Is Your Lipstick Safe? High Levels Of Toxic Metals Found in The Popular Cosmetic

The issue of lipstick and lip gloss containing toxic metals has been raised before, but researchers at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health tested 32 different types of the common makeup component and the results may make you think twice about applying your next coat.

Using lipstick and lip gloss are of high concern because the product is ingested and absorbed by the consumer wearing the cosmetic, the study's authors said.

For this new study, researchers found lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and five other metals in the different lipsticks they tested.

But more importantly, the potentially toxic metals were found at levels high enough to raise public health concerns.

"Just finding these metals isn't the issue; it's the levels that matter," said S. Katherine Hammon, the study's lead investigator and professor of environmental health sciences.

"Some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could possibly have an effect in the long term."

Studies prior to this one have detected metals in the popular cosmetic, but researchers working on this most recent investigation estimated risk in a more comprehensive way.

For this study, researchers examined metal concentration and calculated consumers' daily intake into the equation as well. And when determining the estimated risk of the lipsticks that were part of the study, intake was compared with health guidelines that are already in place.

Average intake was determined to be 24 milligrams of the lip makeup per day, but those who reapply throughout the day may be categorized at a higher level, 87 milligrams per day.

Using the average intake value, researchers found high levels of exposure to chromium, a metal considered to be a carcinogen linked to stomach tumor development. And higher use of the lip products could result in overexposure to aluminum, cadmium and manganese.

Lead was found in 24 of the products tested as part of the study. And while they were found at levels low enough to be considered safe, the existence of the metal raises concerns for children, who sometimes play with makeup, because no levels of lead exposure is considered safe for them, the study's authors said.

"I believe that the FDA should pay attention to this," said Sa Liu, the study's lead author and UC Berkeley researcher in environmental health sciences.

"Our study was small, using lip products that had been identified by young Asian women in Oakland, Calif. But, the lipsticks and lip glosses in our study are common brands available in stores everywhere. Based upon our findings, a larger, more thorough survey of lip products and cosmetics in general is warranted."