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Thought this might be helpful info for you guys.


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By Karen JacobsThu Oct 11, 6:59 PM ET
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Lipsticks tested by a U.S. consumer rights group found that more than half contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others, the group said on Thursday.


The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by the Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, California, found that 61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).


Lipstick, like candy, is ingested. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, environmental and women's groups, said the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick.


One-third of the lipsticks tested contained an amount of lead that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from ingesting lead, the group said. Thirty-nine percent of the lipsticks tested had no discernible lead, it said.


"It's critical that manufacturers reformulate their product," said Stacy Malkan, a co-founder of the coalition. "It's possible to make lipsticks without lead, and all companies should be doing that."


Lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, the group said in its statement. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage, it said.


Procter &amp; Gamble Co's makes Cover Girl brand and France's L'Oreal is one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world.


Over the last three months, more than 20 million toys made in China have been recalled, mostly due to the use of lead paint.


The coalition said that some less expensive brands it had tested, such as Revlon, had no detectable levels of lead, while the more expensive Dior Addict brand had higher levels than some other brands.


The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association trade group said in a statement that lead was a naturally occurring element that was not intentionally added to cosmetics.


The FDA has "set strict limits for lead levels allowed in the colors used in lipsticks, and actually analyze most of these to ensure they are followed," the association's statement said. "The products identified in the (CSC) report meet these standards."


L'Oreal's U.S. arm said its products are reviewed and tested by a safety team that includes toxicologists, pharmacists and doctors.


"All the brands of the L'Oreal Group are in full compliance with FDA regulations" as well as safety requirements in international markets, L'Oreal USA said in a statement.


P&amp;G said in a statement that the quantity of lead a consumer might be exposed to from its lip product "is hundreds of times less than the amount that she would get from eating, breathing and drinking water."


"Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure," said Dr. Mark Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.

My mom told me about this. Now she wants to order some rbon lipstick from me. I will be placing an order for her and myself to get some safe lipstick.

I heard that our lipstick has 0.286 ug/g of lead.

I was always told that it didn't but that is something you can ask the products dept about. They'll tell you which is true.

Hi -
If you got to the website Campaign for Safe Cosmetics here:
http://www.safecosmetics.org/companies/a.cfm

you will see which companies have signed the pledge to "not use chemicals that are known or strongly suspected of causing cancer, mutation or birth defects in their products and to implement substitution plans that replace hazardous materials with safer alternatives in every market they serve". Rbon has not signed....

If you go here they rate the products and tell you what ingredients could be harmful:
http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/

They have a list of Rbon products.
Maureen

Just realized - Body Shop at Home is owned by L'Oreal. Interesting!

I heard that our lipstick has 0.286 ug/g of lead.

If you don't know this to be a fact, why are you posting this?

I heard that our lipstick has 0.286 ug/g of lead.

If you don't know this to be a fact, why are you posting this?

Huh? http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley5.gifWhy can't I post it? According to an independent lab test, our lipstick does have lead in it. Perhaps I shouldn't have written "I heard" but "I read in an article" ... is that better?

For what it's worth, I was told that the safe cosmetics sites ask about $10,000 to be listed on their sites as safe and that is why some companies do not bother to join.

I don't think the cosmetic datebase website is very credible. I searched a couple of companies, yours and a few others. Most of the products that they list are old lines that have been discontinued. If they truly want to help people, why don't they "test" current products. IMO, it is just a way for the environmentalist fanatics to bash cosmetic companies.

Yes, you have to always consider the source of these companies and their agenda and who sponsors them. Anything can be published on the web either pro or con.

It looks to me as if you only have to sign the compact, not pay to be listed.

Maureen

Area2b - what do you think their "agenda" is? I looked on the site to see who was behind this and this is what it says:

Q: <A id=Who_initiated_the_Campaign_ name=Who_initiated_the_Campaign_></A>Who initiated the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics?


A: Founding groups of the Campaign include:Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow (http://www.healthytomorrow.org/),Breast Cancer Fund (http://www.breastcancerfund.org/),Commonweal (http://www.commonweal.org/),Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/),Friends of the Earth (http://www.foe.org/),National Black Environmental Justice Network (http://www.nbejn.org/),National Environmental Trust (http://www.net.org/)andWomens Voices for the Earth (http://www.womenandenvironment.org/).The Campaign also works with over 100 endorsing organizations and thousands of citizen activists.
As a breast cancer survivor, I am more aware of what I am putting on/in my body. Alot of companies, including ours, say they are "natural" and "botanically-based", etc., but they still use chemicals and we are finding out these chemicals may be harmful!

Maureen

I really am not an expert on this but I was told one of the sites. don't know which one. charges $10,000 to be listed. They must get their money from somewhere to keep active. Anyway, I don't know enough to offer an educated comment. Like you say it is very important what we put into our bodies and the reputation of the company whose products we use needs to be impecable. I think @ fits that bill.

checked out the site. Many Arbonne products were low risk and the others have been discontinued.

Yes, I noticed that they had old @ products listed. I saw the herbal foot cream listed as having triclosan which is one ingredient I've seen many of these activists mention. When I went to look at the product ingredients list on the @ site to check, I couldn't access it - it wasn't avalable. Anyone know why?
Maureen

Is that the old or new formulation herbal foot cream? Just curious...

While theProduct Knowledgemanual is not available (not sure why, perhaps it is being updated) I did put in the ingredient you listedas you caninquire which products contain a certain ingredient. Nothing came up for that particular ingredient.
Edited by: Kiana's Mom

I don't know if it was the old or the new....


<a href="http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=triclosan%20" target="_blank">http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=triclosan

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More info here:
http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/10-04/triclosan-article.htmEdited by: MaureenT

yes, the manual is being updated. some product knowledge sheets are available now but it has been in the process of revision for about 1 month now.

I don't know if it was the old or the new....


<a href="http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=triclosan%20" target="_blank">http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=triclosan

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More info here:
http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/10-04/triclosan-article.htm

Triclosan does not come up as an ingredient in any Arb0nne products when you search for it on the Arb0nne site.Edited by: Kiana's Mom

It is irresponsible to make a claim that @ lipstick contains lead without citinga specific, crediblesource because unsubstantiated claimshurt those of us who are currently representing the company.

I was told by a long-time consultant that @ lipsticks do not contain lead.

Yes, you have to always consider the source of these companies and their agenda and who sponsors them. Anything can be published on the web either pro or con.

http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley32.gif

I clicked on the links provided to take a close look at who's representing
those environmental organizations... I read lots of biographies and let's just say there's a clear "left" influence. That's all I needed to see to confirm in my own mind who's hidden agenda is behind the scenes.

I googled the product manual and the old herbal foot cream did contain triclosan, the new formulation does not.
Maureen

For what it's worth, Mary, I am also a long time consultant. I guess I can be a credible source, too? http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gifThe source is KFOR channel 4 news in Oklahoma City. Arbonne was contacted regarding the independent test results and their response is that they do not use lead as an ingredient. That is fair ... since lead isn't actually put into lipstick; it occurs from certain compounds used during production. Consultants figure that since lead is not listed as an ingredient, there must not be any in the lipstick.Right? But that isn't what the test revealed.

Compounds used during production? I don't understand what that would mean exactly.

I heard that our lipstick has 0.286 ug/g of lead.
Here's the link for where this information came from. This test was done over a year ago.

http://www.kfor.com/Global/story.asp?S=4908398

Until Rbon says different their lipstick is lead free as far as I'm concerned.

Interesting article in that it stated there is more lead in the air we breathe ad the water we drink. A forensic expert said the amount of lead is insignifiant in the stated products.

I called @rbon and they said they DO NOT USE LEAD in our Lipsticks! http://www.wahm.com/forum/smileys/smiley20.gif