Through centuries, lipsticks have evolved from crushed plant powder to a chemically formulated toxic cosmetic. Even with new cosmetic innovations, there have been little to no regulations by the FDA on what can be used to make lipstick. This means that synthetic, toxic, and animal-derived ingredients have been freely tracing women’s lips for the last century. Lipstick is filled with tons of chemical ingredients that are toxic to our bodies, but most notably, they contain dense levels of strong pigmentation to give them their rich and vibrant color – and of course, that pigmentation is not coming from natural sources, but artificially crafted color. The fact is that a woman in her entire life is estimated that she will ingest 3 to 8 lbs of lipstick. This happens through licking lips, saliva, and can slip in while eating.
Most commonly used chemicals and toxics in Lipsticks are
Heavy Metals – Many popular conventional brands of lipstick contain very concerning levels of heavy metals. Numerous studies have linked ingestion of these industrial grade metals to organ toxicity, reproductive harm, and even cancer. Heavy metals will be listed as colorants beginning with “Ci”, “Red”, “Blue”, “Yellow”, “Violet” or “Green”. The heavy metals listed below were once in the average tube of lipstick
- Iron
- Nickel
- Lead
- Aluminum
- Manganese
- Cadmium
- Chromium
Chemical Pigments – Conventional Lipsticks have so many chemical pigments which are sourced from animal and insect guts. To avoid bug guts in your lipstick, look out for ingredients titled
- Carmine – a common red colorant found in many popular lipsticks. Its red pigment is sourced from the carcasses of the cochineal beetle.
- Cochineal/ Cochineal Extract
- Dactylopius Extract
- Ci 75470
- B Rose Liquid
- Crimson Lake
Animal Fats – The oily residue on your lips after using your lipstick is from rendered animal fat from carcasses of dead animals.
Here are the rendered animal fats to avoid as ingredients
- Hydrolyzed collagen
- Suet
- Caprylic Acid
- Lauric Acid
- Oleic Acid
Methylparabens and Propylparabens – Parabens are used as a preservative in many cosmetics which are banned all throughout EU which are proven to be toxic.
A true Natural Non-Toxic lipstick is one that is created from real fruits, plants, and herbal extracts. Instead of using artificial dyes to create a stunning array of lipstick colors, natural beauty products use organic fruit pigments from real berries, natural earth minerals to create delicious shades. Some of the best organic lipsticks are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, as well as skin nourishing butters and plant oils.
A common myth about natural lipstick is that you need to sacrifice color payoff, vibrancy, or staying power for safer ingredients which is not true as the evidence is in the pigments. Even the best natural and organic lipsticks still contain some form of preservatives. Some of the most common preservatives used in authentic natural lipsticks are vitamin E, beeswax, castor oil, radish root ferment, citric acid and other ingredients with natural antimicrobial properties. These preservatives help to extend the shelf life of your natural lipstick, but they can also help your skin by fighting acne-causing bacteria, reducing redness, and unclogging pores. The vibrant, stunning colors extracted from fruit are intensely pigmented.
Some of the natural products used to make lipsticks are
- Cocoa butter/ Shea butter – Plant based natural moisturizer to soften lips.
- Coconut oil – Natural moisturizer
- Jojoba seed & Rose hip oils – Natural moisturizers
- Pomegranate oil – packed with anti-aging antioxidants to keep lips looking graceful, plump, and glossy.
- Fruit extracts – Apricot, Pomegranate, Plums, Cherry, Berries, Grape, Mango seeds, Tomato and Peach.
- Vitamin E
So, by transitioning into a natural and organic lipstick, you are saving your lips from products which are bug-free, animal-free, and heavy metal-free. And of course your lips would naturally LOVE it.