Lead in Lipstick?: Toxic Chemicals in This Cosmetic Product

Would you believe that the lipstick you use everyday contains three times the amount of lead that the FDA allows in candy? It could, according to tests conducted by consumer health groups. Here learn more about the toxic chemicals often used in lipstick, and what you can do to avoid them.

Written by Monica Wesley, Green Health Research Contributor

Dangerous Chemicals Used in Lipstick

Did you know ingredients in lipstick could be toxic?

Several different dangerous chemicals are used in many, but not all, lipstick and lip gloss products sold in the United States. While the levels of these hazardous chemicals vary and are sometimes very low, any amount of these chemicals in lip products can be unsafe because every time you lick your lips or eat or drink while wearing a lip product you ingest a small amount of the product allowing the chemicals to enter your body. Additionally, lip products are absorbed by the thin delicate lip tissue, so even if you don’t directly ingest the product it can be absorbed through your skin and enter your body this way.

Lead

In a study conducted by the non-profit Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, lead was found in 20 of the 33 randomly chosen lipsticks the group purchased in four different U.S. cities. The lipsticks were tested for lead by an independent lab, which found the highest lead levels in lipsticks made by L’Oreal, Cover Girl, and designer brand Christian Dior. This is extremely dangerous because lead is a known neurotoxin which can cause infertility, miscarriage, learning disabilities in those exposed to lead, and birth defects in children whose mothers are exposed to lead while pregnant.

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is used in lip products because it’s a humectant, meaning it seals in moisture to keep lips moist. Propylene glycol is also one of the main components of anti-freeze. That’s right, the anti-freeze you use in your car and can’t store around children or pets because its sweet taste makes it irresistible but belies its lethal effects. Propylene glycol can cause liver and kidney damage, and when in the body can even alter normal brain waves making them resemble the brain waves of people who have severe anxiety disorders.

FD& C Dyes and Lakes

FD& C dyes and lakes are used by many companies to give makeup products, including lipstick and lip glosses, their color. However, they are also common allergens, and can be very irritating to the skin. Some FD& C colors have even been shown to cause severe allergic reactions such as asthma attacks and FD& C Red No. 3 will cause breast cancer to form when it’s placed in a petrie dish with healthy breast tissue.