I can't believe I didn't know this before.
From MSN:
ETA: Here's an FDA study on the lead content of lipsticks they tested:
http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/products/ucm137224.htm#expanalyses
From MSN:
Your favorite lipstick could contain more than a splash of fun color. University of California - Berkeley researchers just uncovered new evidence your favorite brand could also be hiding a heavy metal secret. In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, scientists detected "concerning" levels of chromium, cadmium, and manganese in popular lipsticks and glosses, raising the alarm that your go-to shade could be heightening your risk of dangerous diseases and organ damage.
The story of contaminated lipstick is not a new one, but these new findings from research focused on lipstick are important because people ingest makeup when it's applied to the lips.
After determining the heavy metal content of 32 popular lipsticks and glosses, researchers estimated risk based on those concentrations and consumers' likely daily exposure to the metals, then compared it to existing health guidelines. Lead turned up in 75 percent of products; about 30 percent of products contained levels of chromium higher than what's considered safe when people applied them at the average daily rate, something millions of people do.
Study author Katharine Hammond, PhD, professor of environmental health science at UC Berkeley says levels of cadmium, chromium, manganese, and aluminum were of particular concern. For instance, at high levels, cadmium can be stored in the kidneys and could lead to renal failure. That's not nearly the dose found in lipstick, but when you add the levels of cadmium found in the diet, you could be creeping into the danger zone. Hammond says the findings could be of particular concern to people with compromised renal systems, such as people living with diabetes or undergoing kidney dialysis.
And people who apply and reapply lipstick and/or gloss several times a day could ingest excessive levels of chromium, a heavy metal linked to stomach tumors.
Researchers didn't release the brands tested for two reasons: They didn't see a significant different between the 32 products tested and didn't want to give the impression that products not tested were safer. Beyond that, formulations change with time as companies develop and release new products....http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/women/your-lipsticks-dangerous-secret
ETA: Here's an FDA study on the lead content of lipsticks they tested:
http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/productsingredients/products/ucm137224.htm#expanalyses
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