‘Red alert’ out for cheap lipsticks

DIPOLOG CITY - The EcoWaste Coalition, a toxics watchdog group, issued a red alert following its discovery of cheap lipsticks, mostly made from China, that are heavily contaminated with lead, a chemical banned in cosmetics.

It warned consumers against the proliferation of what it calls as “poison lipsticks,” or lipsticks containing “outrageous” levels of lead that are sold at rock-bottom prices, particularly in the market. 

“We advise the public to refrain from consuming cheap, but unauthorized poison lipsticks such as imitation ones that may contain lead and other impurities, which are invisible to the naked eye. Don’t get easily swayed by its low prices. Lead-containing lipsticks are hazardous to health and should not be made, sold and used,” said Thony Dizon, the group’s Chemical Safety Campaigner.

Environmental health scientist Dr. Geminn Louis Apostol, from the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, was also quoted by the EcoWaste Coalition, as saying: “Consumers, particularly women of child-bearing age, should not wear lead contaminated lipsticks. A pregnant woman may ingest lead as she applies and reapplies a lead-containing lipstick on her lips. Unknown to her, she may be exposing the baby in her womb to lead as this substance is able to cross the placental barrier and accumulate in fetal tissues.”

According to the World Health Organization, the exposure of pregnant women to high levels of lead can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight. 

As part of the EcoWaste Coalition’s continuing campaign to protect children and women from harmful chemicals lurking in consumer products, it has purchased a total of 125 red lipsticks costing from P8.75 to P60 per canister from budget beauty product shops, and street vendors in Caloocan, Makati, Malabon, Manila, Pasay and Quezon cities and these were subsequently screened for lead using a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence device.

It said of the 125 samples, 38 products were found to contain lead up to 45,400 parts per million (ppm) which is in excess of the maximum allowable limit of 20 ppm under the “ASEAN Guidelines on Limits of Contaminants for Cosmetics.”  

Heavy metal impurities, according to the guidelines, may be derived from the quality and purity of raw materials, and the manufacturing process.

Lipstick brands found to contain lead include Baolishi, Dexz, Koko Kollection, Meiya, Monaliza and eight variants of Qianxiu.  Among the items with the highest lead concentrations per brand were:

1.  Qianxiu Panda Lipstick #1, 45,400 ppm
2.  Qianxiu It’s Moisturizing Matte Lasting Lipstick #6, 45,200 ppm
3.  Qianxiu Hello Kitty Lipstick #1, 42,600 ppm
4.  Qianxiu Lipstick #10, 22,400 ppm
5.  Qianxiu Temptation Lipstick #10, 21,400 ppm
6.  Qianxiu Kiss Lipstick #10, 20,600 ppm
7.  Qianxiu I Love Lipstick #4, 17,300 ppm

8.  Koko Kollection #9, 10,500 ppm
9.  Meiya Lipstick with Vit C #1, 5,266 ppm
10.  Dexz Lipstick with Vit A&E  #5, 3,667 ppm
11.  Monaliza Series #20, 3,017 ppm
12.  Qianxiu Pink Panther #1, 519 ppm
13.  Baolishi Lipstick #1, 186 ppm

The samples are unauthorized cosmetic products which have not gone through the notification process of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  The agency has repeatedly warned that the use of such violative products may pose health risks to consumers.

To prevent exposure to lead contaminated lipsticks, the EcoWaste Coalition urged consumers to visit the FDA Verification Portal at https://verification.fda.gov.ph/Home.php and check if the lipstick has the required Certificate of Product Notification. 

It also suggested buying lipstick from licensed retailers and asking for an official receipt and warned consumers of counterfeit products, particularly those with incredibly cheap prices, faulty fonts and logos, grammatical and spelling mistakes, poor packaging and other signs of adulteration.

It said parents should monitor lipsticks bought by teenage girls, and should not let children play with lipsticks. To halt the proliferation of poison lipsticks, the EcoWaste Coalition also urged authorities to run after errant manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of products laden with lead. (Mindanao Examiner)

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