Viva Woman

A reader by the name of Sunshine sent me an email asking me to check out Smith’s Rosebud Salve lip balm.  Well, the truth is I’ve had my eyes on this product for a long time but I haven’t got down to ordering it.  I should have, because it is available at Drugstore.com but I guess it slipped my mind during my last order.

According to Sunshine who has cracked lips sometimes, this Rosebud Salve (original formula) works like magic for her.  “Upon application, it’s glossy and really moisturizing for lips,” she said.  And she’s right that it’s highly raved by people who have used them. 

A favorite of make-up artists and many women, this general purpose topical application mosturizes, relieves roughness and itching, eases skin irritation, and promotes healing.  I have seen it recommended even on the Taiwanese beauty programs and at 3.7 out of 5 from 1299 reviewers at Makeupalley, the product must be quite a performer.

Rosebud Salves can be used as an all purpose skin preparation on top of as a lip balm; and is perfect for travel as an eye make-up remover, cuticle softener, sunburn easer, dry skin healer, and frizzy fighter. The company even suggest using Rosebud Salve around the eyes and on the throat for severely parched, dry, or wrinkled skin.

Rosebud Salve is available in original, minted rose, strawberry and mentholated flavors.  Brambleberry Rose Lip Balm is a new scent available at Sephora.com which was designed to honor “Miss Vivian,” who is the President of Rosebud Perfume Co., Inc. and apparently comes with the delicious aroma of freshly baked berry pie.

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It looks like we will be hearing more about the issue of lead in lipstick officially because US Senators John Kerry, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein were reported to have urged the FDA Commissioner to investigate products reported by Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) and to rid lipsticks with higher-than-legal limits of lead content in them. 

And in another consumer news, Lipstick Lead Lawsuit Filed, a woman who bought a Christian Dior Addict Positive Red lipstick from a Nordstrom store is seeking class-action status in a lawsuit against the makers of the lipstick because the product has dangerously high levels of lead.

I know many, including The Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association Trade Group have said that lead is a naturally occurring element and is not intentionally added to cosmetics.  Some cosmetics experts have even gone on to argue that amount of lipstick that is actually ingested is minuscule and there is nothing to fear.  However, as a consumer, I would like to have the option of using a lead-free lipstick because  I don’t need my makeup to add on to whatever harmful elements I’m already exposed to daily.  What’s more, manufacturing lead-free lipsticks is possible and it doesn’t cost more according to CSC.

One-third of the lipsticks tested had no detectable amount of lead, so lead-free lipstick is possible. And, the amounts of lead in the lipsticks tested didn’t correlate with the price of the product, so we know that manufacturing lipstick without lead doesn’t break the bank.

Additionally, you might also want to know we can no longer rely on brand names alone to determine the ingredients or if their lipsticks are safe as I’ve examined in my earlier post Not All Natural Lipsticks Are Lead-Free.

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Further to my earlier post about lead found in many leading brand name lipsticks, I’ll like to bring your attention to the list of lipsticks containing lead obtained from safecosmetics.org.   If you think that all natural lipsticks are lead-free, take a look at this. 

Do you see what I see here? What is Burt’s Bees lip shimmer doing on this list of lipsticks with detectable levels of lead, even if it is low at 0.1?  This is contrary to their company’s values which promotes truly natural products are the most effective and safest to maximize our well-being.   And the fact that we now know that lead-free lipstick is possible, this makes the information even more disturbing to me.

Many women are now very alarmed by the latest news and looking for lead-free lipsticks.  But this seems a little daunting especially now that I’m seeing lipstick from a leading natural brand containing lead. 

In addition, let’s take a look at the other two list of lipsticks compiled by safecosmetics.org.

From the list, it does look like the redder or darker the lipstick color, the higher are its chances of containing lead.  Does this mean we should settle for lighter shades like pink or mauve or even just use lipgloss? 

At the moment, I don’t see any clear indications but we definitely need some answers here.   Will someone stand up and tell us please?

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I was exasperated to read that many lipsticks manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of women contain surprisingly high levels of lead.  Considering lipstick is a makeup staple for us, this is simply alarming!

According to new product tests just released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 61% of the 33 brand-name lipsticks tested contained detectable levels of lead, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).  One-third of the tested lipsticks actually exceeded the FDA guideline for lead in candy, 0.1 ppm, established to reduce lead exposure among children.

And it’s not just the cheap brands that were found to contain lead.  Among the leading brands found to contain lead were:
• L’Oreal Colour Riche “True Red” – 0.65 ppm
• L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” – 0.58 ppm
• Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor “Maximum Red” – 0.56 ppm
• Christian Dior Addict “Positive Red” – 0.21 ppm

Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. It has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage.  So knowing this fact, why can’t cosmetics manufacturers make their lipsticks lead-free?

One-third of the lipsticks tested had no detectable amount of lead, so lead-free lipstick is possible. And, the amounts of lead in the lipsticks tested didn’t correlate with the price of the product, so we know that manufacturing lipstick without lead doesn’t break the bank.

So now you know why it’s better not to eat or kiss with your lipstick on.  And on the topic of lipstick, Doris shared an interesting and useful tip on buying lipstick in her blog Dorisgoshopping. 

“We are always lured to buy the latest lipstick colour in town. Before you respond to magazine’s review and recommendation, make sure you try on the colour and walk around for a while before deciding to purchase it. Lipstick colour looks different when it’s absorbed on the lips and lightings can alter the way you look too. This will avoid buying a lipstick that doesn’t look so great on you afterall.”

And I’m thinking: maybe we shouldn’t be buying that many lipsticks at all.

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