A Lead Free Kiss
Hello, my name is Kristin Peters! I am a Finance major and I joined the Protect Our Breasts team this fall! With Valentines Day coming up I wanted to talk about something that I know applies to all of us, and that is lipstick.
I know that typically when I am getting ready for a night out, the last thing I think about are the ingredients in the make-up I cake on my face, but lately I can not get it off my mind. Recently, I learned traces of lead are landing on my lips – what?
How is it that lead is not allowed to be painted on our homes or put into the gasoline in our cars, but may be in the lipstick we apply on OUR MOUTHS?! According to an article released on February 7th, 2012 by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, more than half of the 33 brand-name lipsticks tested contained traces from .03 to .65 ppm of lead. Lead was shockingly not even listed as an ingredient on the label. (http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=59)
Why is it important to avoid lead in our products? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a recent report showing that there is NO safe level for lead for children or pregnant women. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/amywestervelt/2012/02/07/is-that-lead-in-your-lipstick-fda-tests-reveal-raised-lead-levels-in-u-s-lipsticks/) The EPA has also declared lead as a probable carcinogen.
Now you are probably asking yourself if there are any safe lipstick alternatives? Yes, there are, and there are affordable ones as well! To name a few awesome lead-free lipsticks to stay safe and pretty are:
- MAC Matte Lipstick Viva Glam 1 $14
- Wet n Wild Mega Colors Cherry Blossom $1.99
- Revolution Organics Freedom Glow $36
(http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/lead-free-lipsticks-470402) Another great brand is Badger Balm, which has lots of organic lip coverage!
A great recourse you can use to check the safety of your products is the EWG Database called Skin Deep. So please, keep your lips lead-free and beautiful so you and your Valentine can share a toxic-free kiss!
–Kristin
