Women have worn it for centuries to add a hint of color to their
lips, but consumer and environmental groups are raising concern
over the lead in lipstick. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
(CSC), which is composed of consumer and environmental groups,
addressed the issue in a letter earlier this month to the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The group wants lead levels
in lipstick to decrease, as they argue that there is no “safe
level” for the metal. In 2007, the CSC tested 33 lipsticks,
including shades from top brands in the U.S., and reported that
“two-thirds of the 33 samples we tested contained detectable
levels of lead; of those, half were above the recommended limit
for lead in candy.” In response, the FDA conducted its own
study, using 20 of the same brands and shades the CSC had
tested, which included shades from Revlon, Cover Girl and Estee
Lauder. Initial FDA findings found the average lead
concentration in the lipstick samples to be 1.07 parts per
million (ppm), while an expanded survey, th