Can I eat my lipstick?
Log in to view the full article
Can I eat my lipstick?
This may seem like an absurd question, but the answer is that you actually do! Some sources suggest that women who use lipstick daily may well consume around 2 kg of lipstick in their lifetime.
Our skin’s ability to absorb what we apply to it is both good and potentially harmful: good, because it means that the skin can be nourished from the outside with wonderful ingredients, but if cosmetics contain unsafe ingredients, this will be harmful.
As we have become much more aware about our environment, companies are increasingly promoting and labeling cosmetics with botanical and organic ingredients.
Botanical vs. Organic
There is a difference between botanical and organic cosmetics.
A botanical product will usually contain plant-based ingredients like herb oils, etc., but it may have been exposed to problematic components during manufacturing.
An organic product, on the other hand, should not contain or include at any point during its manufacturing process: pesticides, artificial fertilizers or synthetic chemicals. The entire manufacturing process of organic cosmetics is important, from how the plant materials and other ingredients are grown, harvested, stored, transported and eventually processed and packaged.
I believe that a product is only good enough to apply to the skin when it is good enough to eat.
Fragrances and Dyes
Fragrances and colorants are primary ingredients in cosmetics, arguably the reason why the products are created in the first place. Perfumes in particular have ancient origins, blended using the oils and essences of flowers, plants, tree resins and spices.
Naturally derived fragrances and colorants were replaced in the 19th century with synthetic counterparts, mainly for economic reasons. In this form, unfortunately, a number of concerns arise.
Mostly, personal care products only list “fragrance” on the ingredient list and not the myriad of ingredients that make up the scent, many of which can be irritating to the skin.
Similarly, artificial colors and dyes are generally created from petroleum byproducts or coal tar. In skin care, these can cause allergic reactions, skin sensitization and eye irritation in some people.
Preservatives
Synthetic skin care is routinely formulated to have a shelf life in excess of three years. This is largely a function of lengthy distribution channels and market behavior necessitating long turnaround times.
As such, these products often contain large amounts of preservatives to prevent spoilage. They fall in a group of usually four synthetic parabens, which may cause allergic reactions and dermatitis.
I preder natural preservatives, such as tea tree essential oil or grapefruit seed extract.
Emollients and Humectants
Emollients prevent dryness by acting as a barrier and healing agent, while humectants attract and retain water to keep the skin moist.
Emollients are used as moisturizing agents and to protect and rehydrate dry skin. Synthetic emollients are occlusive, coating the skin and preventing respiration (much like plastic wrap). Apart from potentially causing allergies, many are also not biodegradable.
Natural emollients nourish the skin and are of edible quality.
Meanwhile, many humectants are sourced from animals, such as collagen and lanolin. They are not necessarily harmless, because the animal may have been exposed to pesticides, so the product derived from it may then contain trace amounts.
Chemical and synthetic humectants also often form a suffocating film on the skin to prevent moisture loss, whereas a natural ingredient like honey or aloe vera gel attracts water from the surrounding air and holds it where it is needed.
Guidelines for Spas
Spas are increasingly relying on third party certification for natural, organic and sustainable products. Regrettably, there is no single universally accepted set of guidelines for labeling cosmetics as natural, organic or sustainable; the terms “certified organic” and “certified natural” are governed by a number of certification bodies.
Selecting skin care products with the logo of a certifying body on the label is really the only way of being guaranteed integrity and authenticity in every ingredient.
Bon appétit!
