The Effects of ChapSticks, Lipsticks, Lip Gloss, and Lip Balms on our overall Health + Wellness.
After years of extensive research on what happens to our physiological bodies when we apply skincare, I have discovered something extremely critical to our health. What we apply onto our Lips is perhaps the most important of all things applied onto our bodies. In fact, AMERICANS SPEND $200 MILLION/YEAR ON LIP BALM EVERY YEAR, AND nearly 66% of the population uses lip balm or ChapStick every day.
If you are anything like me and my family, chapped lips are a big thing for us all winter long. Our lips are extremely delicate, and who doesn’t like to have moisturized and hydrated lips? With their incredibly thin skin and lack of stratum corneum (the outermost layer that protects our epidermis), the lips are more susceptible to damage from the harmful elements than any other part of our body.
While so many of us have been transitioning into organic foods and skin care products, we’ve totally left our lips in the dust. But are we aware of what ingredients are making these lip balms and ChapSticks? The danger is that we keep applying them throughout the day, multiple times a day.
The truth is, layering waxy substances on your lips creates a moisture barrier. Although they may feel soft and moisturized, you’re in fact preventing your body’s natural process of shedding dead skin and creating new, healthy cells. Then, when your lip balm or ChapStick wears off, your lips feel dry, and you apply more. This essentially stops your lips from regenerating new skin.
You need to let those lips breathe!
A lot of the most common ingredients found in lip balms not only leave our lips drier but can also affect our hormones, irritate our skin, and in extreme cases, cause cancer. While that seems frightening, have no fear. Below I have listed some of these harmful ingredients to avoid and look out for.
Our lips are the window to our blood cells, gut cells and essentially everything that we apply to our lips affects our mouth bacteria, our gut flora, and our entire health and wellness of our bodies. Over 6 billion, including 700 different species, reside inside your mouth. Some promote health, others provoke disease.
Anything we apply onto our lips gets absorbed onto the skin of the lips and immediately some elements of the product ingredients enter into our mouth as well. So, if pathogens overgrow in your mouth, they can transfer to your blood vessels and then onto distant parts of your body. What happens in the long term is that we can reduce the number of these good bacteria in our mouth and in our gut simply by having chemical ingredients that exist in our lip products alone. When the gut microbiome is compromised, our health can slowly deteriorate and their absence allows the bad bacteria to take over. Using toxic products causes free radical induced damage, which occurs when balance between their production and the availability of antioxidants is disrupted. This ends up oxidizing our DNA and the proteins of healthy cells, causing oxidative stress and damage.
Seeb Organics Saffron Salve 1 Oz.
Our mini–Saffron Salve has been a favorite for many for their dry lips. I absolutely love this product for myself and my family as it is a safe product that I make with our raw honey, Ghanaian shea butter, Moroccan Argan oil and Persian Saffron.
**Raw honey contains minerals, vitamins, and amino acids that are infamous for their hydrating capabilities. Its antioxidants repair the dead or cracked skin on your lips and protect them from environmental damage.
**Shea butter is full of fatty acids that hydrate and nourish lips while also soothing irritation. Not only does it moisturize, but shea butter is also known for the way it heals wounds with its phytosterols.
**Argan oil is easily absorbed by the skin, is full of essential fatty acids, and contains natural antioxidants, which allow for deeper moisturizing while protecting your skin from environmental stressors.
**Persian Saffron Aids in the Healing of Wounds and the Reduction of Scars. With its abundant antioxidants, it helps against any inflammation and not to mention it Provides Protection from Harmful UV Rays. In ancient Persia it was considered nature's anti-aging beauty regimen.
This Valentine’s we are offering a bundle of 3 mini salves for only $35.00. This is a great and safe gift to your loved ones. It can be used for dry lips, hands, babies, and body.
Ingredients to Avoid
1.Parabens (Methylparaben, Butylparaben)
Parabens such as methylparaben and butylparaben have a weak ability to mimic estrogen, and though it is not confirmed, there may be a link between the rising number of breast cancer cases with the increase of parabens used in beauty products.
2. Synthetic Colors and Dyes (FD&C Blue 1, Green 3, Yellow 5 and 6, Red 33)
Synthetic colors include things such as coal tar and heavy metal salts that leave toxins on your skin. Not only can this cause skin sensitivity and irritation
3. Fragrance and Flavor
Fragrances and flavors are the “hidden chemicals” of chapstick ingredients. The problem is that the FDA federal law allows manufacturers to include nearly any ingredient in their products under the name “fragrance” without actually listing the product used.
4. Chemical Sunscreens (Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Padimate O)
A common chemical in sunscreen called oxybenzone is considered an endocrine disruptor and is associated with endometriosis in women.
5. Humectants (Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin)
“Lip balms with humectants such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin make lips worse,” says dermatologist Leslie Baumann, M.D. “These ingredients pull moisture out of the skin, especially in a dry environment, and then the water evaporates away.”
This ultra hydrating salve is soothing + calming for dry, sensitive and cracked skin.
It is a safe + great salve for babies and children’s skin. Saffron used by royals in Ancient Persia will brighten and improve blood flow to the skin. It is designed to seep into your pores while coating the outside of your skin, in order to keep nutrients in and damage out.
The hydrating salve is made from whole, all natural Earth-based ingredients. It is made with organic beeswax and raw honey from our own beekeeping practices.