Grooming goes green 

by Terri Coles

TORONTO (Reuters), November 10,2007 -- Who ever thought that putting on your face in the morning might be dangerous. On the heels of massive recalls of lead-laced toys, a cosmetics safety campaign has found the offensive metal in several popular brands of lipstick.

Last month, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said one-third of 33 red lipsticks they had tested at an independent lab contained lead levels above the Food and Drug Administration's maximum recommendation for candy, 0.1 parts per million. The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association said the lead was not intentionally added and appeared in negligible amounts, but the FDA said it would investigate the campaign's findings.

Whether the levels are dangerous or not, consumers have been increasingly turning "green" in their grooming habits.

U.S. sales of organic personal care products, including cosmetics, are on the rise, totaling $350 million last year, a 24.1 percent increase over 2005, said Barbara Haumann, press secretary of the Organic Trade Association, an association of businesses manufacturing organic products. Some consumers are buying because of environmental concerns, Haumann said, but others are worried about their own health.

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