Lipstick is one of the most essential products for any woman. Makeup looks incomplete without lipstick. Even if we are going for a natural look with minimal makeup, a touch of colour on our lips makes our faces lively and attractive. But have you ever realized that every morning when you put on your favourite lipstick, it is actually bringing you one step closer to lead poisoning? Yes, you heard it right, lead poisoning. Recent research has revealed that high end drugstore brands use lead in lipstick. Lead itself is a scary word. It is the kind of metal which is used for construction purposes and the idea of lead in lipstick is greatly unsettling to me. Lead poisoning can have serious health implication for adults and it is even worse for children.
- Are Mac Lipsticks Lead Freezer
- Mac Pink Lipsticks
- Lipstick Without Lead Brands
- Discontinued Mac Lipsticks
Answer: Could your lipstick contain lead? Yes, it’s scary but true! That’s why I’m so passionate about finding the best lead free lipsticks! That gorgeous shade you put on your lips could contain lead, which is a neurotoxin, in small doses. Since the 1990s, there have been several surges of public concern about lead content in cosmetics, usually prompted by news reports, mass emails, or social media posts. Excessive lead intake is a legitimate health concern, and if the microscopic amounts that might be in your lipstick worry you, you may want to seek out lead-free cosmetics. While MAC Cosmetics' lipsticks are $19, they are still cheaper than Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks ($34). MAC also has a recycling program called 'Back 2 MAC,' in which you can give six empty, used MAC containers for a free lipstick.
Lead is not added to the lipstick as an ingredient. But it finds its way into the lipsticks through the cosmetic pigments! Many pigments used to produce yellows, reds, oranges and browns are made of synthetic iron oxides. Synthetic iron oxides are often derived from natural sources, so unintended ingredients, like lead, can and do appear in these pigments. Lead contributes to the actual colour of the cosmetic pigments. To imitate such gorgeous shades, some pigment producers may use ingredients that contain lead compounds. But lead is then removed before the pigments are sold to the cosmetics companies by an intensive wash. But unfortunately the entire lead compound does not get removed by washing because it gets extremely difficult to remove allowable parts per million which is 10 parts per million of lead.
The F.D.A refers to lead as an “impurity”, but don’t let the name fool you. The F.D.A considers small amount of lead in lipstick as permissible and safe, because lipstick, a product for topical use, is ingested only in small quantities, but doctors are of the view that even a small amount of lead can be harmful in the long run because it adds up over the time with regular usage. Lead is neurotoxic, potentially creating problems in our nervous systems, cells, and bones. There is no safe quantity when it comes to lead exposure. Even at low levels it has been linked to attention and learning problems, permanent brain damage and aggression. Too much lead can affect nearly every system of the body damaging the nervous, muscular and reproductive systems and can even leading to kidney failure. High doses can affect development and behavior and do serious damage even in extreme cases killing us. During pregnancy, lead exposure can cause developmental problems in fetus and put women at greater risk for miscarriage and infertility.
- Safety60% Of Lipsticks Contain Lead. Well, this explains a lot about children’s beauty pageants: the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested 33 brand-name lipsticks, including brands like Cover Girl.
- Answer (1 of 3): I am someone who is still figuring out makeup skills which women my age seem to have mastered. Having said that, I like to keep my eye makeup simple since smokey eyes make me look too vampy for my taste. I like to play with colors on my lips. I have collected 4 MAC lipsticks till.
A recent study has revealed that more than 400 popular lipsticks are known to contain traces of lead in lipstick beyond the permissible limits, the average being 1.11 parts per million. This even includes the very famous Maybelline Color sensational Pink Petal containing the highest amount of all; 7.9 parts per million, more than 275 times the amount of lead than the least contaminated product, Wet and Wild Mega Mixers Balm. Five L’Oreal and Maybelline Lipsticks owned by L’Oreal USA were among the top 10 lead containing lipsticks.
Lipsticks do not require lead in their shades, it can be made easily without lead. Many companies claim that they need lead to create certain shades of colours, but it’s not true. Some famous companies make lipsticks without using lead in them which even include vivid red shades. Even companies that produce lipstick with lead did have some lead free shades including Avon Ultra Color Rich Cherry Jubilee and The Body Shop Lip Color Garnet. Lead is not listed as an ingredient which makes it impossible for consumers to detect whether they are buying lead free lipsticks or lipsticks containing lead.
It’s very difficult to find lead free lipstick in India as almost every brand uses lead in some amount to increase the pigments; long staying lipsticks supposedly have more lead content.
Lotus Herbals lipsticks claim to be vegetarian lipsticks and are paraben free so you can try out these lipsticks. Even The Body Shop and Avon produce some lead free lipsticks.
We all love to paint our lips red, but let’s not paint our lips lead! I think cosmetic companies should stop risking their customers’ health by including poisonous substances in their cosmetics. Lipsticks are supposed to be fun and frivolous which are used to enhance the beauty by making a women look more attractive. It is in no way supposed to kill us.
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Are Mac Lipsticks Lead Freezer
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Mac Pink Lipsticks
Among the call for cleaner and more eco-conscious beauty products, there are some keywords, like 'cruelty-free' and 'paraben-free,' that get all of the buzz. Then, there are identifiers like 'lead-free,' which are largely forgotten in comparison, but no less important. The toxic metal is deemed unsafe at any level of exposure, and it has been linked to health concerns such as neurotoxicity and hormonal irregularities. Despite those health risks, lead in lipstick is shockingly common, which is especially concerning since it's going on your lips. And while it's not an easy task to find the best lead-free lipsticks, such a thing does exist, and there are resources (like this roundup ahead) you can use to help you on the search for your non-toxic match.
Wondering which lipsticks have lead in them? The FDA conducted an expanded survey in 2010, following their initial report in 2007, which ranks 400 lipstick shades and brands from the highest to lowest levels of lead found (it's worth noting that it's unclear if the brands on this list have reformulated their lipsticks since this survey was conducted). If you can't find your go-to lipstick on the FDA's list, you can do some digging on the brand's site by heading to the FAQs section. This is most commonly where you'll find confirmation that a company's products are lead-free, if it doesn't directly call products out individually.
Lipstick Without Lead Brands
And don't forget that a lot of language when it comes to 'natural makeup' is misleading, because there isn't any FDA-regulated definition of the term. Basically, that means any beauty brand can slap the word 'natural' on a product label, even if the formula is largely made of synthetic ingredients. Furthermore, many toxic ingredients (like lead) are technically natural, so calling a product 'all-natural' isn't necessarily indicative of its safety. This is why it's important to really look into the products and ingredients you're using on a daily basis. When in doubt, the best way to determine if a lipstick is lead-free is to reach out to the brand directly through their customer service email or even Instagram DM.
Discontinued Mac Lipsticks
To help you on your more conscientious approach to your makeup routine, here are five of the best lead-free lipsticks (brand-confirmed!) to try out.