Why Lipstick Is So Toxic For You

Since the 1920s, lipstick has been one of those beauty staples that women around the world wear every day. This makes your favorite lip shade one of the most dangerous makeup items you use. It’s the thing you’re constantly reapplying thought the day, and we’ve all heard that old wive’s tale: we eat 7 pounds of it in our lifetime.

Okay, so we definitely don’t eat that much lipstick. But it’s still a decent amount that we’re swallowing almost every day. Today, we’re explaining what chemicals in lipstick are actually the worst ones, and the natural alternatives you can find in clean beauty brands’ options.

Methylparaben

We’ve spoken about parabens before, and it probably sounds like a broken record, but it’s just the truth: it’s in almost every cosmetic product on the market as an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, and it’s really bad for you. It’s an endocrine disruptor, which means it messes with your hormones, and parabens are really strong ones. it hasn’t been linked to cancer, and it seems that less than 1% actually accumulates within the body. But excess exposure to methylparabens are not good for the female system.

Lead

Yeah, we thought that this was an urban myth too until we came across this study that showed that 33 popular lipstick brands had their products tested for lead, and 61% were laden with it, including Covergirl, Revlon and even Dior. The main problem with lead is that it’s able to permeate the uterine lining of pregnant women and can affect the fetus inside. It has also been linked to problems with fertility within women and frequent miscarriages. Obviously, this amount of lead poisoning requires exposure to mass amounts of lead, however lead does build up in the body over time, and mixed with other everyday items, could add up to a high exposure level.

Mineral Oil

This is a product that everyone says not to include in cosmetics- but there isn’t so much information as to why. It seems that like lead, it’s another chemical that the body has a hard time breaking down and therefore builds up over time. In a study done with two new mothers, one who had frequently absorbed mineral oils through makeup was found to have mineral oil in her breast milk, showing that it does absorb at a high rate through the skin.

So what lipstick ingredients are useful and good for you?

Some of our favorite lipsticks here are not only effective and great, they also have good-for-you ingredients that won’t harm you. Our current favorite formula, Ilia’s High Impact Color Lipsticks, contain Apricot Oil that gives a soft and hydrating finish that also boosts elasticity and helps lips appears full and soft. Elderberry Extract is a great alternative to antibacterial parabens, and is one of the ingredients in the Axiology lipsticks. Elderberry Extract will keep your cosmetics from turning or growing any fungus of bacteria when not being used without inserting a harmful ingredient into your body. Anise Star Oil is also a great addition to traditionally drying products like a lip gloss. Natural lip glosses often contain this oil as a way to keep a hydrating texture and to prevent the gloss from sinking into the lips.

Cover Photo by Nicole Franzen