Lip Products (Lipstick, Lip Balm, Lip Gloss) — safety profile
Moderate riskLip products including lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, and lip liner.
What is this product?
Lip products including lipstick, lip balm, lip gloss, and lip liner. FDA testing found lead in 100% of 400 lipsticks tested (2007-2012) at levels up to 7.19 ppm. Average person who uses lipstick ingests 24 mg of product daily through licking, eating, and drinking. Over a lifetime, this represents significant cumulative ingestion of pigments, preservatives, and trace metals.
What's in it
Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.
Base Ingredient
Who's most at risk
- Children — Developing endocrine and neurological systems, higher exposure per body weight
Red flags — when to walk away
- Product causes skin irritation, redness, or rash — Contact dermatitis or chemical sensitivity.
Green flags — what to look for
- EWG Verified or dermatologist-tested label — Meets strict ingredient safety criteria.
Safer alternatives
- Lead-tested lip products — RMS Beauty, Ilia, Kosas
- Tinted lip balm with food-grade ingredients — Safer option
- Beeswax-based lip balm — minimal pigment, lower metal exposure
Frequently asked questions
Who should be careful with Lip Products (Lipstick, Lip Balm, Lip Gloss)?
Vulnerable populations identified for this product type: children.
Are there safer alternatives to Lip Products (Lipstick, Lip Balm, Lip Gloss)?
Yes — consider: Lead-tested lip products; Tinted lip balm with food-grade ingredients; Beeswax-based lip balm. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.
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Open in body View raw API dataReference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →