FDA to probe claims of high lead levels in red lipsticks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it would investigate claims by a consumer watchdog group that some brands of U.S.-made red lipsticks contain potentially high levels of poisonous metal i.e. lead that might be significantly dangerous for women.

According to a new report, released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, some brand-name lipsticks used by millions of women in America are contaminated with lead.

The advocacy group based its report on lead tests performed on branded lipstick brands ranging from drugstore brands to designer labels. The tests that included brands such as L'Oreal, Cover Girl, and Christian Dior were performed last month by Bodycote Testing Group laboratory.

For the lead tests, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics randomly chose 33 red lipsticks in four U.S. cities, including Minneapolis, Boston, San Francisco and Connecticut. After conducting tests on these lipsticks, the group found that 61 percent or 22 of the total brand names examined contained detectable levels of lead.

Examiners detected the highest levels in products from L'Oreal, Cover Girl, and Christian Dior. None of the companies listed lead as an ingredient, the preparers of the study said.

The study marked the following top brands positive for lead:

L'Oreal Colour Riche "True Red" - 0.65 parts per million
L'Oreal Colour Riche "Classic Wine" - 0.58 parts per million
Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red" - 0.56 parts per million
Dior Addict "Positive Red" - 0.21 parts per million

The agency further said that one-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the FDA’s 0.1 ppm (parts per million) limit for lead in candy. The US health watchdog established this standard in order to protect children from directly ingesting lead.

However, lipstick often ingests into the body, but there are no standards set by the FDA for lead safety in cosmetics.

Concerned with the dangerously high lead levels in red lipsticks, Stacy Malkan of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said, "We want the companies to immediately reformulate their products to get the lead out and ultimately, really we need to change the laws and force these companies to be accountable to women's health."

FDA has agreed to investigate the advocacy groups’ claims even though the previous claims "have not generally been supported" by its own analysis.

"These concerns have not generally been supported by FDA's own analysis of products on the market. In the present case, we are looking into the specific details of the issues raised," said Stephanie Kwisnek, a spokeswoman at the FDA. "We will need to confirm the factual basis of these reports independently in order to determine what action, if any, may be needed to protect public health."

Meanwhile, in response to the advocacy group’s claims, L'Oreal said that its products are free of harmful ingredients. The cosmetics company said its products hit the market only after thoroughly reviewed and tested by the company's toxicologists, clinicians, pharmacists and physicians. The company said its cosmetics fully comply with federal regulations.

Lead is a poisonous metal that can damage the nerve connections, especially in young children. It also results in blood and brain disorders, and continuous exposure to lead has been linked with schizophrenia.

Lead poisoning levels are higher in children as compared to adults because babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths and these objects can have lead dust on them. They also absorb it more easily.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 million US children under 5 have high levels of lead in their blood. In the US lead poisoning is formally defined as having at least 10micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. (The average level of lead, for people ages 1 to 70, is 2.3 micrograms).

Exposure to high levels can cause vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma or death. Symptoms include anemia, appetite loss, abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue, sleeplessness, irritability and headaches. Lead is also capable of causing brain damage.