- With Mayo Clinic dermatologist
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
Dr. Lawrence Gibson likens bad health information on the Internet to food poisoning.
Consumers, he said, need to be aware, and will find reliable information at MayoClinic.com.
Dr. Gibson, a Covington, Ky., native, has been with Mayo since 1986 and is board certified in dermatology, dermatopathology and immunodermatology. He is a professor of dermatology at Mayo Medical School and a consultant in the Department of Dermatology.
Dr. Gibson has been director of the Dermatopathology Laboratory since 1998 and chair of the Laboratory Division in the Department of Dermatology since 2000. He is especially interested in inflammatory disorders of the skin and lymphoma affecting the skin.
"Electronic information is becoming a staple in the diet of a health conscious society," he said. "It's important to avoid misinformation and provide a credible source for health information. Using this analogy, it's critical to avoid 'indigestion' or worse yet, 'food poisoning' by the ingestion of tainted information."
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Question
Lead in lipstick: A health concern?
Is it true that lipstick contains lead?
Answer
from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D.
For several years, there has been some concern about lead in lipstick. To date, there is no evidence of high levels of lead in lipstick, though some brands do contain very small amounts of lead.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates cosmetics sold in the United States under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Under the act, the FDA doesn't subject cosmetics, including lipstick, to scrutiny and approval before these products are marketed. The exception is most lipstick color additives, which are screened before being marketed. FDA regulations for approved color additives allow trace levels of heavy metals, including lead. To date, the FDA has not determined these levels to be a health threat. Other ingredients in lipsticks, such as waxes and oils, are not subject to FDA testing.
The FDA is developing a lead test for lipsticks and says that it intends to publish results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Meantime, there is no recommendation from the FDA that restricts the use of lipsticks because of lead.
Next questionMorning-after pill: Emergency birth control
- Lipstick and lead: Questions and answers. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-pb.html#auth. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- FDA correspondence with National Coordinator of The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics regarding ongoing investigation of lead in lipstick, Dec. 16, 2008. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.safecosmetics.org/downloads/FDA-Katz-letter-to-CSC_12-16-2008.pdf. Accessed May 6, 2009.
- FDA authority over cosmetics. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-206.html. Accessed May 6, 2009.
