How did FDA follow up on its initial survey of lead in lipstick?
FDA conducted an expanded survey of lipsticks, covering a wide variety of shades, prices, and manufacturers. Four hundred lipsticks available on the U.S. market in the spring of 2010 were tested for total lead content. The selection of lipsticks tested was based on the parent company’s market share. We also included some lipsticks from niche markets in an effort to capture lipsticks with unusual characteristics.
Frontier Global Sciences, Inc., a private laboratory based in Seattle, WA, performed the analyses in the expanded survey, following a protocol consistent with FDA’s validated method.1 The laboratory was required to show continued reliability of the results using specific quality control procedures.