While the news is spreading around the web about lethal red lipsticks, anyone who is self preserving enough would stay away from red lipsticks because of the news from Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. It would be very much the initial reaction of consumers. But then, an interesting comment was left on here, that I would do a post about. I’m thankful for Beauty Mahogany to have led me to the Cosmetics Cop website because I learned that there was definitely another side of the story in this controversy.
An except,
Why is the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics blitzing the media with their report on lead in lipsticks when the average person gets more lead exposure simply standing on a busy street corner in a major city or drinking tap water? Granted, this group’s concern is cosmetics, but rallying for lipsticks with trace amounts of lead to be recalled and immediately reformulated is making a mountain out of a molehill. What might have been more convincing (though still not unequivocally damning of lipsticks) is if the group had consulted a medical team to take blood samples from women who wear lipstick and those who do not. They could then test both groups’ blood for lead, and any differences would be reported. I suspect the reason such a test was not done is because the results wouldn’t show a statistically significant difference between the two groups, and thus the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics wouldn’t have a story.
You can read the full entry here.
Well, I really appreciate the entry to appease the consumers about their cosmetic purchases. Honestly, a consumer like me would very much be scared with reading such news that my lipstick is lethal. I mean , out of sheer instinct ,I would definitely not continue wearing my lipstick until I learn the whole truth because I would be risking myself into such health problem. This entry from the Cosmetics Cop is definitely another story that should be pondered upon.
My dear readers, your thoughts?
Thanks for the tip, M!
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I read the report last night by Paula Begoun/Cosmetics Cop. If I had to guess, I wouldn’t think lipsticks are really that bad, or any worse than half the stuff we are exposed to on a daily basis – pollution, trans fats, etc. I rarely wear lipstick (just lipgloss), so for me it’s not a big deal, but I would probably still continue to wear it if I did.
Hi! I do think that each side has a valid point, but it’s up to the consumer to determine what she’s comfortable with, based on the evidence at hand, and make the decision that’s right for her. I, for one, agree with Ms. Begoun that the concern about the red dye in lipsticks is overblown. Being a socially aware, environmentally conscious bleeding-heart liberal myself (there, I said it!), I’m always thinking about what I ingest and the various questionable chemicals that are present in what I suppose one could call non-essentials (e.g., cosmetics). But on the other hand, when you think about the amount of crap we consume in the essentials like the water we drink and the air we breathe, well, it makes you wonder if perhaps worrying about the minute amounts of lead in our lipstick should be a priority.
Having said that, there are plenty of so-called organic or “natural” lipsticks with plant-based dyes that one can use. Of course, the only problem is that they don’t usually have the same breathless array of hues that the bigger cosmetic companies offer. And of course, they’re not necessarily available everywhere.
Marjorie
Jeni : I still love my lipsticks but the health freak in me decided to steer away from reds just this time!
I love wearing lipstuff! Well, I hope they clear this issue out in time. Conflicting stuff.
[...] had the Campaign of Safe Cosmetics in the U.S.A. that tackled and revealed the list of lethal lipsticks, but had Paula Begoun of Cosmetic Cop have another opinion on [...]