Lipstick Lovers Beware
Coloring one’s lips to appear more attractive has been around for thousands of years. Some say that Cleopatra is the woman who started it all.
I personally LOVE lipstick. In fact, my no-makeup look is lipstick and big sunglasses.
But many consider lipstick to be one of the most toxic cosmetics. Most conventional lipsticks have been proven to contain considerable amounts of lead as well as other harmful ingredients such as synthetic dyes and coloring, aluminum, parabens, silicones and petroleum. Each time we wear lipstick and lick our lips, we’re ingesting some of the chemicals. And when our lipstick disappears after a few hours, where do you think some of it goes? Over a lifetime, it’s said that the average lipstick wearer consumes about 4 pounds of the stuff.
The FDA has set no limits for lead in lipstick. A few years ago, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics picked 33 popular brands of lipstick and had them tested at an independent lab. Over half of them contained lead. The government says that the amount is so small that there is nothing to worry about. But the latest studies show that no level of lead is safe. Lead even in tiny amounts is a health concern.
Lead builds up in the body over time. As we apply lipstick several times a day every day for many years, it can add up to high exposure levels. Highly toxic to the nervous system, lead also interferes with enzymes critical to the production of red blood cells, leading to a form of anemia similar to that caused by iron deficiency. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage.
Reading labels is not going to help you here. Cosmetic companies are required to list their “intended” ingredients on labels. But lead would be considered an “unintended” by-product of the manufacturing process. Also, it can be found as a contaminent in low levels in raw ingredients.
So what can we do? First of all, stay away from red lipsticks. They seem to be the biggest offender, always containing lead. The best thing is to choose lipsticks that advertise that they are lead-free. There are many natural brands like Gabriel and Perfect Organics that have beautiful colors and are free of lead, even the red ones.
To your health and beauty!
-Sheila
