Air Date: Thursday, October 11, 2007
Lead lipstick
We recently told you about concerns of lead in children's toys and jewelry. Now, there's another concern, lead in lipstick.
Lots of woman use lipstick, some applying it many times during the day.
But test results released say some products that you use to get luscious looking lips contain lead.
In August, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics bought 33 lipsticks in four U.S. cities, including Boston, and sent them to a lab.
"We sent to a lab to test for lead," said Stacey Malkan of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. "61 percent of the products of all price levels were contaminated with lead and none of these products listed lead as an ingredient on the label."
Lead is a neurotoxin and can cause health problems, such as learning disabilities, behavioral problems, stunted growth and mental retardation.
Young children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to lead exposure.
"This news is upsetting because lipstick and other sources provide lead to mother's bodies which get stored and then mobilized directly to the babies as they're born," said pediatrician Dr. Sean Palfrey of the Boston Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wants the FDA to regulate lead in lipstick and is also calling on cosmetic manufacturers to reformulate their products.
In a written statement the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association says, "For decades, cosmetic companies have worked to minimize all product contamination, including lead. They actively and continually review all raw materials to ensure that they contain the lowest levels of impurities possible."
(Copyright (c) 2007 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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