The Lead Epidemic: Lipstick Recalled for Containing Lead

Everyday new recalls are posted about products that contain lead. Some of latest recalls have involved over 20 million children's toys made in China and now most recently, lipstick.

According to the latest new reports, 61% of brand name lipsticks contain lead. 33 randomly chosen lipstick brands were chose for this study, with some of the most popular brands, including L'Oreal Colour Riche "True Red," L'Oreal Colour Riche "Classic Wine," Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red" and Dior Addict "Positive Red." Showing that they contain lead between .03 and .65 parts per million. One third of the lipsticks tested contain lead concentrations that are above the 0.1 ppm limit set by the Food and Drug Administration for lead in candy. Like candy, lipstick is digested, causing the lead to be ingested also.

While many health scares exist, lead poising is very real. No only can it lead to learning disabilities, increased aggression, language problems, behavioral issues and even infertility and miscarriage. Studies have shown that there is no safe level of lead in the body. If you are pregnant, nursing, or the mother of young child, be ware.

It should also be noted that lead builds up in the body over time and can not be dispelled by the body, causing the lead level in the body to build over time.

There is hope, some of the less expensive brands did not contain lead, namely Revlon lipstick lines. Revlon did not contain any detectable levels of lead in its lipstick, while the pricier brands contained large quantities.

If you suspect that you have an affected brand of lipstick, please do your research and do not continue to ingest this lead. Lead poisoning is very serious.