The Real Story On Lead In Cosmetics

Don't Jump On The Lead Hysteria Bandwagon

he Internet is filled with scares about lead in everything from childrens' toys to cosmetics and candy. A few years ago, an environmental group filed a suit against chocolate manufacturers because their candy contained lead.

       

Recently, the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics issued a press release saying that it had found lead in several types of brand name red lipstick. MSNBC picked up on the release and unleashed a reporter to cover "killer cosmetics." This has resulted in some hysteria and conspiracy theories lead has been intentionally added to cosmetics. A scientific look at lead sheds a completely different light on the issue. Lead, PB on the periodic table, is a naturally occurring substance. Lead is made up of four naturally occurring isotopes: 204, 206, 207 and 208. It occurs extensively in the earth’s crust and is the 36th most common chemical element on earth. 

Lead Is Everywhere

Lead is not a cosmetic ingredient that is found in the Cosmetic Bench Reference. It is a natural by-product occurring in cosmetics and food because it is absorbed from the earth and pollution into the raw materials used by both industries. The only reference to lead in the Cosmetic Bench Reference is the neutralized version “Lead Acetate” which is used as a hair colorant in hair dyes. Lead Acetate is probably the lesser of all evils in hair dye, which are super loaded with multiple toxins. It isn’t a secret in the beauty industry that hair dye is toxic no matter how you label it.

While lead is a health hazard it is also widespread. It can be found in the air, water, and soil which logically means that it will be found in humans, plants, clay and oxides. Although the EPA, Center for Disease Control and FDA have implemented many regulations in order to reduce lead levels by phasing out the use of leaded gasoline, banning lead based house paints and reducing lead-soldered cans. But not all countries have made equal changes.

We live in a global economy where materials for cosmetics and foods are bought from all over the world. And the environment can only be so forgiving after we have saturated our atmosphere with pollutants.  In the 1970’s we were still fertilizing with lead containing pesticides. Even today pesticides are laden with harmful and dangerous chemicals that are absorbed by the earth, plants, animals and humans.

Even bottled water contains lead. The FDA quality standard for bottled water requires that lead be lower than 5 parts per billion (ppb). Adults absorb about 11% of lead that reaches the digestive tract. The lead found in red lipsticks by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics was at levels between .03 to .65 part per million. Skin absorbs 1% of the lead that it comes in contact with. This means that when we digest a bottle of water that contains safe limits of lead we would absorb .55 ppb.

If a lipstick containing the highest level of lead found in the study (.65 ppb) was applied to the lips we would absorb .0065 part per million through the skin. If we assume that we absorb and digest lipstick the dose would be .078 parts per million. This is well below the amount of lead absorbed through an EPA standard of allowable lead in a product.

It Makes No Sense To List Lead On An Ingredient Label

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics was concerned that lead was not listed on the ingredient lists of the red lipsticks. However, since lead is not a cosmetic ingredient that was added purposefully how could it be listed? The only way to determine all the naturally occurring elements in raw materials would be to conduct extensive studies on every incoming ingredient for every batch of product to determine what each had absorbed from the earth, air and water. If we had to break down all the naturally occurring chemical elements on an ingredient list it would be excessively costly, put companies out of business and bring all cosmetic prices out of reach of the consumer. And that is not even mentioning the length each ingredient list would have to become.

According to the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, "Lead is not intentionally added to cosmetics. Lead is a naturally occurring element that is found everywhere in the environment. Consumers are exposed daily to lead when they eat, drink water and breathe the air. The average amount of lead a woman would be exposed to when using cosmetics is 1,000 times less than the amount she would get from eating, breathing, and drinking water that meets Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards."

What Else Could We Do With Our Time?

There are far more dangerous and scientifically sound issues in the cosmetic industry than naturally occurring lead showing up in cosmetics. I agree that we should do everything possible to stop the contamination of our water, air and earth and to lower the impact of lead and other chemicals on our industry. The Environmental Protection Agency, FDA and Centers For Disease Control have made giant strides in the lead the area of lead contamination. Now it is time for us to make every effort make a grass root charge towards organic purchasing to lessen the impact of chemicals on our earth; hence in our foods and cosmetics. The wave of organic purchasing will do more to change our environment than testing of raw material for naturally occurring chemical components.

Get Real

I believe the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has their heart in the right place, but that they need a reality check based on good science. I support their efforts to educate consumers and investigate the safety of cosmetics. I would simply like them to look at the entire picture scientifically before publishing lopsided reports.

What do you think? 

Comments

[Amy]

Thank you so much for this post! I initially applauded that Campaign for Safe Cosmetics article. But as I read it more closely, I ended up getting confused and got somewhat turned off by it... As it stated that consumers can't judge a lipstick's lead content by its price point, brand or label, then really how are the consumers supposed to find (relatively) lead-free lip products? I was hoping the article would give any insight on preventing lead getting into the color pigment (and the lipsticks), but all it suggested was to test every single batch of raw ingredients, which I find pretty impossible for small business owners with limited funding... So without any solid solution to avoiding buying lead-tainted lipsticks, all that article caused, as you mentioned, panic among comsumers... So thank you very much for this useful post to shed more light on this whole "lead in lipstick" issue!

[Kayla Fioravanti]

The chemicals used in hair dyes are listed on the box. Many of the hair dyes imply by their product name and packaging that they are natural, herbal, gentle and green. Don't be fooled by the front panel. Turn the box over and read the ingredient lists.

[Susie]

I agree with you on this one. It is important to try to get rid of unnecessary toxins, but we need to keep our common sense. It is important to know what's really harmful and what's not before changing everything. If we know for sure one cosmetic ingredient is harmful and we know of a safer alternative, then we need to make a change, but changing everything before knowing enough of the alternatives can lead us into even worse situations.

[donna MacTavish]

Wouldn't you say hair dye
chemicals should be listed on label?