Lead Found in Popular Brands of Lipstick

October 2007

An urgent alert – lead has been found in popular types of lipstick made by L'Oréal, Cover Girl, Christian Dior, and more. A consumer watchdog group has tested many well-known lipstick products, and found that 61 percent of the brand-name lipsticks tested contained toxic levels of lead.

Lipstick brands found containing the highest levels of lead include:

• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor "Maximum Red"
• Dior Addict "Positive Red"
• L'Oréal Colour Riche "Classic Wine"
• L'Oréal Colour Riche "True Red"

Although the Food and Drug Administration has no set limits of lead allowed in lipstick, one-third of the lipsticks tested exceeded the legal limits of lead allowed in candy. Lead is poisonous as it builds up in the body overtime, leading to nervous system damage, gastrointestinal problems, and reproductive toxicity.