UC Berkeley Researchers Find Dangerous Metals In Lipsticks
BERKELEY (KCBS) - A University of California, Berkeley study shows many popular lipsticks and lip glosses contain metals at concentrations high enough to pose potential health concerns.
Tests by investigators a the UC Berkeley School of Public Health on 32 different products detected high levels of lead, cadmium, chromium and aluminum.
The estimated daily intake of those metals in a lipstick or lip gloss applied twice a day would exceed acceptable levels for the metals, said Katharine Hammond, principal investigator for the study.
"What we have done is raise the alert that there is a potential for serious health risks," she said, adding that consumers should not panic because of the findings.
"It's the daily use on and on and particularly of the high levels that we may be approaching the levels where there might be some health effects," Hammond said.
She said the study published Thursday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives is merely a first step that requires further investigation.
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