Valid Test for Lead in Lipstick?

sarongsong · #1 (**permalink**) 24-October-2007, 09:17 PM

Subsequent to the FDA's agreement to look into the lead content of lipstick, this bit of advice is making the rounds:

Quote:

...This is a test you can do:
1. Put a little lipstick on your hand;
2. Wipe over this streak of lipstick with a gold ring;
3. If the color turns black, then you know that it contains lead...

Swift · #2 (**permalink**) 24-October-2007, 09:36 PM

That test sounds pretty dubious and I can't for the life of me think why it should work. A little googling found
breakthechain.org

Quote:

Will scratching a stripe of lipstick with a gold ring reveal lead? No. This claim appears to be drawn from an old alchemist's trick of testing the purity of gold by rubbing ore on a dark stone (often containing lead) and comparing the streak with another of known quality. However, the process does not work in reverse. Even if it did, there would not be a large enough concentration of lead in a strip of lipstick to produce a visible change.

Yet, many readers have written to say they've tried the "scratch test" and found that their gold jewelry does indeed produce dark streaks in the lipstick. However, this is much more likely a reaction to the wax in the product than to led. In fact, a variety of waxes will produce similar reactions with gold. Real, reliable detection of lead in a product requires rigorous scientific testing, and cannot be achieved "on the cheap" using normal household products.

Here is a news article about real research on lead tests

JohnD · #3 (**permalink**) 25-October-2007, 09:46 AM

Can't contribute to the lipstick/gold ring debate, but my ring reacts reversibly (I hope) with iodine containing hand scrub. The ring is normally bright, but after Povidone iodine hand scrub it goes a dull, brassy colour, that takes several hours to wear off or otherwise disappear. I use another hand scrub now, in case it erodes the ring!

John

Swift · #4 (**permalink**) 25-October-2007, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD

Can't contribute to the lipstick/gold ring debate, but my ring reacts reversibly (I hope) with iodine containing hand scrub. The ring is normally bright, but after Povidone iodine hand scrub it goes a dull, brassy colour, that takes several hours to wear off or otherwise disappear. I use another hand scrub now, in case it erodes the ring!

John

Gold reactions (from webelements.com)

Quote:

Gold metal reacts with chlorine, Cl2, or bromine, Br2, to form the trihalides gold(III) chloride, AuCl3, or gold(III) bromide, AuBr3, respectively. On the other hand, gold metal reacts with iodine, I2, to form the monohalide gold(I) chloride, AuI.

Occassional exposure is probable not bad, but regular exposure could etch the gold surface.

JohnD · #5 (**permalink**) 25-October-2007, 11:20 PM

I know that's only a mistype, but gold chloride, AuI???

Thanks, swift, I should have found that for myself. In fact since then, I have found:
"Povidone iodine surgical scrub can permanently discolour white gold jewellery. The jewellery should be removed before using the scrub."

Alwasy read the prescription instructions!

JOhn

01101001 · #6 (**permalink**) 25-October-2007, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnD

I know that's only a mistype, but gold chloride, AuI???

I had notified the author.

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