Organic Skincare
Some of my patients are surprised when I start asking about lipstick. I ask about cosmetics and all the other products they use daily because it could affect their health or fertility. Unregulated chemicals in lipstick, sunscreens, and every other personal care product that you can name have been found to be toxic.
Growing research links these beauty products to asthma, allergies, cancer, as well as reproductive disorders. As an acupuncturist and integrative medicine practitioner specializing in women’s health and fertility, I am therefore, now interested in lipstick. Well, not just lipstick but the lead found in lipstick.
Lead in Lipstick
Yup. You got it. Lead in lipstick. In October 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested more than thirty brands of lipsticks and found that 61% of lipsticks contained lead. This certainly gives the phrase “hugs and kisses” a whole new spin. Following pressure from consumers, the FDA released a follow-up study in 2009.
This study found lead in ALL samples of tested lipstick. Levels ranged up to four times higher than the levels found in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics study. Guess what happened next?
Nothing.
Safe Cosmetics Acts
That’s right-nothing happened until July 20, 2010. Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Democrat-Illinois., Edward Markey, Democrat-Massachusetts., and Tammy Baldwin, Democrat-Wisconsin., introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010. This act gave the US Food and Drug Administration authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful ingredients. Consumers asked: Weren’t they supposed to be doing that in the first place?
Currently, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2019 has been introduced to increase cosmetic company accountability, improve ingredient safety, and require supply chain transparency. You can support this legislative effort by adding your name or company’s name to the endorsement form of this bill.
Story of Cosmetics
If you want learn more about the US cosmetics industry, watch the Story of Cosmetics. This eight-minute video was created and released by The Story of Stuff Project and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. These award-winning animated movies offer action-orientated solutions to the pressing environmental issues of our time.
Green Beauty
What’s a cosmetic junkie to do in the meantime? The good news is that consumers have been demanding more green, organic, and eco-friendly products. The green beauty market is flooded with eco-friendly options from deodorant to lipstick. Many of these products perform better than their not-so-safe-or-green comparisons.
EWG Skindeep Database
You can also evaluate almost any item in your cosmetic bag on the Environmental Working Group's Skindeep Database. EWG verified products do not contain any ingredients with health, environmental, or contamination concerns. The product also has to meet EWG’s standards for ingredient label disclosure and provide full transparency. Enjoy shopping-your lips and reproductive system will thank you!
If you enjoyed this green living article, you may also like our Organic Sunscreen post and the How to Improve the Quality of Water in Your Home article.
More About OMBE
OMBE is celebrating 15 years of service in Massachusetts! Additionally, we are now scheduling in-person acupuncture sessions for our South Shore and Cape Cod clients. Telehealth consultations are available for all of our Massachusetts clients living in the Boston area, North Shore, and Western Massachusetts.
Learn more about us, read our organic health philosophy, or schedule an appointment. Contact us for any questions about appointment scheduling, acupuncture services, or integrative medicine. We look forward to hearing from you!