Are There Any Downsides To Wearing Lipstick?

Lipstick is a crucial part of a makeup collection. A woman does not seem to go without lipstick because it is the key factor that pulls our look together. It has become a necessity for ladies to keep up with the beauty standards of today. Women and men enjoy wearing this product to look fresh and to brighten up their faces. Young girls start to wear makeup at a young age to achieve the pink blush like their favorite doll. However, as they get older, daily usage of lipsticks may make their lips darker. 

Do you know an average woman eats 4 to 6 pounds worth of lipstick? The lips are in direct contact with the saliva, leading to an increase in bacterial growth. The application of a product containing chemicals on our lips increases absorption. The reason being, water absorbs bacteria at a faster rate. Our body absorbs these dangerous ingredients that lead to many dangers to our health. Lipstick has hazardous chemicals like lead, magnesium, chromium, cadmium, and parabens. 

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1. Causes Brain Damage

Ingredients like lead and mercury are on the top of the list that causes harm to our precious brain. Lead is a neurotoxin. Our brain has a ton of calcium. Lead finds its way to the brain to disturb the storage and circulation of the cells packed with calcium. It is called Lead Poisoning!

Our body does get rid of it on its own. However, if your body is weak or your toxicity is high, you need to get hospitalized. The disturbance changes the behavioral patterns due to dead neurons. Our brain is undoubtedly the most crucial hub of our body. If something happens to it, either we get seriously damaged or die.

Signs of lead poisoning are fatigue, memory loss, difficulty in remembering, diarrhea, vomiting, and muscle weakness. Lead poisoning also leads to menstrual cycle delay in women. Darker shades like the beloved red lipstick contain more lead than lighter colors. 

2. Anemia

As mentioned before, lead usage in lipsticks causes many health issues. One of them is anemia, a disease that results in a decrease in hemoglobin. Lack of red blood cells makes it impossible for oxygen to reach the body’s tissues and organs. Anemia gives a yellowish tint to the skin. An anemic person feels like they are hungover all the time due to headaches, heartache, and dizziness.

3. Infertility

Lipstick indeed causes infertility. Copious amounts of lead in the lipsticks mess up the uterus. It can cause improper working of a women’s system. Pregnant women get advised that they should not wear lipsticks especially, the ones filled with chemicals. They are not only harmful to them but also their child. Chemicals available in lipstick enter the placenta and cause damages. It can cause severe harm to the baby’s brain and deformation. Lead poisoning will either cause extreme harm to your baby or lead to miscarriage. The death of an unborn is possible when the lead enters the placenta in immense amounts. Those pregnant women who cannot seem to live without lipsticks can go for natural products. 

4. Hyperpigmentation

Wearing your lipstick every day causes hyperpigmentation. It gradually darkens up our lips every day. Dark colors mainly stain or cause pigmentation on the skin. The pigmentation is not exclusively brown or black!

However, it can also be blue, purple, or even yellow. For many people, lipstick is the journey from getting that pink blush to hiding their dark lips. Lipsticks prevent oxygen from reaching the lips, making them darker.

5. Cancer

Magnesium makes our lipsticks glossy. Sounds fun, right? Chemicals like magnesium, chromium, and cadmium cause cancerous cells in our bodies. 

Daily use of lipstick filled with these chemicals can lead to stomach tumors. Parabens increase the chance of breast cancer in women. Lipstick is on the opening of your mouth, so it is assumed for you to swallow it. These chemicals get swollen and directed to our stomach. Our stomach suffers greatly, and these chemicals lead to stomach tumors.

6. Allergy

Many manufacturers use fragrances for a more pleasant response from the consumer. However, sometimes, these fragrances are way too strong. Fragrances in cosmetics or skin care are known to cause reactions in and on our bodies. Many people are also allergic to heavy fragments. Many consumers are allergic to various products in lipstick as well. Chemicals may also give you severe reactions like bleeding due to dry lips, swelling, pain, and cysts.

7. Matte Liquid Lipsticks

 Matte liquid lipsticks have gained immense popularity throughout the years. Heavily endorsed by our favorite celebrities, commercials, or magazines, matte lipsticks have made their way to our vanity. These lippies are long-lasting, give a velvety finish, and make our lips look spectacular. 

People love to wear these lipsticks for a night out or to work due to their long wear. But many do not know that the long-wearing aspect of their favorite product is the most dangerous. 

Matte liquid lipsticks get stuck to the skin of your lips and do not budge until you remove them. That means if you are planning to wear it for the whole day, you will be consuming it for the entire day as well. More consumption leads to increased chances of health problems.

8. Avoid Layering

When makeup fanatics pick up their lipsticks, they love to go at them. They go back and forth on their lips for whatever reason. These multiple backs and forth motions create a thick layer on top of your lips.

 It makes you more prone to take in that thick layer of lipstick in your stomach. Try to go with a single layer of the product. If you cannot seem to break that habit or you do that to get more definition as you go, apply your lipstick with a lip brush. This way, you will save not only yourself but also your product and money.

9. Cardiovascular Issues

Lipsticks that have triclosan in them can cause heart problems. Heart issues are one of the most common problems around the world. Due to the increment in harmful diets and hypertension, heart complications are one of the top causes of death. The popular preservative triclosan has added to the problem. 

Heart sensory weakens, resulting in the loss of ability to get signals from the brain. It aggravates hypertension, unstable heart rates, and infringements. The heart is also crucial and sensitive like the brain. 

Ways To Protect Your Lips

Now that you know how dangerous your lipstick can take precautionary measures to protect yourself by following these steps:

1. Create a Barrier

Prepare your lips first before applying your lipstick. If You want to make sure that your lips do not absorb your lipstick, build a barrier. This barrier will get made with the usage of a moisturizer. You can use chapstick or petroleum jelly. Scrub your lips before moisturizing to allow your lips to soak up the moisturizer. 

2. The Expensive Product Does Not Mean Safer

We think that the steeper the price tag, the more trustworthy the quality. However, it is not accurate!

 Many businesses price their products at a higher rate because of their well-known name or elaborate packaging. Your expensive lipstick is just the same or not worse than your cheaper purchase. You do not need to empty your bank account for the sake of an overpriced lipstick because it is healthier for your lips. 

The elements of the lipstick are the only thing you need to keep in mind.  Before making a purchase, analyze which constituents are dangerous and which are beneficial.  Read the ingredients list and pick the lipstick best for you. 

3. Consult With Your Dermatologist

If you require to or desire to wear lipstick regularly, have a sit down with your dermatologist. Ask them which lipstick is the most suitable for you and your lips. Get tips on how you can protect yourself while wearing them every day. Have a conversation on which lip brand, product, or variation of lipstick you should buy or avoid. If you own a lot of lipsticks already, you can take them to your doctor for ingredient evaluation or, you can drop them off at the laboratory to get tested for dangerous elements.

4. Sunscreen Based Products

Many doctors have revealed that elements of lipsticks attract the sun rays at their harsh components.  We all know sunscreen should get used every day to save our skin from pollution, cancer, hyperpigmentation, and sunburn.  Many dermatologists advise wearing it even if you are not going out and at night. The same goes for our lips. Our lips also need protection from the harsh sun. Apply sunscreen-based lip care products or lipsticks. 

Bottom Line

Lipstick has become a need for today’s society. Lipstick is worn by women daily and gets seen as a necessity. They must, however, be mindful of the downsides. Lipstick drawbacks are primarily related to lead poisoning that creates cardiovascular disorders, allergies, etc

You can reduce its impact by utilizing a barrier or sun-based products. The article provides you with all the information regarding this topic!