On second thought, it might be dangerous. The warning specifically mentions red lipstick, which is neither my nor Sen. Boxer's color, but Sen. Feinstein is definitely a red lipstick wearin' gal. And although the test doesn't mention other shades, I think I'll consider going au naturale for the time being.

This is truly bizarre. I've been protected from putting lead based paint on my walls since 1978, but I can still put it on my lips? I thought they stopped using lead in makeup during the reign of Queen Elizabeth when they discovered it killed people. There is something seriously wrong here.

Earlier this week, Senators Kerry, Boxer and Feinstein wrote to the FDA regarding lead levels in lipstick.

“I was surprised to learn that lipsticks worn every day have been found to contain dangerous levels of lead. The Food and Drug Administration needs to fully investigate the potential health risks posed by lead in lipsticks. And federal guidelines may be needed to safeguard women’s health and reduce the amount of lead in cosmetic products,” U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein said.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, who issued the report, points out that the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick. High levels of lead are of particular concern to pregnant women, because high doses of lead can have significant impacts on the early brain development of babies and toddlers. Lead has been linked to learning and behavioral problems in children, such as reduced IQ, poorer school performance and aggression.

November 19, 2007

Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Commissioner of Food and Drugs
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

Dear Commissioner von Eschenbach:

We are writing to express our concern regarding a series of recent news articles highlighting elevated levels of lead in many lipstick products.

As you know, the FDA currently does not regulate lead in lipstick or other cosmetic products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently conducted tests of 33 red lipsticks and found that 61% of the lipsticks contained lead at levels ranging from .02-.65 parts per million. One third of the tested products exceeded the FDA recommended limit for lead in candy, which represents the permitted lead ingestion level by children.

In response to these results, we request that FDA consider taking two actions to address lead levels in lipstick and other cosmetics:

1. FDA has indicated an interest in re-testing the same lipsticks tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We encourage FDA to perform these tests on a wide range of other lipstick brands in a variety of colors, and to publicly report the results.

2. If the FDA reaches the same conclusions as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, we respectfully encourage the FDA to take immediate action to reduce consumers’ lead exposure to lipstick and other cosmetic products. The FDA should issue guidance to industry, establishing a recommended maximum level of lead in lipstick and other cosmetic products, set to correspond with the lowest detectable levels found in laboratory tests.

Thank you for your attention to this issue, and we look forward to a timely response to our concerns.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry
Barbara Boxer
Dianne Feinstein

CC: Linda Katz, Director, FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors

If you recall from yesterday's video, The Kerrys' book covers at length the effect of toxins in the products we use, and it's also a focus of Teresa's conferences on Women's Health and the Environment.

Here's part 3, in which the Senator and Teresa continue the Q&A and the discussion of consumer product safety.

Tomorrow: The conclusion.