Unfortunately, health and beauty expert Ann Garrity says "organic just doesn't mean much on makeup right now and a lot of companies' are profiting from consumer's confusion".



In fact, health and beauty experts warn some products are downright dangerous. A recent study by a safe cosmetic group made national headlines when lab tests found in over 50% of over 30 lipsticks from major retail chain stores contained detectable levels of lead. A full 1/3 of the samples exceeded the FDA's safety limit for lead in candy.

Analysis by health and beauty experts found the lead was a contaminant, not a deliberately added ingredient so you wouldn't even know the product wasn't lead-free just be checking the label - health and beauty experts say this is very scary and advise consumers to be concerned - lead is a toxic heavy metal that causes injury to the brain, increases high blood pressure, heart disease, and reduces fertility.

Unbelievably, the FDA has not set a ban on the use of lead in cosmetics and actually has approved the version of lead called lead acetate for use in all cosmetics except the use around the eyes.

To be clear, the amount of lead you might ingest through normal use of lipstick is small, however, expert's note it comes on top of other sources of lead exposure in our environment such as drinking water. Scientific evidence proves there is no threshold of exposure below which lead is safe. You can learn more about potential lead exposure from the Environmental Protection Agencies website. Health and beauty experts also have found mercury in mascara. Much like lead, mercury can damage brain function even at low levels. Mercury has also been found to ignite certain protein enzymes that may lead to plaque build-up in blood vessel walls that may lead to cardiovascular disease. A number of cosmetic companies still use a preservative form of mercury to keep mascara fresh and bacteria-free.

Always buy products that are thimerosal-free products.

Mercury in the form of thimerosol is also used in eye makeup.

Another safety tip - avoid loose powder formulations containing talc because you can easily inhale particles as you swoosh them around with your brush.

In summary, health and beauty experts are challenging the FDA to be given back the power, personnel, and funding so they can do much more to tightly regulate cosmetics.