Many women throughout Pennsylvania and the rest of the country wear make-up in the effort to make themselves look younger and healthier. For a lot of women, lipstick is a must have since it is quick and easy to apply. Based on the results of a recent study by the Food and Drug Administration, it is likely that those women will want to take a look at their favorite lipsticks to determine if they may contain an ingredient that could cause harm.

While the amount of lead found in even the most highly contaminated lipsticks reportedly would probably not cause a serious risk to an adult's health, according to at least one doctor, it could pose a problem for children. This is because exposure to even a small amount of lead can cause problems with the development of a child's brain. The problems may manifest themselves as issues in math and language development.

The study uncovered 400 lipsticks currently being sold throughout nation that have lead in them. Reporting the most lead are five lipsticks from popular makeup companies, L'Oreal and Maybelline. Sensational Pink Petal by Maybelline ranked the highest in the study. It reportedly had a lead level of 7.19 parts per million. Current levels of lead allowed in the United States for children's products are less than 100 parts per million.

One doctor indicated that a child occasionally putting on lipstick with lead in it is probably not a reason to be concerned. However, daily use or the consumption of it by a child could pose a problem.

Source: USA Today, "FDA finds trace amounts of lead in 400 lipsticks," Tara Meyer, Feb. 15, 2012