A new study released by the University of California, Berkeley (UBC) School of Public health has found many conventional lipstick products to contain dangerously high levels of aluminum, cadmium, lead and other toxins.
Researchers tested over 30 popular lipstick products and found this to be the case.
The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Even women using minimal amounts of product still increase their risk of developing harmful health conditions like nerve damage and cancer by an alarming amount.
“Most of the tested lip products contained high concentrations of titanium and aluminum. All examined products had detectable manganese. Lead was detected in 24 products (75%) with an average concentration of 0.36 ppm ± 0.39, including one sample with 1.32 ppm.
When used at the estimated average daily rate, estimated intakes were >20% of ADIs derived for aluminum, cadmium, chromium and manganese. In addition, average daily use of 10 products tested would result in chromium intake exceeding our estimated ADI for chromium.
For high rates of product use (above the 95th percentile) the percentages of samples with estimated metal intakes exceeding ADIs were 3% for aluminum, 68% for chromium, and 22% for manganese. Estimated intakes of lead were < 20% of ADIs for average and high use.”
“Just finding these metals isn’t the issue; it’s the levels that matter. Some of the toxic metals are occurring at levels that could possibly have an effect in the long term.” – Katharine Hammond, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
A daily intake of these cosmetics would result in a large exposure to chromium, a carcinogen that has been linked to stomach tumours. Average use of these products could result in overexposure to aluminum, cadmium and manganese. Exposure to high concentrations of manganese has been linked to high toxicity levels in the nervous system. Lead was also detected, and no level of lead exposure is safe for anybody.
The amount of metals found definitely needs to be brought to the attention of health regulators. But we have a problem here, health regulators are usually connected to the corporations that develop these products in the first place. The real solution is to just stop using them. We are sold on the idea that we need these beauty products and yet they are filled with harmful chemicals. Are we not beautiful anyway?
Right now there are no standards in the United States for metal content in cosmetics, which is deeply disturbing. They can pretty much put whatever they please into them, and it doesn’t take long for the blood stream to absorb whatever one decides to put onto their bodies.
The truth is, many of the ingredients in personal care and beauty products aren’t so pretty. U.S. researchers have found that one in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care products are hazardous industrial chemicals.
This means that 10,500 industrial chemicals are used as cosmetic ingredients, many of which are carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, endocrine disruptors, plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft), degreasers (used to get grime off auto parts) and surfactants (they reduce surface tension in water, like in paint and inks). And these go on our skin and into the environment.
Here is a great video: The Story of Cosmetics
Did you know that everyday chemical exposure is among the leading causes of the most common cases of chronic disease in America?
By Arjun Walia, Collective Evolution; | Additional: EHP.gov; NewsCenter.edu; Natural News;
