Testing done on popular lipstick brands showed that 32 of them contain lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum and other metals at levels which may be toxic to users, according to a study from University of California-Berkeley's School of Public Health.
"Just finding these metals isn't the issue. It's the levels that matter," says co-author Katharine Hammond, professor of environmental health. "This study is saying, 'FDA, wake up and pay attention.'"
The Personal Care Products Council, an industry advocate, responded to the charges, saying that "trace levels of metals in lip products is not unexpected given their natural presence in air, soil and water."
Hammond is not urging people to discontinue use of the product, but to reconsider overuse.
"I don't think people should panic," she told USA Today. "But if you use it several times every day, you may want to think about it."
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