Forget lippy: exercise and eat greens, says Anderton

By RUTH BERRY

Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton stands accused of patronising women after suggesting lipstick is aesthetically distasteful and they have no need of so-called beauty products.

Several other male MPs have also been accused of being inappropriately lippy over women's health issues by Green MP Sue Kedgley, after a debate in Parliament yesterday over her call for cosmetics to be labelled and registered.

Ms Kedgley called for the new regime in the wake of concerns raised overseas about the chemical make-up of some cosmetic products and hair dyes.

A Green Party survey of 120 commonly available cosmetics had revealed the presence of parabens in 81 per cent of them. Parabens have been linked in overseas studies to breast cancer in women, she said.

Mr Anderton told Parliament that the Government had no plans to introduce a regime as legislation was already in place ensuring the safety of cosmetic ingredients.

His advice "to those who want to have a good complexion is that they do not need either unregulated herbal remedy potions or so-called beauty products. They should just not take drugs, do regular exercise and eat their greens".

Asked about the risks associated with lipstick compared with dietary supplements, he said: "I am advised that clinical experts are not aware of any reported ill-effects, other than aesthetic, from using lipstick."