I was just as surprised as the next person to learn that over 400 lipsticks from brands like L'Oreal, Maybelline, NARS, and CoverGirl contain lead. Turns out, lipsticks actually contain a lot of nasty ingredients like crushed up bugs, harmful chemicals, and parasites. Point is, the stuff may be pretty, but it's also pretty gross. And according to a recent study, the average woman who wears lipstick daily eats five pounds of it a year, and that doesn't even account for the amount that is absorbed through the lips and into our bloodstream. So yeah, it may be worth making sure that your favorite cosmetic isn't harmful to your health.
The FDA maintains that the amount of lead and other stuff in lipsticks pose no safety risks, but it's still better to play it safe rather than sorry. So here are 5 lipsticks that are totally lead-free, safe to use, and good, good looking.

Fruit Pigmented Lip Glaze, $17This watermelon colored lipstick is 100 percent pure. It's made of avocado and cocoa butter and includes vitamins and antioxidants to help your pout look its best.

Burt's Bees Lip Gloss, $7Burt's Bees is usually a go-to when you're looking for beauty products with a natural base, and this lip gloss is no exception. Pretty in pink, and pretty healthy.
Wet n Wild, $1.99No lead was detected in this cheap-o drugstore lipstick. You don't have to spend the big bucks to ensure your safety.
MAC lipstick, $14This MAC stick tested lead-free, as well. So eat up!

Bare Minerals lipstick, $15Bare Minerals lipsticks are 100 percent natural and use stuff like jojoba, sesame, and coconut oils. They come in a ton of colors, too, so you'll be sure to find a safe shade that suits you.
What lipstick do you use? Do you only shop for all natural ones, or no, it doesn't really matter that much?
Photo via apdk/Flickr; courtesy photos
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Comments (4)
I wear lip liner all the time, everyday because I dont like the natural shape of my lips. When I read that so many lipsticks have lead I was really depressed. It should be illegal to put anything harmful in products people spend their money on. I couldnt find my lip liner on the list of products with lead. I wear Rimmel Wine colored lip liner. I would be very interested in buying something natural. If anybody knows of a wine shade lip liner that proves to be lead free please let me know. :)
Origins has a very good cosmetic line in addition to skincare. After the last article on parabens, I tossed every other cosmetic out and moved to their skincare line. After reading about lead in lipsticks, I'm moving my make up to that line as well, though I will definitely check out bare minerals.
I love the Bare Minerals! My favorite is Red Zin. A perfect red. I also love their Buxom lipgloss for daytime and my favorite there is Sugar.
Arbonne has an amazing cosmetics line and everything is 100% organic and vegan ceritifed. How come their lip products didn't make the list?