Ladies, Are You Smearing Toxic Metals On Your Lips Every Day?
Metal Mouth jerine via FlickrA new study finds potentially harmful levels of heavy metals in commonly used lipsticks and glosses. A new study from the University of California, Berkeley and the Oakland, Calif.-based nonprofit Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice might make us rethink sexy red lips. According to the paper published online today in Environmental Health Perspectives, many lipsticks actually contain toxic metals. Since the 1990s, reports of lead traces in lipsticks have caused periodic alarm and even spawned rumors that you could detect lead levels with the help of a gold ring. This study analyzed metal content in 32 lipsticks and lip glosses commonly used by a sample of young women in ACRJ's Youth Program and found that many contained levels of heavy metals, that, though small, could become problematic with regular exposure. It's essentially impossible to wear a lip product without ingesting small amounts. Based on previous data,...