Yes, reports about lead in lipstick are not new. In the 1990s, reports of analytical results from a commercial testing laboratory suggested that traces of lead in lipstick might be of concern. More recently, in October 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) reported finding lead in a selection of twenty-five lipsticks on the market. Because reports regarding lead in lipstick have surfaced periodically and because of the amount of time that had elapsed since FDA last examined data and other information on lipsticks in the marketplace, FDA decided that further follow-up was needed.

FDA has not set limits for contaminants, such as lead, in cosmetics. However, FDA does set specifications for impurities, such as lead, for color additives used in cosmetics. FDA limits lead in color additives to maximum specified levels, typically no more than 20 parts per million (ppm) for color additives approved for use in cosmetics.

FDA found lead in all of the lipsticks tested, ranging from 0.09 ppm to 3.06 ppm with an average value of 1.07 ppm. FDA concludes that the lead levels found are within the range that would be expected from lipsticks formulated with permitted color additives and other ingredients that had been prepared under good manufacturing practice conditions.

FDA has assessed the potential for harm to consumers from use of lipstick containing lead at the levels found in its testing. Lipstick, as a product intended for topical use, is only ingested incidentally and in very small quantities. FDA does not consider the lead levels that it found in the lipsticks to be a safety concern. FDA also notes that the lead levels that it found are lower than limits recommended by other public health authorities for lead in cosmetics, including lipstick.

Reprinted from FDA article Lipstick and Lead: Questions and Answers