• December 4, 2007

U.S. Sens. John Kerry, Diane Feinstein and Barbara Boxer are urging the Food and Drug Administration to test a wide range of lipstick brands for the presence of lead, to publicly report their results, and to limit lead in lipstick and other cosmetics products to "the lowest detectable levels found in laboratory tests."

The action by three U.S. Senators comes on the heels of a report last month by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which found lead in 61% of 33 lipsticks tested. Levels ranged from 0.02 to 0.65 parts per million.

One-third of the lipsticks exceeded the FDA-recommended limit for lead in candy. Currently, the agency sets no limit for lead in cosmetics products, nor does it require companies to safety test products before putting them on the shelves.

The FDA told the Associated Press in October that the agency would "look into" the laboratory results of lead in lipstick disclosed by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. More than six weeks later, the FDA has not released any data.

--Nina M. Lentini