Lead In Your Lipstick? It’s Legal, But Maybe Dangerous

Lead, generally, is something you want to stay away from. Exposure in high levels can result in miscarriage, birth issues, hormonal problems, brain disorders, and more. So, definitely not something you want to apply to your mouth on a regular basis, right?

Unfortunately, there probably is lead in your lipstick, as crazy as it sounds. Good Morning America tested 22 different colors and brands of lipstick and lip gloss and found that all of them contained the potentially poisonous element. It's an FDA-approved amount, but it's there, and it's large enough to be traceable. Frighteningly, a number of activists and scientists believe that even at these levels — deemed low enough to be harmless — serious health issues can occur. Dr. Sean Palfrey of the Boston Lead Poisoning Prevention Program says, "what we know now is that even the lowest levels of lead can harm your IQ, your behavior, your ability to learn, so we want to make sure that it is out of everything that is in the environment of children."

He's not the only one to take this viewpoint, but others point out that there are way bigger fish to fry when it comes to chemicals in our environment — like toxic waste dumps and lead paint, for example. So, basically, it's something you might want to avoid, but you don't necessarily have to freak out about it. Good to know, we guess?

In case you do decide to go lead-free with your lippies, there are a number of great lead-free lines out there (we're fans of Jane Iredale's PureMoist Lip Colour), so you don't have to sacrifice your bright lips in the name of your health. Plus, if you're looking to go completely chemical-free with your beauty regimen, this list is a good place to start, if we do say so ourselves! (Jezebel)