The Dangers Of Using A Red Lipstick

Lipstick is one of the most favoured cosmetic of any woman.Every ladies' handbag if randomly checked will invariably hold a lipstick pouch. Ask a lady to name one cosmetic that she will not miss out on,and the answer is,.....no marks for guessing this one. A face can come alive with the right shade of lipstick or a glide of the lipgloss. And the preferred colour? Red,and shades of red are a must. Whatever the age,a woman loves to colour her lips to look and feel beautiful. For some women, a dash of lipstick and little else can make heads turn. Little girls love to reach for mommy's lipstick when she is not looking, and play at applying makeup in front of the mirror.

This wonderful must-have personal cosmetic has been in the news for sometime now for all the wrong reasons. News channels air out snippets that report how lipsticks can cause cancer and are not safe to use. Yes, they are talking of not the cheap quality but lipsticks made by giant cosmetic brands. Yes, popular brands like L'Oreal,Cover Girl and Dior Addict also use lead in their lipsticks. Did that alarm you? These brands also confirm the use of lead in their lipsticks ,but also say that they are relatively safe to use as it is a small quantity. It is not illegal for a lipstick manufacturer to use lead,any amount, in his products. And it is not mandatory for him to subject it to safety testing before launching the product.

Yes, toxicologists have studied and come to the conclusion that there is lead present in the lipsticks which you and I use. Many studies show that out of the total number of the lipsticks toxicology reports, around one-third are safe to use.These contain no lead. That means I have to look for a lipstick that contains no lead. It is not mandatory for the manufacturer to list lead as one of the ingredients being used. Well,reach for the natural lipsticks or herbal lipsticks that are safer. The toxicologists also give us a clue.The redder the lipstick colour,the more lead it contains. So,stick to colours away from red while shopping at the cosmetic store.

Lead is toxic to the human body. A woman who applies lipstick is also ingesting some of it during the day. If she loves reapplying through the day,that much more lead gets into her bloodstream. Even small amounts of lead over time amounts to a significantly unsafe level of lead exposure. Lead is not added as an ingredient in lipstick manufacture,but comes from the colourant used or is the by-product of the lipstick making process. This is also the reason why  manufacturers do not list lead among the ingredients on the label.

Lead is a neuro toxin,affecting the nerves and can cause behavioural,learning and language problems. Lowered IQ, increased aggression is also seen. Those that are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure are pregnant women,and young children. It is also the cause of infertility and miscarriage. It is therefore imperative that any exposure to lead must be avoided.

How Can I Contribute To Public Awareness

1. Email, write or call the manufaturer of your favourite lipsticks and let them know that you are aware of the hazards of using lipsticks that have lead in them. And that you know that lipsticks can be made lead-free and that is important to you.
2. One-third of all lipsticks manufactured are free from lead,so see if you can get the manufacturer to let you know the ones that are lead-free.
   
3. Choose colours other than red among all personal cosmetics.
4. Try herbal/natural products.
5. If you have young children or girls,make a wise choice. Find a non-lead lipstick.
6. Let other women and men know about the dangers and how to avoid lead lipsicks.
7. If you feel that need to write an informative Public Awareness article on Safety like this one, or any other topic, you are encouraged to SIGN UP here and let your hub be read instantly.