News reports, mass emails, and social media posts have caused a surge in public concern about lead in cosmetics.If you're concerned about the amount of lead in your lipstick, you may want to look for a lead-free product.You might think the process is easy.Whether or not you can determine if your cosmetics contain lead, you should also decide how much of a concern its presence in your makeup ought to be.
Step 1: There are limits on the amount of lead in color enhancers.
The FDA has limited authority to regulate cosmetics in the U.S., but it can regulate color enhancers in cosmetics as well as food and drugs.Before the products can legally be manufactured or sold in the U.S., they have to be approved by the FDA.The normal limit for lead in a color Additive is 20 parts per million, which is within recognized safe parameters.There is a listing of FDA-permitted color enhancers on the FDA website.
Step 2: Traditional eyeliners should be avoided.
Eyeliners known as kohl, kajal, and surma are popular in many parts of the world and occasionally appear for sale in the U.S.These eyeliners are not approved for sale or use in the US because they contain high amounts of lead.There have been cases of lead poisoning in children associated with these products.FDA field personnel can seize these eyeliners if they are on an import alert.
Step 3: Use progressive hair dyes cautiously.
Color enhancers that are subject to FDA approval are used in most hair dye products.They are allowed by the FDA to have higher concentrations of lead than is allowed for color enhancers.The FDA believes that the elevated lead content in these products is not a health concern because the product does not enter the body.The products must have a special label on them.Only for external use.Don't let children's reach this product.Do not use on hair that has been cut.Don't use if skin irritation develops.Don't color mustaches, eyelashes, eyebrows, or hair on other parts of the body.Don't look in eyes.Follow instructions and wash your hands thoroughly.
Step 4: Put on lipstick to weigh your options.
Emails, news stories, and press releases about lead in lipstick seem to make the rounds in waves every several years, as Lipstick is the most common cause for concern.The FDA is not concerned with the findings of the testing.Lead was found in virtually every lipstick tested.There is more information on lead in lipstick in the other sections.The darker your lipstick is, the more likely it is to have lead in it.
Step 5: Lead won't be listed among the ingredients.
Lead is not an ingredient and can be found in your lipstick without being noted on the package ingredients.Lead is not added as part of the manufacturing process.Lead is found in trace amounts in the base materials and pigments that make up the product.In the U.S., the FDA has limited authority when it comes to banning substances such as lead from cosmetics.The amount of lead in cosmetics is not a health concern according to the FDA.
Step 6: Existing lists and databases can be consulted.
The FDA authorized testing of 400 different products when it addressed the topic of lead in cosmetics.Even if the FDA isn't concerned about lead in your cosmetics, each and every product showed traces of the element.The good news is that the entire results list is online.There are lists and databases maintained by organizations that are working to eliminate lead and other potential toxins from consumer products.The list of eleven products that passed muster during testing by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in 2007, is probably no longer accurate due to the fact that the formulas change frequently and without warning.Always seek out up-to-date information.
Step 7: Ask the manufacturer.
Even if your cosmetics manufacturer is not required to list trace amounts of lead in its products, it may have conducted testing that determined any lead content.They don't have to tell you about it, but it can be a good idea to ask.There is no clear definition of lead-free when it comes to the advertising of cosmetics products.Is there any trace amount of lead?How much testing must be done?Who did the testing?It is possible to be more confident in choosing products that are advertised as lead-free, but you cannot be certain due to the lack of established, common standards.
Step 8: Take the product and test it yourself.
If you want to know if your favorite lipstick or face cream contains lead, you need to send it to a laboratory that can do detailed testing.Some people must be using this service because there are laboratories that advertise it.The accuracy cannot be guaranteed, but you can purchase at- home testing kits.Depending on who you ask, there is a simple at- home method that may or may not be useful.It involves rubbing a piece of gold, copper, pewter, or silver on your chosen product.The presence of lead is said to cause the product to be discolored.The effectiveness of this method has not been confirmed.
Step 9: Be aware of the dangers of lead.
The dangers of excessive lead levels in the body have become apparent in recent decades, but lead is an element that has served useful purposes from plumbing to paint and beyond for centuries.Lead can cause behavioral, developmental, and learning difficulties.It's dangerous for children and their developing brains.Information about lead can be found in a handout created by the CDC.
Step 10: Don't get emotional in the situation.
400 out of 400 cosmetics tested by the FDA in 2010 contained lead, and a separate major study got a 100% result.Lead is toxic.Among the most likely sources for dangerous levels of lead exposure, your cosmetics are not on the list.It's unlikely that continuing to use cosmetics will alter the amount of lead in your body, and pitching all your cosmetics won't protect you from lead exposure from more likely sources.You are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of lead by way of water carried through old pipes, houses built before 1978, and airborne dust near industrial sites.Some individuals and groups use scare tactics in order to advocate for the removal of lead from cosmetics.Emails may have said that cosmetics companies use lead because it lowers their costs and causes cancer.Most lead in cosmetics is natural, and the possible links between lead exposure and certain cancers are still unclear.
Step 11: Take a look at both sides of the debate.
The FDA states that the small amounts of lead found in cosmetics are not a real health concern.Advocacy groups and some researchers say that lead should be avoided in any amount, because it is a toxic substance.The FDA does not factor in the cumulative impact of reapplying a product like lipstick several times per day, according to advocates against lead in cosmetics.They contend that this cumulative build up can push lead intake above the safe threshold for children.There is no consensus on the impact of lead in cosmetics.
Step 12: There are steps you can take to reduce lead exposure from cosmetics.
The amount of lead in your lipstick isn't likely to cause you sleepless nights.If you can find cosmetics products that work for you and don't contain lead, then perhaps it is your best option to choose them.When it comes to reapplying lipstick or other lip products, consider limiting the use of cosmetics by children.Reapplying lipstick or lip products only as necessary, and ideally not more than a few times per day.Lighter shades of lipstick and makeup tend to have less lead in them.Seeking out lead-free products and/or testing your cosmetics for lead, as discussed elsewhere in this article.