An urban legend says that women eat several pounds of lipstick in a lifetime (of course the ones that wear lipstick). Different sources refer to different weight units but everything between 4–7 pounds have been mentioned. None of these numbers are based on actual scientific evidence but more so guesses of well-meaning people warning of the dangers of cosmetics.

Some truth-seeking beauty bloggers done the math and translated the pounds into more relatable figures and actual lipstick numbers. Turns out, if a woman would really ingest 4 pounds of lipstick, she would have to go through 533 lipsticks, meaning one full lipstick a month for 55 years.

But, despite this unrealistic number, there is still reason to warn about lipsticks because a lot of different toxins hide in lipsticks. Toxins that make you unwell and as a result take your radiance, because radiance and beauty is a reflection of your well-being. Lipstick is one of the products that go directly into your body because you possibly lick your lips, eat and drink while your lips are coated with a pretty shade.

In 2007, the FDA examined popular lipstick brands for heavy metals and most of them had concerning levels of lead and cadmium. Especially red and dark lipstick colors were contaminated.

Lead slows down the thyroid, leading to brittle nails, dry hair and thinning eye brows.

Lead is a neurotoxin that accumulates in the body and is especially toxic to a child's developing brain. I don't recall a campaign that warns pregnant women of the risks from red lipstick.

Lead causes hormone imbalances and fertility issues in women and men

The odd age spot and other chronic hyperpigmentation is also linked to heavy metals. Heavy metals attract melanin, because it acts as a metal chelator.

400 Lipsticks were tested and their lead levels were up to up to 7.19 ppm (parts per million).

To give you some perspective, the limit of lead allowed in candy is 0.1 ppm. Even we don't eat 55 lipstick a lifetime. If it is just half a lipstick with lead levels 72 times higher than the permitted limit for edible products, then lipsticks can harm us .

Here some examples of lipsticks with the highest lead levels:

Maybelline: Color Sensational 125 Pink Petal

L'Oréal: Colour Riche 410 Volcanic

NARS: Semi-Matte Lipstick 1005 Red Lizard

Cover Girl: Vibrant Hues Color Q580 Ruby Remix

NARS: Semi-Matte 1009 Funny Face

L'Oréal: Colour Riche 165 Tickled Pink

You can find the full list here .

That harmful heavy metals are in our lip products isn't really intentional.

Lipstick pigments are sourced from the Earths sediment and heavy metals tag along when mined. Heavy metals naturally occur but industrial run off and improperly wasted batteries heavily contribute to contamination.

What can we do about this?

It is difficult to spot lead in lipsticks unless you send a sample to a lab. Since red and dark colors are most affected by contamination, choosing lighter colors, resisting the urge to lick your lips and wiping off lipstick before you eat. Try to avoid lipstick while pregnant and don't let children play with them. And if all of us dispose batteries with care, we contribute to less contaminated soils.

I have been a lipstick lover my whole life, had a slow thyroid in my 20s and through a body scan, I found out about I had high lead levels in my thyroid when I was in my mid 30s. Go figure. My heart was aching when I came across the lipstick reports, but hand on heart, is it worth it?