lead lipsticks

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Popular lipsticks test positive for lead

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics finds lead in top brands including

L'Oréal, Cover Girl and Christian Dior.

By Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer

October 12 2007: 10:45 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A significant proportion of lipstick

manufactured in the United States and used by millions of American

women contains surprisingly high levels of lead, the Campaign for

Safe Cosmetics said Thursday.

According to new product tests, 61 percent of the brand-name

lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, which can be

toxic if ingested.

The top brands testing positive for lead included L'Oréal Colour

Riche " True Red, " L'Oréal Colour Riche " Classic Wine, " Cover Girl

Incredifull Lipcolor " Maximum Red " and Dior Addict " Positive Red. "

" The L'Oréal Group is committed to upholding the highest standards of

safety for all the products it makes and sells. Each and every

ingredient used in our products has been thoroughly reviewed and

tested by our internal safety team, " the company said in an emailed

statement.

Spokespeople for Cover Girl and Dior were not immediately available

for comment.

One-third of the tested lipsticks exceeded the Food and Drug

Administration's limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to

protect children from directly ingesting lead, the Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics said. Pregnant women and young children are particularly

vulnerable to lead exposure.

Although lipstick products are also ingested into the body, the FDA

has not set a limit for lead in lipstick, the CSC said.

The FDA " has set strict limits for lead levels allowed in the colors

used in lipsticks, " according to , the executive vice

president for the Science Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance

Association. " The products identified in the Campaign for Safe

Cosmetics report meet these standards. "

" 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, " Mark , M.D., MPH, president, Connecticut

Coalition for Environmental Justice, said in a statement.

The lead tests were conducted by an independent laboratory over the

month of September on red lipsticks bought in Boston, Hartford,

Conn., San Francisco and Minneapolis.

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