At high levels, lead has known toxic effects that can cause a range of health problems. Lead also accumulates in the body and is stored primarily in bones.
But you don’t need to worry about the low lead levels found in lipsticks—they do not pose a health risk.
‘Basically, you will consume more lead from drinking water, or breathing, than you will from applying lipstick.
And since it’s far more dangerous to your health to stop breathing air or drinking water, you can rest assured that your lippy is not going to kill you.’2
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has monitored the issue of trace lead in lipstick since the 1990s. Their most recent study of lead levels in 400 lipsticks, published in 2011, found lead at levels ranging from 0.026 to 7.19 ppm (parts per million) with an average of 1.11 ppm. According to the Personal Care Products Council, ‘Using lipstick containing lead at this level would result in exposure 1000 times less than from daily consumption of water meeting EPA drinking water standards.’3
A 2021 study4 on lead in lip products in China found that the concentrations of lead ranged from 0 to 0.52 ppm. The authors stated that this was ‘far lower than the limit set by various countries’ and did not pose a cancer risk. The authors also found that the lead content in lip cosmetics had ‘no obvious influence on blood [lead] concentration of children’.
As an aside, as analytical techniques get more and more sophisticated, it will be possible to detect all kinds of substances at lower and lower concentrations. So, you might hear more claims of ‘[Scary chemical] found in…’ It still doesn’t mean you need to worry—amounts matter! See Extra! Extra! Toxic chemicals found in... for more information.
