Is Your Lipstick Safe Enough To Lick Your Lips?

Photo by  Nesster

     I don't know about you, but I used to have more lipsticks than any other piece of makeup.  I had just about every color too for going with different outfits and looks.  It was also an inexpensive way to get your retail fix since there was always something new.  One thing I didn't do was check the ingredients.  I didn't even think about whether it was safe or not.  I just trusted that if it was being sold that it must be safe.  Boy was I fooled and too trusting. 



Photo by Shawn Rossi



I've since realized that if a truck spilled it's contents of lipstick the haz mat team would have to be called in.  Kind of like when you hear of a train crashing that was full of some food item and they have to evacuate half the town because of poisonous fumes.






Here is what you would see in a 2006 Formulation of a Revlon Lipstick.  As seen on the EWG sight Skin Deep.  It has a rating of 9.  Scary isn't it?

ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: PADIMATE 0. INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: LANOLIN OIL, CASTOR OIL, CETYL ACETATE, OCTYL HYDROSTEARATE, CANDELILLA WAX, OCTYL PALMITATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL RICINOLEATE, CERESIN, PARAFFIN, ACETYLATED LANOLIN ALCOHOL, CARNAUBA, PVP/HEXADECANE COPOLYMER, VITAMIN E ACETATE, ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, ROSE HIPS SEED OIL, FRAGRANCE, METHYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, BHA. MAY CONTAIN: MICA, IRON OXIDE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE, D&C ORANGE NO. 5, D&C RED NO. 21 ZIRCONIUM LAKE, FD&C YELLOW NO. 6 ALUMINUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 27, D&C RED NO. 27 ALUMINUM LAKE, FD&C YELLOW NO. 5 ALUMINUM LAKE, FD&C BLUE NO. 1 ALUMINUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 6 BARIUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 21, D&C RED NO. 6 CALCIUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 7 CALCIUM LAKE, D&C RED NO. 33 ALUMINUM LAKE, D&C ORANGE NO. 5 ZIRCONIUM LAKE, BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE.

Here is an updated version of the same brand, different color with a rating of 2

Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Ozokerite, Polybutene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C10 30 Cholesterol/Lanesterol Esters, Bis Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate 2, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Paraffin, Cera Microcristallina (Microcrystalline Wax), Synthetic Wax, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Serica Poudre de Soie (Silk Powder), Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, 1, 2 Hexanediol, Mica, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Red 27 Lake (CI 45410), Red 33 Lake (CI 17200), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 15850), Carmine (CI 75470)

Now I have to tell you, even though the second lipstick is safer, I somehow look at these ingredients and have a really hard time believing that.  Let's now find one that we will feel better about putting on our lips. 




Photo by  violet monde

 
Now here's the ingredients of a popular organic brand of lipstick:

Complete Ingredient List: simmondsia chinensis (organic jojoba) seed oil*, barbadensis (organic aloe) leaf gel*, prunus armeniaca (apricot) kernel*, cera alba (organic beeswax)*, candilla wax (wildcrafted), tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), vitis vinifera (organic grape seed) extract*, punica granatum (organic pomegranate seed) extract*; May contain [+/-] iron oxide (77491, 77492, 77492, 77499), mica, titanium dioxide (77891)
*certified organic


     Quite a difference isn't there?  On the other hand, after I saw the price I guess that cancels out any inexpensive retail therapy.  But then again, having been trying to simplify my life, not spend or buy anything more than what's really needed then perhaps it's not too bad of a price.  I shop around a lot until I find what I need, with the right ingredients, and a price that won't break the bank.   

     I hope I've given you something to think about.  There seems to be a large variety of products for your lips that is effective and safe.  Even if your little one does get into your makeup, it might be ruined, but you won't worry about calling poison control.    

Links of Interest:

organiclipstick101.blogspot--Ten Reasons To Use Organic Lipstick

ecolips.com/store-One of my favorites, including some for kids, all safe. 

albabotanica.com-I got mine on sale at Walgreens, can be found in most stores.

badgerbalm-I've really liked every badger balm product I've tried so far.  I look for them on sale.  We use the sunscreen and it's great, safe for little ones.  Their lip products have great ingredients.

100percentpure-I know I've put this fruit makeup link already, but I keep ending up at their site, so I've joined their mailing list, hopefully they will have some specials coming up. 

This next link is the FDA.Gov web page, straight from the "horses" mouth so to speak.  Yeah, it's boring stuff, but after looking at Snopes, and the metal ring myths to tell if there is lead in lipstick, why not look here.  They only govern the colorings in makeup, and it looks like there is an allowable limit of lead.  Even if it's okay and allowed now, what about down the line, or the kids.  With so many great products, there is no reason for this.

http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm137224.htm

Let's Not Forget Forget Eye Shadows, Liners, and Brows

By Newtown grafitti

     The next thing I needed to consider was eye shadow, eye liner or pencil and a brow pencil.
I don't mean the color, although that for me has got to be the worst part since I'm not really into wearing eye shadow too often like I used to.  Plus there are so many colors to choose from.  In fact, sometimes it's fun to look at old pictures and you can predict the year it is by the color of everyones eye shadow.  Not to mention clothing and hair styles.

       The first website I found was myearthnaturalcosmetics.  While the makeup looks like it has great ingredients I just couldn't force myself to pay $22, plus shipping from Australia.  That's just for an eyebrow pencil.  Now if I go back to some of the other websites that I do like, they do have eyebrow powder.  I've never tried that and it does seem like something worth trying.  My eyebrows are a bit thin, and to add to the problem they get bleached out from the sun.  I never bothered with eyebrow makeup until just a couple years ago. 

     Next I found this, maiasminerals which has the pencil for $18, but I couldn't find an up front cost on shipping.  I am really fussy about a retailer/store stating everything up front.  Plus, if it's my first time to use a website I always make sure to get reviews, not just on the product, but on the customer service. 
earthsbeauty has pencil for $10.50 with great ingredients. 

   Any of the places that carry mineral makeup will almost always carry the eye shadows also.  The pencil was the most difficult to track down, then also have decent colors and prices.  I'll probably have to use one of the special sites such as earths beauty to get a good pencil, otherwise I'll have to settle for an eyeliner pencil that will work for brows.  It did appear that quite a few of the sites that had the organic eyebrow pencils were based in the UK.  Come on America, get with it. 
   I never did find a perfect ingredient eye pencil/brow, liner or otherwise.  I still would use that over an ordinary makeup from the local drugstore just based on a comparison of ingredients. 
  
     Until then, I will continue my search for organic/natural ingredient eye products.
  

Links:
etsy- this is a cool place to look for most anything, great for looking for gifts

My Delight Online-  carries a variety of makeup, and it lists the ingredients.  Prices are about average to high depending on what you want to spend.  The pencil, $10.

amazon.com-Organic MakeUp-  I would have expected amazon to have a bit more to choose from

Finding A Healthy Foundation-What Do You Put On Your Face?



Photo by PinkMoose-Andy Easton


       Deciding to tackle the issue of foundation, right away I found on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep database a lot of mistakes.  The first foundation shown did not have the complete list of ingredients so based on that they rated it safe.  Upon further research, and the comments, it showed that it in fact was not something that I would even consider with ingredients like talc, squalane, and parabens and tons more.  Which of course goes with what I've already mentioned, we can't trust everything without checking it out. 
  


Photo by Jorge Weingrill


I scrolled through many different foundations, at this point looking at liquid and mineral just to see what was available.  There seems to be a lot more choices than mascara which could be good and bad.  Good because it's more likely I will find more suitable choices, bad because it could take longer filtering through all those choices.

I found many mineral makeups, some certified organic.  None of it has to be 100% organic to claim they are organic.  Mineral makeup really only needs a couple of ingredients, usually titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and iron oxides which being minerals I'm not sure if they can be considered organic.  It causes me to wonder if they add some essential oils, some fruits and herbs that are organic so then they can say that their makeup is organic.  That's fine if they want to add fruits and herbs, except it seems to tack on an extremely high price to the makeup. 

   I looked up the makeup I have now which is Everyday Minerals and it was rated a 1 to 2, also the physicians formula organic liquid makeup was rated a 1-2.  I'll have to say I'm quite impressed with an easy to get large corporation makeup having such a good rating.  I've also used their tinted moisturizer in the past and thought it was fine.  I would not recommend it if you have oily skin, since it did seem to make mine look oily. 

  I do recommend using as natural of a product as possible since your skin being your largest organ does absorb these chemicals.  Even if you think that it isn't all that much, if you combined it with all the other things you are exposed to through the course of a day, week, or month it can have an accumulative effect on you. 

   With so many good products on the market now for healthy foundation, this is one easy way to have one less chemical in your body.

  

   Links:

tkbtrading.- sells ingredients to make your own makeup

rejuvaminerals-organic makeup with a price tag to match

suncatnaturalmineralmakeup-minimal amount of ingredients/middle price range

everydayminerals- the one I am currently using, they have good specials so I wait for them