pucker up :: Healthy Lifestyles and Natural Weight Loss Information

Pucker Up
by author Cindy Mortimer

Beauty-essential lipsticks contain five types of ingredients: emollients that prevent moisture loss and soften the lips; pigments; preservatives; antiseptics; and emulsifiers that hold these other ingredients together.

But these ingredients vary from healthy to toxic depending on the quality of the product.

Be wary of preservatives, emollients, solvents, and pigments in drugstore lipsticks. Some may cause irritation for women with sensitive skin. Others can cause a phototoxic reaction, leading to ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity and intense sunburns. Many colouring agents and preservatives are known to be carcinogenic.

Instead, reach for natural lipsticks, which contain herbal antiseptics, vitamin-rich preservatives, seed-based oils, and tantalizing nontoxic colours. Why would you choose anything else?

Natural Lipsticks

Cosmetic use	Natural ingredients	Benefits
antiseptics	cinnamon goldenseal lavender rosemary leaf sesame oil shea butter	antibacterial, aromatic, flavourful prevents contamination anti-inflammatory, fragrant antioxidant, stabilizing curative, moisturizing prevents chapped lips
preservatives	vitamin E	antioxidant; best in combination with other antioxidants such as vitamin C and green tea
pigments	carmine (derived from dried red cochineal beetles) minerals, including iron oxide, ultramarine blue, manganese violet	gives a rich red colour anti-inflammatory; mineral flecks diffuse light and smooth fine lines
emollients	carnauba wax castor oil cocoa butter coconut oil beeswax	moisturizing; from Brazilian wax palm trees keeps lips supple lubricating soothing used as a thickening agent

Drugstore Lipsticks

Cosmetic use	Harmful ingredients	Negative effects
preservatives	parabens, including methylparaben and propylparaben	linked to breast cancer
pigments	bromo acid lake dyes, including red no. 21, red no. 27, orange no. 17	causes dermatitis contain coal tar; common allergens; carcinogenic
emollients	hydrocarbons mineral oil petrolatum	pollutants; detrimental to marine life phototoxic contains impurities that may contribute to acne, cancer, and other significant health problems
solvents	glycols, including propylene glycol	skin irritant; inhibits skin cell regeneration

Research Your Lipstick?

Find out if your favourite lipstick contains harmful chemicals. Search product names in the Skin Deep database on the Environmental Working Group website at ewg.org/reports/skindeep2.

Cindy Mortimer prefers to use lipsticks from the natural health stores in her Toronto neighbourhood.

Source: alive #301, November 2007

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