Your Lip Gloss Ain’t Poppin’ Boo

“Lipsticks and lip glosses contain lead, cadmium, chromium, aluminum, and five other toxic metals, some are at levels that could raise potential health concerns.” – University of California Berkeley’s School of Health

Ladies, I know you have your new years resolutions like getting back into shape and goals like No Fuck Boys and saying “Bye” to all of the Felicias in your lives and that’s all awesome, but this is what you REALLY need to be saying Buh Bye to in 2016: Toxic Lip Products.

Lip Products, as in Lip Glosses, Lip Stains, Lip Sticks, Lip Balms, Lip Butters, Lip Liners, Lip Plumpers, Lip Primers, & Lip Scrubs.  All of these products are made to be used on the lips and once applied, can possibly be absorbed into your skin or digested.  Have you really given much thought into what you are possibly putting into your body during your daily beauty routine?  Just like you choose what foods you put into your body, you should start giving just as much thought to your Lip Products.  Are you saying that there are calories in Lip Products?!?!  Before you freak out, NO, no I’m not.  FUN FACT: “If a Chapstick tube was filled with butter, it’d contain 29 calories. Assuming all 4 grams can be used, you’ll get something like 547 applications. That’s 0.053 calories per swipe, assuming that you ingest everything that you applied”. – Snopes.com

So now that we got that issue out of the way, let’s focus on what you should be looking for in a good quality lip product that is also healthy for you too.  The key to this is reading the ingredients label. However, an ingredient’s source does not determine its safety. For example in Organic Products, many plants, whether or not they are organically grown, contain substances that may be toxic or allergenic to some consumers.  In other words, if you have food or drug allergies, know what ingredients to look out for in your products. Here is my list of ingredients to look for in a good quality lip product:

– Paraben free

– Sunscreen

– Vitamin E

– Coconut Oil

– Cinnamon

– Honey

– Sugar Cane

– Sea Salt

– Beeswax

While shopping, keep in mind that there are NO standards for metal content in cosmetics sold in the United States. Cadmium, chromium, and lead are considered unacceptable ingredients, at any level, in cosmetic products sold in Europe. Also, the ingredients are not always listed on the product so do your research before going out shopping for your perfect smooch combos.

Here are my Top 7 Picks for the BEST Lip Product Lines for 2016:

7. Burt’s Bees

6. Lotus

5. The Body Shop

4. Clinique

3. Tarte

2. Juice Beauty

1. Makeup By Mer