A few years ago, I remember reading an Internet health investigative report on “Lipstick and Lead.” When I first heard about lead in lipstick, it was shocking. I could not believe that wearing lipstick could cause cancer.
As I was reading this article on www.snopes.com on “Lead in Lipstick,” there was a 3-step test that you can do yourself: 1) put some lipstick on your hands; 2) use a 24K-14K Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick (Instead of a 24K-14K, I used a 10K Gold ring.); 3) if the lipstick color changes to black, then you know the lipstick contains lead.* There were four different brands of lipstick in my possession: 1) Rimmel London, 2) Bonnie Bell ,3) Jordana #163, and 4) Jordana #120. The results from my experiment revealed that all four tubes from my lipstick collection contained lead. As a result from experimentation, I wear less lipstick than in previous years.
According to previous reports, lead may not always cause cancer, but it is definitely an element dangerous to humans.* Human exposure to lead can cause a number of health problems, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. My argument is if lead is supposed to be dangerous, then why cosmetic manufacturers would include ingredients such as lead in lipstick. In my opinion, I think the cosmetic industry is using the “scare” tactics to frighten the makeup-wearing population. This public agony is an eye-opener.
Have you noticed the ingredients on the lipstick tube are hardly listed? I have noticed that on numerous occasions. When you purchase a tube of lipstick, there is only the color number, color name, distribution company, net weight, and country of origin. Because the lips are part of the mucus membrane, the manufacturers have to make their color selections from a reduced color pool.
Many people have been wandering about the lead presence in cosmetics. What about the lead in cosmetics? Although many dangerous substances have been utilized as ingredients at various times in the history of makeup, some women in earlier days caused themselves life-long health problems (or even killed themselves) with beautifiers that amounted to death in a jar.*
How do we know what is going into cosmetics? It is supposed to be regulated, controlled, and well-understood. If it is lead in lipstick and other cosmetics, then why does the cosmetic industry put them on the market? It is the obvious reason: money.
Money is the motivation for the market. Forget about the well-being of the make-up wearing public; the cosmetic industry is in business. Manufacturers who wish to do business in the United States are restricted to the use of FDA-certifiable colors only. The results: the cosmetic products will not be allowed in the country or on the shelves of stores in the United States.
So far, there has not been a case of lead poisoning from lipstick reported in the United States. That is good news for the lipstick wearing society. We, the consumers, can breathe a sigh of relief. Until there is a lead poisoning case caused by wearing lipstick, the consumers will continue the lipstick saga. I will continue to keep my fingers crossed.
* (Source: www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/lipstick.asp
