FDA Recommend Limited Usage of Lead In Cosmetics

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The Food And Drug Administration or FDA has turned its eyes towards the usage of lead in cosmetics. These include makeup items such as eye shadow, lipsticks as well as items such as shampoo.

As FDA's global mission to protect the public health, it has laid down the approved level of lead that companies can use in a wide range of cosmetics as well as lipsticks.

Lead is one of the natuarally occuring metals that causes serious health damages such as brain and kidney.It is In fact, one of the metals that is extremely dangerous when enters the blood. Above all, the damages caused by lead are irreversible.

According to CNN, FDA has brought about a new guidance which suggests the limit of lead that companies can use in the cosmetics in the US. It has suggested just a maximum of 10 parts in one million to be used in cosmetics such as lipstick, lip liners, lip glosses. Along with this, the mentioned limit of lead also applies to external cosmetics such as eye shadows, shampoo, body lotion, blushes and more.

In the light of the recent drafted guidance, one must know that the lead limit doesn't apply to the hair dyes which often contain lead acetate as one of the ingredients.

As per the summary document published on FDA official website, an associate commissioner at FDA, Leslie Kux said, "does not establish any rights for any person and is not binding." Instead, the new guidance simply represents the FDA's "current thinking" in relation to the amount of lead used in cosmetics.

She further added that even though most of the cosmetic brands across the US contains lower levels of lead, there are some smaller brands which contain high level of lead in makeup items. The FDA website also mentioned that it is aware of the high usage of lead in cosmetics belonging to other countries.

The seriousness of limiting lead usage in cosmetics has become a growing concern more so since many cosmetics are imported from other countries across the world.

FDA has announced that by including only 10 percent of lead per 1 million, it can reduce the absorption of lead in the blood which takes place by licking the lipstick and swallowing the lipstick. However, FDA has clearly mentioned that the above stated document is a just a suggestion from their part and is not a rule.