Fashion Police New Worry, Death

If you were worried about finding the right shade of lipstick for your skin tone, you might want to shift your unease from a possible fashion faux pas to possible death. After the recent discovery of lead in children's toys, everything is being scanned for this possibly carcinogenic but no doubt dangerous substance. The most recent target: lipstick.

For years e-mails have been floating around the internet claiming that lipstick contains lead. These e-mails were considered a hoax until recently when the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) announced that an independent study found one-third of thirty three tested lipsticks contain levels greater than the Food and Drug Administrations permissible amount for candy. L'Oreal Colour Riche lipstick was the worst offender with 6 times the FDA legal limit.

The FDA has known for years that some cosmetics do contain lead; however, the amount was thought to be insignificant, and there was no need to set a limit. These recent findings have prompted the FDA to investigate. The CSC ensures its goal is not to anger fashionistas around the world, but to push cosmetic makers to remove the toxic substances and replace them with less hazardous ones. In response, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) claims that the lead levels found in cosmetics meet the FDA's standards. In fact, John Bailey, the executive vice president of the CTFA, says that Americans are exposed to higher levels every day.

"The average amount of lead a woman would be exposed to when using cosmetics is 1,000 times less than the amount she would get from eating, breathing, and drinking water that meets Environmental Protection Agency drinking water standards," he argues. Lead exposure in humans, according to the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry, can lead to developmental problems, miscarriages in pregnant women, seizures, perhaps cancer, and, if high enough levels are present, death.

Lead in lipstick is more concerning than its presence in jewelry or toys. Lipstick absorbs into the body constantly throughout the day due to eating, drinking, and licking one's lips. Thus, the amount absorbed would be far greater than the amount absorbed by a child playing with a contaminated toy.

The debate will surely continue until the final results are determined by the FDA. Until then ladies, think twice about putting on that ruby red lipstick this Saturday. Then again, if your grades start slipping, at least you can say the lead was weighing you down.