I found it interesting that the EWG information did not indicate “LEAD” as a toxin  in the ingredients. This is probably because LEAD is not an individual ingredient, but rather an element of another ingredient, like coloring.  For example, the #7 lipstick with lead was L’Oreal Colour Rich Lipstick, Tickled Pink (Pink) 165. This same L’Oreal lipstick ranks 7 in toxicity on EWG.org (7-10 being the most toxic rating) on EWG, not because of the LEAD (which wasn’t even indicated in the list of ingredients) but because of several other ingredients like BHA, BHT and Fragrance linked with toxic side effects.

If you’re looking to replace your favorite lipstick because it ranked high in lead, no worries! There are plenty of companies creating “healthy lipsticks”. Here are 15 companies I found that have several lipstick products with a 0-1 rating of toxicity on EWG (on a scale of 0-10 with 10 being the most toxic). If you want to guarantee your product is low in toxins, check out www.EWG.org for your specific manufacturer and color. Even though these “Green” companies have many products in the 0-1 category, they might have some colors or cosmetic categories ranking higher in toxic load so it pays to do a little research.

1. Coastal Creations

2. Maia’s Mineral Galaxy

3. Green Beauty

4. Herbal Choice

5. Beauty With A Cause

6. Johnny Concert

7. Zosimos Botanicals

8. Boots

9. Afterglow Cosmetics

10. CARGO

11. Hemp Organics

12. Honeybee Gardens

13. Inika Mineral Lipstick

14. RMS Beauty

15. Cleure

There are so many healthy options in a range of price points, it should be easy to find some natural lip products that fit your budget. Let me know if you’ve used any of these brands and what you think!

When the study was done in 2007, only 3 lipsticks were found to have more than 2.0 ppm of lead with the highest sample having 3.06 ppm.  The study released in December 2011 found 51 samples over 2.00 ppm with the top offenders having over 7.0 ppm and 14 of the the top tainted samples over 3.0 ppm. These results seem to show the problem getting worse, don’t they?  How long do we play Russian roulette waiting for statistics to come in with adverse effects showing the toxicity of lead in lipstick?  I’m providing you with links to the studies, the results and other information so you can see the data yourself and make informed choices. I am taking this information seriously especially for my growing daughters who will soon want to wear make-up and have already been getting “lipstick” type products from friends.

This evidence is pretty compelling, and for me this subject hits too close to home. Last year I was tested for heavy metals and found to have high concentrations of lead in my system. I’ve had friends ask me where my exposure has come from and I honestly don’t know. I did wear lipsticks for years, some of them brands now shown to be high in lead.  I will never know for sure if the lipsticks I used contributed to my high levels, but I am eliminating any possible sources of lead exposure. Lead toxicity mainly happens by ingestion, do you think that some of your lipstick is being ingested if you wear it while eating? I think the answer is obvious if you have less lipstick on after dinner than when you started. And where does the lipstick go after you’ve kissed someone? I’ll be sharing with you some things I’ve learned on my journey to remove the lead and other heavy metals from my system over the coming months. How do you know if you have lead toxicity in your system? Often the symptoms are vague, especially if the exposure is gradual over months or years. Lead has a half life of 30 years once it reaches the bones. The body identifies lead similar to calcium, so if you are deficient at all in calcium (like pregnant and nursing women) your body is more likely to absorb the lead thinking it might be calcium. This also makes the removal tricky because you want to remove the lead without depleting your body of precious calcium. I am not a doctor and not prescribing treatment for heavy metal removal, I just want to be real with you that these studies and the risks of exposure to lead are real. I am also not making any recommendations for removing heavy metals from your system, I’ll just share some of the things I’ve done while working with a holistic medical doctor.

Would you be comfortable using a product on your skin that you knew had lead in the ingredients? What do you think about the FDA holding out on passing any regulations regarding lead and lipstick?  Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear from you!

In the meantime, if you want to make sure that your lip products are safe, check out www.EWG.org/skindeep/