The CTPA addresses lipstick safety

Published: 22-May-2013

The CTPA has reassured consumers that “all cosmetics and personal care products (which include lipsticks and lip glosses) made in or imported into the UK and Europe must be safe\"


The Cosmetics Toiletries and Perfumery Association (CTPA) has reiterated that lipsticks are safe after a University of Berkeley study found traces of metals such as lead in the lipsticks it tested.

The CTPA reassured concerned lipstick wearers via its blog that: “Although the headlines might cause you concern, there is no need to worry. All cosmetics and personal care products (which include lipsticks and lip glosses) made in or imported into the UK and Europe must be safe,” it added.

“There are strict European cosmetic laws and these require manufacturers to carry out a rigorous safety assessment by a qualified expert scientist before the product is made available for us to buy.”

Safety assessments take account of impurities present in the ingredients that could end up in the finished product, points out the CTPA, and the levels of impurities found in the US study are exceedingly small. “Despite the suggestions otherwise, they are not present at levels in the lip products that would cause harm either now or in the future,” it said.

Modern analytical techniques may detect even the smallest traces of harmful substances, added the organisation, but that does not mean a product is unsafe, especially as metals are among the natural elements that make up our environment.

You may also like