“Lead is a neurotoxin and can damage the nervous system. But the quantity of lead in lipsticks is less than the normal range that can harm you.” Matte lipsticks often turn the lips dry as they soak in all the moisture.
Many lipsticks contain lead, which is extremely harmful and causes irreversible health damage. They cause allergy, irritation, and chapping on the lips and the surrounding skin. Certain harmful chemicals and heavy metals can also cause cancer.
Recently, however, research performed by scientists working for Berkeley's School of Public Health at the University of California discovered that today's lip glosses and lipsticks may contain potentially harmful levels of chromium, lead, aluminum, cadmium as well as several other metals toxic to the human body.
The reason? Some products contain harsh ingredients that zap lips of their moisture and irritate the surrounding skin. Continued use of these formulas can cause lips to swell or even crack and bleed.
While the formulation of this product does contain moisturizing ingredients, it also contains ingredients that are known to potentially trigger allergic contact dermatitis of the lips, including flavors and lanolin.
Allergic contact cheilitis usually presents as eczema-like changes on the vermilion margin or skin around the mouth. One or both lips may be red with dryness, scaling and cracking. The changes may be quite localised or affect the whole lip. Involvement of the angles of the mouth may also be seen (angular-cheilitis).
“Women who wear lipsticks daily, retouch it more than 10 times a day, should be very careful. Some amount of those harmful metals does get absorbed over a period of time and leads to lead accumulation in the system. Even small amounts going in for a long period of time can be a cause for concern.”
Yes you can use lipsticks daily, if you take care of them properly. I would suggest you to wear lip balm before and after wearing lipstick.
And lead isn't the only toxic metal you may be applying to your lips. In a recent study, University of California researchers tested eight lipsticks and 24 lip glosses and detected nine toxic heavy metals, including chromium, cadmium, manganese, aluminum and lead.
When to toss
Lipstick doesn't hold much bacteria, so it can last between 12 – 18 months. Although lipstick and gloss are packed with preservatives such as parabens, essential oils and vitamins to ward off germs, these naturally start to break down after a year.
Even when you're using lip color products that aim to minimize skin damage, it's still a good idea to coat your lips with a primer to stop them from getting dried out before you put on lipstick. Use a cotton swab or lip brush to prime lips with coconut oil or almond oil.
In 2012 the FDA conducted a study on 400 different types of lipstick and found that 61% of them contained a dangerous level of lead and other toxic heavy metals. L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Cover Girl, Avon, NARS and Mac were the worst of culprits. Even a shade from Burt's Bees made the top 20 list.
"Lipsticks and lip glosses often have levels of toxic metals which approach or exceed acceptable daily doses based on public health guidelines," said researcher Katharine Hammond, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.
Often a barrier of makeup increases oil production, so not wearing makeup can decrease oiliness, clogged pores and pimples." Another benefit can be on skin ailments makeup can exacerbate, like rosacea —You'll definitely see an improvement if there were any ingredients in the makeup that were irritating the skin.
Going sans makeup, however, would mean your pores are no longer occluded, or blocked. "Occluding the skin can cause pimples, whiteheads, or blackheads. It can also cause skin to look dull — especially if a heavy amount of makeup is applied and not removed," dermatologist Papri Sarkar told Allure.
Joel Schlessinger, Nebraska-based, board-certified dermatologist and RealSelf contributor, echoes Enriquez. He says, "As long as you choose high-quality makeup that is designed for your skin type, there is nothing wrong with applying makeup every day." In fact it could even improve your skin's health.
Lip dermatitis, or eczematous cheilitis, is a type of eczema, a skin condition that can cause severe flare-ups on your skin. The cause of eczema is often unknown, but it may be linked to an allergy or an irritant, like frequently licking your lips. Genetics may also play a role in developing lip dermatitis.
Lipsticks and lip care products are the commonest cause of allergic contact cheilitis in women. And as the majority of patients presenting with cheilitis are women, this makes these products the most common overall source of allergens.
Infection, persistent lip licking, or exposure to an irritant or allergen can cause cheilitis. People may also use the term “lipstick cheilitis” to refer to ACC. This is because several ingredients in lipsticks may act as an irritant or allergen.
Sharing these products increases your risk for contracting cold sores, which are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). Dr. Davis says people can carry the herpes virus in their mouth without developing active sores. They can spread the virus to other people when they share lip balm, lipstick or a drink.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using white petroleum jelly throughout the day and before bed to moisturize and sooth dry, cracked lips. Petroleum jelly seals in water longer than oils and waxes. It's also inexpensive and easy to find online and in drugstores.
Dry lips do not cause lip swelling. A more common cause of lip swelling is allergic swelling. Often, this may be caused by contact with an irritant.