- Amounts of lead in lipstick are minimal compared to other sources of lead. The FDA report found a range of 0.09 to 3.06 parts per million in the lipsticks they tested; as a comparison, lead levels in an old dusty home or soil could reach hundreds of parts per million (ppm). While the FDA does not currently regulate lead levels in lipstick, the Canadian government does. Their standard for maximum safe lead levels in lipstick and other cosmetics: 10 ppm.
- You ingest only a small fraction of lead found in lipstick. “Metals like lead don’t cross the skin very well,” says White. “If some of your lipstick is swallowed, you are not absorbing anywhere near the full amount of lead found in your lipstick. It’s very different than food or water that you eat, drink, and swallow.”
- Adults absorb way less lead than children. “Children’s bodies absorb about 48 to 50% of any lead they ingest, but adults absorb between only 5 and 8%,” says White. Children’s developing bodies-especially the nervous system-are also much more vulnerable to damage from excess lead exposure than adults’ are. “I wouldn’t necessarily want a 5-year-old playing dress-up with lipstick every day, but that doesn’t mean a grown woman can’t safely wear it,” says White.
- There aren’t strong links between lead and cancer. “The association between lead and cancer is weak at best,” says White. Excessive lead exposure (often from multiple sources, including the workplace) can cause kidney damage and peripheral nervous system damage in adults, but “we’re talking huge amounts here-not from wearing lipstick every day.” Bottom line: Lead in lipstick is not without any risk, but it’s certainly not a very high risk, says White. If you’re concerned about your cumulative lead exposure, you can buy lead-free lipsticks (look for organic brands) as an alternative.
