Once considered an “urban legend,” the rumor that some lipsticks contain lead turned out to be deadly true when the FDA tested hundreds of lipsticks following an alert issued by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. Two consecutive FDA investigations found lead in 100 percent of the lipsticks tested. And the amounts of lead found aren’t small. The first FDA test revealed lead levels up to 3.06 ppm (parts per million), and the second FDA test — scheduled for publication in the May/June 2012 issue of Cosmetic Science – found lead levels up to 7.19 ppm.