Ditch Your Lipstick & Lip Gloss

Woohoo!!! You did it. You stuck it out and finished my Ditch It Challenge. Butttt… you know I’m an overachiever (just sometimes). So I have a bonus day for you! The final items to ditch: Ditch Your Lipstick and/or Lip Gloss. (This is the end of this challenge, I swear).

Detox Your Life: Ditch Your Make-Up Bonus day

What a great way to accentuate a feature: lipstick and/or lip gloss.

Juicy, colorful, deliciously flavored lips…

But what’s really in your lipstick and/or lip gloss? Do the contain safe ingredients? Or harmful ones?

Find out more now.

Why You Should Ditch Your Lipstick & Lip Gloss

Here are 4 common ingredients in most major name brand lipsticks and lip glosses, why they are used, and how they are detrimental to your health.

Please note that each brand of lipstick and lip gloss has different formulations.

Not all of these ingredients are found in every lipstick and/or lip gloss.

Additionally, there are other questionable ingredients in lipsticks and lip glosses.

In an effort to spare my sanity and not inundate you with TOO much information, I decided to pull out 5 of the most commonly found ingredients and explain those.

Please feel free to do additional research on the other ingredients in your products.

Fragrance

If you joined me on my last Ditch It Challenge, you’ll know how much I talked about fragrances (in scented candles, air fresheners, deodorants, skin and hair products, etc.) and how dangerous they are in our homes and on our bodies.
Fragrance is allergenic for most people.
Additionally, it’s an irritant for lungs, skin, and eyes and can cause respiratory distress.
Most often, fragrance is an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients that manufacturers do not need to disclose.
Fragrances may cause organ system toxicity and even cancer.

Cyclopentasiloxane

Cyclopentasiloxane is another silicone-based compound and used as a hair conditioning and skin conditioning agent.
Some health issues this compound may cause is endocrine disruption, organ toxicity, and bio-accumulation (when an ingredient builds up in the body or environment, which negativity impacts our bodies and environments).

Dimethicone

Dimethicone is a silicon based polymer and is used as a moisturizing ingredient in cosmetics, skin care, and/or hair care.
It is known to be toxic to our bodies and to the environment.

Propylparaben*

Propylparaben is commonly used as a preservative and as a fragrance ingredient.
It’s considered harmful because people can be allergic to it (which can cause skin and respiratory issues).
Science has also found that propylparaben is a possible “endocrine disruptor.”
Endocrine disruptors mess with the bodies hormones and can potentially cause a slew of health effects like birth defects, cancer, and even developmental defects.

*All parabens (propylparaben, methylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, etc.) are frequently used in cosmetics and deodorants because they are anti-fungal and anti-microbial. This is great for killing fungus, yeast, and germs, but the health consequences are far too great.

What to Use Instead

There are safer alternatives than those major name brands we are all accustomed to.

Check out:

Rejuva Minerals Pur’ Lips Moisturizing Lipstick
Tropic Lip Glaze
Burt’s Bees Glossy Lipstick
100% Pure Cocoa Butter Matte Lipstick
Burt’s Bees Lip Gloss

Extra Challenge

Make your own!

Here is a simple recipe:

2 tbsp beeswax pellets
2 tbsp organic jojoba oil
2 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 tbsp organic olive oil
10 drops essential oils (optional)
hibiscus flower powder (optional)

In a double boiler over low heat, melt and mix the beeswax, jojoba oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. Once melted, remove from heat. Add any essential oils and/or hibiscus flower powder (for a pink colorant… start with 1/4 tsp. Add more if you like a more pigmented shade. Make sure to mix very, very well). While still liquid, pour slowly into a lip gloss container. Allow to cool and solidify.

**The information on the ingredients in this blog post come largely from the Think Dirty App. If you don’t already have the Think Dirty App (where I check the safety of all my products), you really need to.

Please know that the products I recommend at rated at a 0/10 in terms of toxicity. They are as safe as they can ever be. To me, if it’s not a zero, it’s a definite no-go.

If you want to check out my last challenge, you can find the links here.

Ditching:

Plastic Cooking Utensils

Dryer Sheets

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