Are Lipsticks Edible?

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Are Lipsticks Edible?

Your makeup may not be complete without wearing lipstick that perfectly matches your looks, isn’t it? Millions of women around the world prefer wearing lipstick on a daily basis. Little do they know that they do ingest a bit of that cosmetic every day. So what happens if you eat lipstick? Is lipstick poisonous? Is it safe if you accidentally swallow some part of your worn lipstick?

Actually, studies show that lipsticks are not edible though they are made to be worn on your mouth. Anyways, if you happen to accidentally consume a small quantity of your worn lipstick then according to FDA it is not seen as much of a health risk. But yes, there are many harmful chemicals in a tube of lipstick but luckily they are considered to be safe alternatives so you don’t have to be worried.

Watch Out for the Dangerous Ingredient in Your Lipstick!

It is important to consider what you ingest while you wear lipstick because your lipstick can have dangerous ingredients included in its formula. Some of the lipstick wearers keep re-applying many a time in a day which makes it evident that they may be ingesting more of their lipstick on a daily basis. And even if you do not swallow, know that your lips tend to be very sensitive and absorbent and have thin skin & delicate mucous membranes underneath. So whatever you apply on your lips will end up in your system.

Do you know that some of the lipsticks may contain lead? Lead is said to be a metal that can cause learning and behavioral problems. Lead is a neurotoxin & even small doses can be dangerous.

Medical experts say that there is no such thing as a safe level of lead in the blood. And the FDA says that the lead levels found in lipstick are not even considered to be a safety issue. The lead never gets listed in the lipstick as an ingredient.

Maybe the quantity added is small but the presence of lead which is ingested & absorbed through the skin may raise concerns about the safety of lipsticks that are widely used by women.

Also, lead is not just the only toxic metal that you may be applying to your lips.

In a recent study, researchers found nine toxic heavy metals that include cadmium, chromium, manganese, lead, and aluminum. So are lipsticks harmful?

According to FDA, as lipsticks are intended for topical use with just limited absorption, only small quantities may be ingested. So they did not find the lead levels found in the lipstick to be a safety concern. Likewise, even the cosmetic industries do not see this as an issue nor consider the lipsticks to be harmful.

But FDA has also conveyed that they are evaluating the need to recommend the upper limit for the level of lead in lipsticks in order to protect the health & welfare of consumers.

It may be true that a single application of lipstick may not cause any potential harm. Also, the good news is to be noted that not all lipsticks may contain detectable levels of lead or any other heavy metals. Remember, the cost of the lipstick is not considered to be a factor because it is not the cost that is the determinant of how many levels of lead are to be added.

The problem is women apply lipstick multiple times a day and they do this for a whole lifetime and it simply implies that lead or any heavy metal can get accumulated in the body and may potentially affect the health.

Actually, none of the metals, except aluminum, are said to be deliberately added to lip glosses or lipsticks. These metals tend to be contaminants present in the base materials or pigments that are used to make lipstick. As these metals are not ingredients, they are not required to be listed on the product labels as ingredients.

So it becomes the responsibility of wearers to protect themselves from getting exposed to heavy metals present in the lipstick.

Some of the Tips for Lipstick wearers are as follows:

  • Consider cutting back on the number of times you apply a lipstick
  • Do not allow children to use lipstick as they may be vulnerable to such toxic metals
  • There are many tutorials on DIY organic natural lipsticks at home. You can try that as it may only include natural ingredients added by you.

Always be cautious about the cosmetic products that you use on your body. And especially, when it comes to lipstick, you have to be even more cautious about choosing the right one. As these are products that will be used on a daily basis, preferring the one with natural ingredients will definitely help.

FAQs

1. Is it safe to eat lipstick?

No, it is not safe to eat lipstick. It may contain ingredients that can cause harm to our bodies.

2. Are all lipstick edible?

No, none of the lipsticks are edible.

3. Are lipsticks poisonous?

Some of the lipsticks may contain toxic metals that may be harmful to our bodies.

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