Testing for Lead

Image source: health2000.co.nz

My friends have been alarmed with the issues of having lead in some lipstick brands. I have known some brand who has high-content of lead in their products but due to disclosure policies, I will not run over them one-by-one.

A simple way to test if your lipstick contains lead, here's a quick way to do it:

1. Make certain the area on which you intend to test the lipstick is thoroughly clean. Let it dry before performing the test.
2. Coat the underneath side of your wrist or the back of your hand with the lipstick to be tested. If you are uncomfortable doing that, you can use a piece of fabric or paper instead.
3. Rub a piece of piece of copper, gold, pewter or silver across the lipstick stain. Be sure to rub the metal in well in order to assure an accurate test. Also wait a few minutes before making a snap determination. Sometimes it will take a few minutes for the color change to take effect because of the amount of lead contained therein.
4. Look to see if the lipstick's color has changed; gotten darker or turned almost black. It some cases, it may only leave a discolored streak or smear. If the color goes dark anyway, chances are good that your lipstick contains at least trace amounts of lead.