FDA should "take immediate action" to reduce consumer exposure to lead in lipstick and other cosmetic products, a trio of U.S. Senators assert in a Nov. 19 letter to FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.

Senators John Kerry, D-Mass., Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., request that FDA re-test lipsticks identified by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics as having levels of lead that are higher than FDA's recommended limit for candy.

"Toxic chemicals like lead do not belong in cosmetics such as lipstick that people may be exposed to everyday," Boxer, chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, says in a statement.

"FDA should do everything in its power to get products with lead off the shelf."

In October, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics announced the results of testing it conducted on lipsticks purchased in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota and California (¹ [A#02280420002], p. 3).

While one-third of the lipsticks tested contained no detectable amount of lead, 11 had levels of lead higher than 0.1 parts per million - the FDA limit for lead in candy, "which represents the permitted lead ingestion level by children," the senators note.

The Campaign used that ceiling in its "Poison Kiss" report because FDA has no specific limit for lead in finished lipstick products, though it does restrict lead levels in coloring agents that go into them.

In response to the study, FDA said Oct. 12 that it would look into the matter and, in particular, that it would cast a wider net than the Campaign by investigating shades other than red for lead contamination.

In their letter to the FDA head, the senators request that the agency make good on those intentions and publicly report the results.

If FDA reaches the same conclusions as the Campaign, it should "take immediate action to reduce consumers' lead exposure [in] lipstick and other cosmetic products," according to the letter.

In particular, it should issue guidance to industry and establish a recommended maximum level of lead in cosmetic products. The limit should be set to correspond with the lowest detectable levels found in the laboratory tests, the senators say.

Feinstein goes so far as to suggest that "federal guidelines may be needed to safeguard women's health and reduce the amount of lead in cosmetic products."

The lead-in-lipstick issue is symptomatic of a larger problem, the senators suggest.

"Dangerous levels of lead in lipstick is the latest reminder that insufficient safeguards at the FDA pose real risks to everyday Americans. From the cosmetics store to the sunblock parents count on to protect their children's skin, there has been a continuous flow of unnerving news in recent months about the FDA's clear lack of oversight and inspection," they say.

The release notes that high levels of lead is a concern for pregnant women, as lead is suspected of impeding the brain development of babies and toddlers. Exposure to the substance has been linked to low IQ, aggression and poor performance in school.

In its response to the Campaign's "Poison Kiss" report, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association maintained that exposure to lead from cosmetics is negligible and that, even so, manufacturers are continually working to reduce the risk of exposure.

Lipstick Eco Lips took the opportunity to point out in an Oct. 23 release that its products do not contain lead and are in fact 90 percent organic. Markwins also issued a statement defending its offerings (² Also see "Lead-In-Lipstick Row Creates Opportunity For Some, Puts Others On Defensive" - HBW Insight, 29 October, 2007., p. 3).

Sen. Kerry last turned his attention to the cosmetics space in September when he sent a letter to FDA urging the agency to allow public participation in the International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulations effort to eliminate obstacles to marketing cosmetics in the participating countries (³ Also see "Effort To Harmonize Cosmetics Regs Should Include Public Input – Sen. Kerry" - HBW Insight, 1 October, 2007., p. 3).

The first ICCR meeting in Brussels, Belgium Sept. 27 included representatives from CTFA but did not involve the Environmental Working Group or other public advocates, which Kerry said was "unfair."

- Molly Laas (m.laas@elsevier.com)

Senators Request FDA Inquiry Into Lead Discovered In Lipstick Products

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