L’Oreal Asked to Reformulate Lipsticks Due to Lead

SAN FRANCISCO — Women’s, health and
environmental groups today called on L’Oreal to reformulate its lipsticks
to remove lead in the wake of product tests released last week by the
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Of 33 lipstick samples tested by an
independent lab, 61 percent (20 samples) contained detectable levels of
lead. According to the tests, six of the 11 lipsticks with the highest lead
content were made by L’Oreal under the brands L’Oreal and Maybelline NY.

L’Oreal said in a written response that the company stands proudly
behind its products, and that its products “are in full compliance with FDA
regulations.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has no regulations
limiting lead in lipstick. However, the agency does limit lead in candy to
0.1 parts per million — a standard established to protect children from
ingesting lead. L’Oreal lipsticks had lead levels up to six times higher
than the FDA candy limit.

“Lipstick is used by children, it’s used by pregnant women, it’s
reapplied frequently and it’s ingested into our bodies when it gets into
our mouths or onto our food,” said Stacy Malkan, co-founder of the Campaign
for Safe Cosmetics and author of the new book, “Not Just a Pretty Face: The
Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry” (http://www.NotJustaPrettyFace.org).

“There’s no excuse for lead in lipstick. Our tests prove that it’s
possible to make lead-free lipstick and all companies should adhere to that
gold standard,” said Malkan.

Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause learning disabilities and
other health problems. “Lead builds up in the body over time, and
lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up
to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe
level of lead exposure,” said Mark Mitchell, M.D., MPH, president,
Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.

The FDA said Friday it will look into the issue. The Campaign for Safe
Cosmetics calls on the FDA to:

– Test a wide range of lipsticks for lead and publicly release the
results, including brand names.

– Require companies to reduce lead in lipstick to the lowest level
possible.

See http://www.SafeCosmetics.org for a complete list of products tested
for the report, “A Poison Kiss: The Problem of Lead in Lipstick.”

Founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include Alliance
for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal,
Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, Women’s Voices
for the Earth, Environmental Working Group, National Black Environmental
Justice Network and the National Environmental Trust.

SOURCE Campaign for Safe Cosmetics