The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is increasing its criticism of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in regard to the agency’s continuing permissive attitude on the use of lead in lipsticks.
The consumer advocacy group is urging the FDA to reconsider its current position on the use of lead in lipsticks due to growing knowledge about its harmful effects human health.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s guide on lead poisoning says that, “Swallowing or breathing in lead causes lead poisoning. If you are pregnant, lead may also ham your baby. Lead hurts the brain and other parts of the nervous system. Some of the health problems caused by lead poisoning may never go away.”
Last month, the FDA acknowledged that it had “recently received a number of inquiries from consumers concerned about the amount of lead present in lipstick,” forcing the agency address the issue again, though again coming back with the same assessment as in previous reviews.
“Our initial findings (in 2007), as well as our expanded findings posted in December 2011, confirm that the amount of lead found in lipstick is very low and does not pose safety concerns,” said the FDA.
The agency added that, “We do not consider the lead levels we found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern. Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use with limited absorption, is ingested only in very small quantities. The lead levels we found are within the limits recommended by other public health authorities for lead in cosmetics, including lipstick.”
In disagreement with the assessment, last month, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wrote a letter to the agency saying, “Many experts agree that there is no safe blood level of lead for children and pregnant women. Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems, such as lowered I.Q., reduced school performance and increased aggression.
“Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure because lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development.”
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics went on to say that, “Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, everyday, can add up to significant exposure levels, Therefore, in the interest of public health, we urge the (FDA’s) Office of Cosmetics and Colors to take action to reduce the amount of lead in lipstick.”
After analyzing the FDA’s study findings, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said, “One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the FDA’s 0.1 parts per million (ppm) limit for candy, a standard established to protect children from directly ingesting lead. Lipstick products, like candy, are directly ingested into the body.”
The FDA responded directly to this comment, saying, “It is not scientifically valid to equate the risk to consumers presented by lead levels in candy, a product intended for ingestion, with that associated with lead levels in lipstick, a product intended for topical use and ingested in much smaller quantities than candy.”
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics further criticized that, “to date, the FDA does not have any restrictions or regulations concerning an acceptable amount of lead to be found in cosmetics presently instated. Without this oversight, it is likely that lead levels will grow or at least plateau where they are at, and there is evidence that this is already occurring.
“Maybelline’s Pink Petal when tested this time around was found to have lead levels twice as high as was previously reported by the FDA in a similar study from 2008.”
The agency freely acknowledges these issues, saying, “No, FDA has no set limits for lead in cosmetics,” but public pressure is causing the agency to reevaluate its position.
In its posting last month, the FDA said, “Although we do not believe that the lead content found in our recent lipstick analyses poses a safety concern, we are evaluating whether there may be a need to recommend an upper limit for lead in lipstick in order to further protect the health and welfare of consumers.”
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