Kiss Toxins Goodbye

"...if you wear lipstick every day, over your lifetime, you'll actually eat over five pounds of lipstick off your mouth."

Most lipstick contains a remarkable number of ingredients, including chemicals that can be harmful to our health.
Possible - not to mention unpronounceable! - human carcinogens: butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), polyethylene glycol (PEG), dimethicone, petroleum waxes and a slew of artificial colours and fragrances may be found in lipsticks.
Although lead is banned in Canadian cosmetics, they may unintentionally contain trace levels of lead (there are no set maximums for the amount of "trace lead"). E-mails on "lead in lipsticks" have circulated - check out these two links and you decide - Ask EWG: Lead in Lipsticks and Canadian Cancer Society – Lead in Lipsticks.
And, we love this one, lipsticks may also contain fragrance and flavours to mask the chemicals, because really who wants to taste toxins?

Go "au naturel" you ask? Don't panic - you can find lots of kissable alternatives!
Each time you need a new tube - replace with a brand that uses less toxic ingredients than your current brand.
Products that contain beeswax, antioxidant vitamins and plant oils (i.e. jojoba oil) will actually make your lips healthier! Plus, they taste better!
Want to know more? Take a look at the Skin Deep website by the Environmental Working Group. Use the "Custom Shopping List" feature to check your current lipstick brand and find others that have fewer potential health issues.

While writing this article, Tamey got rid of five lipsticks... she may consider therapy! Thankful, she had a few great tubes of Lip Shimmer from Burt's Bees on hand.
Patti loves lipstick - likely because she still hears her mother saying "you need a little colour" but it's been hard to say goodbye to some old favourites in favour of lipsticks with less toxins.
It's taken some experimenting to find some new "stand-bys", but Patti has found that lipstick No. 17 from Lavera is close and comes in a fancy tube and TerraTints by Alba are inexpensive and great for keeping in all those accessible places - coat pockets, gym bag and desk drawer.
Be a Tipster - let us know what you use on your lips.