Lead has been used as an ingredient in cosmetics for thousands of years. As far back as six thousand years ago, Egyptian women mixed lead and copper ore to prepare a paste they applied to their faces. Greeks and Romans slathered lead-containing concoctions all over their bodies. For similar purposes, a blend of lead and rice powder was used in China. In America, lead- containing creams, ointments and powders were legally sold well into the 20th century.
Lead is a versatile ingredient. In cosmetics, it was utilized in eye makeup products, as a whitening solution, as hair plaster, as well as face and body powder. Really, lead has had an unlimited utility in the beauty industry.
As a result, people suffered from this kind of self inflicted lead exposure for millennia.
Despite the fact that the use of lead in beauty products has since been regulated, lead still finds its way into today’s cosmetics. For example, lipstick produced by top brand cosmetic companies has been reported to contain lead. So were some progressive hair dyes, henna products, and a whole array of imported eye makeup products.
Unfortunately, the argument you will often hear is that the amount of lead contained in lipstick or other cosmetics is so small that, in fact, it cannot cause any harm. This is not entirely true. First of all, there is a mounting body of evidence that no amount of lead is safe. Second, a very tiny amount of lead might not harm you immediately, but since lead accumulates in human bodies (in bones and teeth), small amounts grow over time adding up to the past and future exposures. This is especially true for products such as cosmetics, as they are being used frequently, often multiple times each day.
Repeated ingestion of minute amounts of lead adds up in your bones and brain.
Remember: There is no place for lead in your cosmetics!
Joanna Cerazy
http://www.nomoreleadbabies.com/
Co-author Lead Babies Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, behavior problems, and autism
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