FDA currently sets no limits on lead in lipstick, and while they told the Associated Press that they'll look into the findings, produced by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, they also told the Baltimore Sun that action is unlikely.

Given the recent outcry about lead in toys, it seems strange that the FDA is so nonchalant about this. No, company-run tests on animals haven't found problems -- but were they looking for it? And might it make sense for companies to take some precautions and remove the lead anyways, even if there isn't clear evidence of harm? After all, lead is a dangerous heavy metal, one which poses extra dangers to pregnant women and their babies, and once in your body it doesn't go away.--By Brandon Keim
A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick [Campaign for Safe Cosmetics]

Lead detected in U.S.-made lipstick [Baltimore Sun]

FDA to examine claim that lipstick lead levels unsafe [Associated Press]

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