Do some brands of red lipstick contain high levels of lead?
THE CLAIM: Some brands of red lipstick contain high levels of lead. THE FACTS: A widely forwarded e-mail message and a recent study have revived fears that some brands of red lipstick contain potentially harmful levels of lead, a well-known neurotoxin. The e-mail claim has been circulating for some time, but it gained traction last month when a consumer advocacy group published a small independent study of 33 red lipsticks from various brands. The group, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, said tests showed that one-third of the samples contained lead levels greater than 0.1 parts per million — the federal limit for candy. The group said it chose that comparison because there is no federal standard for lead in cosmetics. But critics of the study say the comparison is misleading, because unlike candy, lipstick is generally not ingested, and any trace amounts ingested accidentally would be harmless. Stephanie Kwisnek, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration, said in an interview
