DEAR DR. GOTT: I recently received an email about lead in lipsticks. This was something I was not aware of and found it interesting. It is definitely something for women to consider the next time they go shopping for lipstick. I’ve shared it with all the women I know and men as well so they can inform all the women in their lives.
The email apparently originated from a physician in the breast cancer unit at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. This is how the email went:
“Recently a lipstick brand called “Red Earth” decreased their prices from $67.00 to $9.90. It contained lead. Lead is a chemical that can cause cancer. The higher the lead content, the greater the chance of causing cancer.
Some of the lipstick brands that contain lead are Christian Dior, Lancôme, Clinique, Y.S.L., Estee Lauder, Shiseido, Red Earth (Lip Gloss), Chanel (Lip Conditioner) and Market America-Motnes Lipstick.
After doing a test on these lipsticks, it was found that Y.S.L. contained the highest amount of led. Watch out for lipsticks that are supposed to stay longer. If your lipstick stays longer, it is because of the high content of lead.
There is a simple test you can do at home. First put some lipstick on your hand. Then use a gold ring to scratch it. If the lipstick color changes to black, it contains lead.”
DEAR READER: I have done some minimal research regarding this matter and have found that this information is misleading. It is true that The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) conducted a study in 2007 when it purchased 33 brands of lipsticks in 4 cities and tested them. They claim that more than half tested positive for lead. Because the FDA does not set restrictions on lead content in lipstick they used the maximum allowable level for candy (0.1%) as a guideline. Some lipsticks were found to have a level of 2 to 6 times higher (0.2 to 0.65%).
It appears the originator of this newest email hoax is taking various information from several sources such as the CSC and even other fake email warnings in an attempt at credibility.
There are several versions of this email being circulated. The most common version claims to be from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and mentions dioxin carcinogens (which was in a previous false email regarding water and plastic bottles). There is no mention of this warning on the Walter Reed website.
The test that is given in the email is also false. There are several materials that will turn black when a gold ring (and several other metals) are scratched through them, including plain wax. This means a “positive” test result is ultimately unreliable because the main ingredient in lipstick is wax.
The most glaring mistake in the email was the lack of attention to the potential hazards lead can cause. Long term exposure to lead can cause cancer. However, lead is dangerous in several other ways, including kidney disease, stroke and developmental issues in children. Short term exposure can also have potentially dangerous consequences. Had this email been from a legitimate medical source, cancer would not have been the main focus.
Several of the lipstick manufacturers that responded to claims of lead in their lipsticks claim that lead is not a component and that the positive results are most likely due to the natural exposure to lead that occurs every day from a variety of sources.
I believe the only potential danger from this is the dual exposure from natural sources and the lipstick accumulating over time. This is enhanced in children and pregnant women.
If you would like to know more on the lead in lipstick study, I recommend you visit The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics website (www.safecosmetics.org). For more information on the falsehoods of the email and more, I recommend you visit New Zealand’s Cosmetic Toiletry, Fragrances Association website (www.ctfa.org.nz).
