Makeup Spooks U.S. Lawmaker

Lipstick, eye glitter, face paint, and other costume makeup—often made in China—may contain hazardous chemicals such as lead, warns Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), referring to a study by a health activist group. The senator is urging the Food & Drug Administration to set a limit for lead in cosmetics and beef up enforcement of packaging regulations, which require manufacturers to list all ingredients in cosmetics. “Traces of lead and other heavy metals have consistently been found in Halloween and costume makeup from other countries and poses a great threat to the health of our children, especially during the fall season,” Schumer says in an Oct. 18 letter to FDA Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff. Schumer cites a 2009 study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a project of the Breast Cancer Fund, which found all 10 face paints it tested contained lead and six of the 10 had nickel, cobalt, ...