Peacekeeper Lipstick Defense

After the story about lead in red lipsticks crossed my feed reader the other night, I was not surprised to receive this email shortly thereafter from Peacekeeper - one of the brands listed in the study by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC). Their lipstick, Paint Me Compassionate, was one of the higher level lipsticks in the study. I have been a little surprised (and glad really) that I didn’t hear from more brands - however, I admittedly have not sought out any of their statements (I think because I am really not disturbed by this study too terribly much). I thought it only fair to give them their turn to speak however, so here is what they have to say, I hope you find it interesting, as I did:

PeaceKeeper Defends Its Lipstick Against Inaccurate Claims

October 15, 2007 – PeaceKeeper’s Paint Me Compassionate Lip Paint was recently included on a list of lipsticks that were tested for lead content. PeaceKeeper stands firmly behind its lipstick and confirms that all of its products are in full compliance with U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Moreover, PeaceKeeper meets standards set by California’s Proposition 65, which is considered the strictest mass standard for lead in the nation. The FDA has issued a statement saying that it will investigate the claims being made by an advocacy group that certain lipsticks contain potentially dangerous levels of lead. According to the FDA, similar claims in the past have not been confirmed.

“PeaceKeeper is deeply committed to the health and safety of humans and the environment,” said Jody Weiss, founder of PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics. “Our mission is two-fold: to raise awareness and funds for charitable women’s health organizations and human rights advocacy issues AND to ensure that the products that we sell are sustainable and safe for the consumers who use them.”

PeaceKeeper’s Mineral-Based Formulas

In 2005 PeaceKeeper reformulated its entire collection of color cosmetics, featuring a new formulation that is superior in its ingredient-base and quality. The mineral-based formulas are made without parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, acetone, toluene, mineral oil, synthetic FD&C colors, artificial fragrances, artificial preservatives, and of course, includes no animal testing.

What is in PeaceKeeper’s Lipstick?

Peacekeeper is dedicated to creating cosmetics using non-toxic ingredients that will keep your body safe and healthy. Following is a list of all-natural ingredients found in PeaceKeeper’s lipstick:

§ Beeswax is produced from the hives of honey bees.

§ Carnauba Wax is derived from the leaves of a Brazilian plant called the carnauba palm.

§ Candelilla Wax is derived from the leaves of the Candelilla shrub which grows in the Southern United States and Mexico.

§ Shea Butter is extracted from the fruit of the Shea Tree. Shea Butter has strong moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.

§ Castor Oil is an evergreen shrub that has been used medicinally for about 4,000 years. Castor Oil contains Lectins which are carbohydrate binding proteins.

§ Jojoba Oil is derived from the Jojoba plant. It is a lipid with high levels in fatty acids and is considered a Oleochemical or a chemical derived from biological oils and fats.

§ Grapeseed Oil is a vegetable oil pressed from the seeds of Vitis Vinifera grapes. Grapeseed Oil possesses regenerative ingredients for the skin such as high levels of linoleic acid, anti-oxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta-Carotene, Omega 3-6-9 and other skin revitalizing ingredients.

§ Vitamin E is a fat-soluable antioxidant called Tocopherol. Antioxidants like Vitamin E play a big role in protection against free radicals which contribute to chronic illnesses.

§ Mica is a silicate mineral from the earth whose name comes from the latin word Micare, which means “Shine”.

§ Carmine is a pigment derived from Carminic Acid from the scales of certain insects such as the cochineal. Carmine is a red color alternative to synthetic FD&C coloring.

§ Titanium Dioxide is the natural occurring oxide of titanium, a substance mined from the earth. Titanium Dioxide can be found in toothpastes and other food substances as well.

§ Iron Oxides consist of sixteen known compounds of either oxides or hydroxides and oxidehydroxides. Iron oxide yields pigments which are used in cosmetics. They are considered non-toxic.

§ Ultramarines also are found in the earth and are considered to be non-toxic.

Federal Regulation of Cosmetics

The Drug Administration (FDA) has authority to enforce laws affecting the cosmetics manufacturing and safety. Adequate substantiation of cosmetic product safety is required by the Federal Food Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The FD&C Act prohibits the marketing of dangerous, contaminated or misbranded cosmetics – whether they result from labels, ingredients, contaminants, processing, packaging, or shipping and handling – sold in the US. All cosmetic products sold in the US are required by law to be safe for consumer use.

The Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR) is an independent expert body of leading scientists and medical doctors who review the safety of cosmetic ingredients. The CIR prioritizes the ingredients it reviews based on how frequently such ingredients are used, as well as, their safety profile. The CIR and FDA work together to ensure that cosmetics and their ingredients are safe for consumers.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) has issued a statement regarding the issue of lead in lipsticks saying that the average amount of lead a woman would be exposed to when using cosmetics is 1,000 times less than the amount she would get from eating, breathing, and drinking water that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards. Furthermore, according to CTFA, FDA has set daily safe levels for lead exposure for adults, children and pregnant women. The FDA also has set strict limits for lead levels allowed in the colors used in lipsticks, and analyze these colors to ensure they are followed. The products identified in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) report meet these standards. In fact, all the products tested in the CSC report meet the California standards for safety established under their Prop 65 process.[1]

Lead Lessons

The FDA’s established limit for lead in candy is 0.1 ppm. However, this calculation is based on the ingestion of chocolate products that range from 13.5 to 44.9 grams daily. In comparison, the typical tube of lipstick is 2 to 4 grams. FDA estimates that typical daily application of lipstick results in a total of about 20 milligrams of lipstick product being used by the average woman daily. Based on this comparison, the daily exposure to lead from lipstick is significantly lower in total mass of lead exposure than the daily exposure of lead from eating chocolate candy.

Using the FDA’s lead exposure estimate of 20mg of lead from lipstick and the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics’ (CSC) recent finding that PeaceKeeper’s Paint Me Compassionate red lipstick contains 0.12 ppm of lead, then the accurate calculation is:

0.12 ppm (or mg/kg) x 20 mg (mg/kg) = 0.0024 micrograms of daily lead exposure from PeaceKeeper Lip Paint.

It is ultimately the mass of lead exposure that matters in health risk assessment. In other words, the total consumption of lead per day is what should be considered when determining health risk from lead exposure. Beyond using the FDA lead standard for chocolate candy, consider the Proposition 65 standard for lead, 0.5 micrograms in mass per day, which is the toughest mass standard for lead exposure, to determine whether or not PeaceKeeper Lip Paints pose a health threat due to lead content. Comparing the 0.5 mcg/day standard established by Proposition 65 to the 0.0024 mcg found to be in PeaceKeeper’s Paint Me Compassionate, it is clear that the lipstick does not pose a health risk from lead exposure.

Lead In Our Lives

The issue of lead exposure is of great concern especially due to several recent recalls of children’s toys containing dangerous levels of lead. To keep fear of lead in perspective, it is important to consider the following safety statistics:

§ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Action Level for lead in drinking water is 0.5 ppm

§ California’s Proposition 65 has established a Safe Harbor level for lead at 0.5 mcg in mass per day

About PeaceKeeper

PeaceKeeper is the first make-up company to donate ALL of its profits, after taxes, to women’s health and human rights advocacy issues. Through its unique brand of “dual-purpose” cosmetics, PeaceKeeper encourages consumers to more fully recognize the level of abuse and inequality suffered around the globe – and to become an active part of the solution simply by how they choose a product. To learn more about the programs PeaceKeeper supports please visit www.iamapeacekeeper.com.

Now, to be totally honest, I am torn between how much of a danger I really thing this is. On one hand, the amount in these lipsticks really is probably quite negligible, on the other hand, some of us wear and reapply lipstick all day, every day, and this constant exposure cannot be a great thing. Also, if cosmetic companies CAN make lead free lipstick, why wouldn’t they? Anyway, just my thoughts. Do you have any on the subject?