Kissable Lips - Is your lipstick friend or foe?
by Debra Myers
Since the days of Cleopatra, women have been putting stains, waxes, glosses and lipsticks on their lips. In our quest to accentuate our natural beauty and gain the attraction of the male species, women have been looking at ways to draw attention to their lips. Whether your lips are full, flat, chapped, moist, tender, sensitive or just plain Jane, you’ll want to read on and see if indeed what we put our lips is friend or foe.
Did you know a large portion of what we put on our lips actually is ingested? It’s true. According to industry experts the average woman actually consumes about 4 pounds of lipstick during their lifetime. We lick our lips, and when we do, small amounts of glosses, etc. get onto our tongue and then into our digestive system. It’s kind of weird when you think about it. Imagine that on a daily basis you are ingesting petroleum products and other potentially hazardous chemicals. The point is we usually don’t think about it. It’s ok to admit, as I will right now, I think more about my morning latte than my lipstick. No more! From this moment on I want all of us to think more about what we are putting on our lips, so I’ve made this small cheat sheet for all of us to use.
Ask yourself this question — Can I even remotely understand one or more of the ingredients on the package? If the answer is no, then move on. There are many alternatives out there, but you have to look.
Here is my short list:
- Avoid fragrance: most are synthetic and provide no benefit to the lips.
- Avoid Parabens: these are synthetic preservatives that many believe may raise breast cancer risks.
- Avoid Petrolatum or Mineral Oil: these actually dry out the lips, requiring you to apply even more. Look for plant wax or beeswax based lip treatments, glosses and lipsticks.
If you feel you can’t live without your Chanel or L’Oreal, fear not. Simply put a protective layer of the good stuff on first or mix a small amount with a healthier alternative. For some the thought of giving up their favorite lipstick is a fate worse than they can bear. I realize that it’s just like trying to eat organic or healthy foods all the time, it’s hard sometimes to bypass the donut table. Lipstick is the donut table! Once in a while, splurge but try to stay on track with the healthy alternatives.
Here are a couple brands that are worth a look and are excellent healthy alternatives to the mainstream brands. Dr. Haushca, Gabriel, Burt’s Bee’s (not vegan), Deep Steep Moisture Stick (awesome shine) and Mychelle Love Your Lips. Lipstick can be your friend or your foe, the choice is truly yours. To research the ingredients of your favorite brands simply go to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.