Many of us, both men and women, use chapstick or lip balm. In fact, the main external difference is only that hygienic lipstick is always an ordinary lip pencil, and lip balm can be presented in the form of lipstick, a tube, or just a jar.
The most important point in hygienic lipstick and lip balm is the composition. It is the composition that is so important that it erases all differences. If a hygienic lipstick or balm is of the correct composition and does not contain substances harmful to health, then it does not matter what it is called. You can use this. Is it possible to do without them altogether?

First of all, you need to understand why you need to use hygienic lipsticks and lip balms

What are the benefits of chapstick and lip balm?

Such lipsticks and balms are designed to protect the surface of the skin of the lips from dehydration. Not chapping, as many people think, but from dehydration.
Those. The main problem is dehydration. Because of this, usually in cold weather, lips are exposed to aggressive environmental influences - wind, cold. Under their influence, the surface of the lips cracks, wounds appear, and pain occurs.
To “protect” from all this, many people smear their lips with special products, in the hope of somehow closing them off from external influences. But the reason is inside! Little moisture.
Those. If you simply correct the body’s water balance, then chapping and cracks on the lips should not occur at all. Do you drink 1.5 - 2 liters of water a day? If yes, then don't waste money on lipsticks and balms. You don't need them.
And sticking in the corners of the mouth is not due to wind and frost, but due to a lack of B vitamins in the diet. One tablet of a multivitamin complex will solve this problem in a couple of weeks.
Room humidity is also very important. If the humidity is maintained at least 60%, then there should be no problems with skin dehydration . This is especially true for the heating season.

So, are hygienic lipsticks and lip balms necessary at all?

Needed. At least for the period of restoration of a healthy state of the body. If used correctly, they are able to cover the surface of the lips with a thin film, thus protecting them from moisture loss.
The main task of these products is to prevent moisture loss from the surface of the lips. Then there will be no problems.

What is the harm of hygienic lipsticks and lip balms?

1. The fact is that most hygienic lipsticks are based on a petroleum product - Vaseline. If you regularly use such products, then willy-nilly you will constantly swallow some part of the Vaseline. You cannot apply anything to the lip area without it getting into the digestive tract.
According to various sources, over 10 or more years of using Vaseline-based lip protectants, a person eats from 3 to 5 kg of this petroleum product! Undoubtedly harmful to health and a sharp increase in the risk of cancer. And cancer, as you remember, leads to 25-26% of deaths of the entire population of the Earth.
2. Even though petroleum jelly is unhealthy, it does have one benefit. Due to the fact that Vaseline is able to attract (sort of suck) moisture from the surrounding air, it has become possible to use it in hygienic lipsticks and lip balms.
It was believed that if lips become dry, it is necessary to make sure that moisture itself gets to their surface. This would provide the opportunity for constant replenishment.
But the problem is that As soon as a person with Vaseline-coated lips enters an area with drier air, the Vaseline begins to suck moisture not from the air, but from the very surface of the lips. That is, the body loses even more moisture, and the lips dry out even more.

How to apply hygienic lipsticks and lip balms

If you drink plenty of fluids and take B vitamins, there will be no need for protective equipment. But if there is a need to use them, then the following recommendations should be followed.
1. Choose hygienic lipsticks and balms, at a minimum, with glycerin, not petroleum jelly.
2. Even better if these are beeswax based products.
3. You can make your own natural lip balm. This requires half a teaspoon of honey, half a teaspoon of beeswax and 3 teaspoons of peach oil. The wax is melted until soft in a water bath and the remaining ingredients are added and allowed to cool. You can use it without fear.

Tender, juicy, moist, sensual, alluring... Perhaps no other detail of a woman’s face is awarded such exciting epithets as lips. And it’s not for nothing that lipstick is called the “Magic Wand of Eros.” Psychologists say that a woman’s mouth attracts men’s gaze like a magnet. Thanks in large part to lipstick, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Since ancient times, women, wanting to emphasize their sexuality, have given their lips brightness and shine with the help of cosmetic paints. Egyptian women tinted their lips henna And carmine, lubricated sheep fat And almond oil. Women from the time of Cleopatra applied it to their lips a layer of red clay mixed with olive oil and lanolin. Lipstick in our usual consistency appeared with an easy delivery Cardinal Richelieu. Just don’t think that “his Holiness” was concerned with women’s sexuality instead of spiritual and political matters. Richelieu, as the legend says, had a passion (quite innocent!) for the aroma of rotten apples. One day the cardinal asked his doctor to prepare a fragrant ointment with apple aroma. The doctor fulfilled the order and called his ointment “lipstick” (from the French pomme - apple). Now Cardinal Richelieu could inhale the subtle scent all the time; all he had to do was smear the tip of his nose or upper lip with lipstick. This is how it appeared lipstick base– a mixture of oils, fats and waxes with a pleasant aroma. All that remained was to add coloring substances to the base, which the French perfumers did without thinking twice, giving the ladies another opportunity to become brighter and more attractive.

Despite the fact that the basic recipe for lipstick appeared a long time ago, official birth the tube we know is considered 1883. It was this year at the World Exhibition in Amsterdam that French perfumers presented a pencil-shaped lipstick wrapped in silk paper. Until the beginning of the 20s. In the 20th century, painting lips was considered vulgar, and was the lot of only ladies of easy virtue. Gradually, lipstick turned into a cult object, and by the middle of the 20th century, not a single self-respecting woman could imagine her life without lipstick. At the same time, the familiar format of twist-out lipstick appeared (before that there was a retractable form).

Ageless Recipe

It must be said that over the centuries of the existence of lipstick, the recipe for its base has, by and large, not changed that much. As in the time of Richelieu, it is still composed waxes, fats and oils.

Waxes determine the shape of the lipstick, ensure its strength and plasticity. Initially, natural beeswax was used to produce lipstick, but, alas, it often causes allergies, like honey and other “bee” products. Today, high-quality lipstick is most often made from natural plant waxes or highly purified synthetic waxes, which are recognized as absolutely safe - they are inert and do not have any effect on human cells.

Oils added to lipstick for several purposes. Firstly, they give its structure tenderness, secondly, the oils nourish and soften the skin of the lips, and, finally, some coloring pigments dissolve in them. The main oil for the production of lipstick is castor. Its advantage is its resistance to oxidation. Recently, lipstick has become especially popular among lipstick manufacturers. avocado oil– it really has a beneficial effect on the lips, softens the epidermis and supplies the cells with valuable nutrients.

Fats Gives lipstick firmness. Leaving a stable film on the lips, fats protect delicate skin from chapping and moisture loss. As you know, natural fats and oils quickly oxidize and go rancid during storage. In order to extend the life of lipstick, antioxidants and preservatives are necessarily introduced into its fatty base, but you should not be afraid of them - to preserve the lipstick, very little of these substances are required, tens of times less than the doses that cause irritation and allergies.

In addition to the main structural components, modern high-quality lipsticks contain various polymers, forming the thinnest coatings on the skin of the lips. This film coating provides stability and protects lips from moisture loss. Another group of new ingredients - sliding agents. These expensive physiologically inert substances of organosilicon nature are introduced into many cosmetic preparations (lipsticks, powders, eye shadows, makeup bases) to give the product “gliding” properties and thereby ensure uniform application.

Is painting your lips harmful or beneficial?

Most likely, your grandmother will assure you that the only useful lipstick is hygienic. We would not say so categorically.

The skin of the lips contains very few sebaceous glands, therefore, under any unfavorable conditions, lips instantly dry And weathered. Dry air, wind, frost, heat, sun rays - lips must be protected from all these misfortunes. Modern lipsticks with protective function doing great. It’s not for nothing that manufacturers add moisturizing components, nourishing oils, light filters, and even medicinal plant extracts and vitamins into their composition. It turns out that a high-quality coloring lipstick combines a decorative function with the task of a protective and healing balm.

What kind of lipstick can be called harmful? Perhaps, old, expired, and lipstick dubious "authorship". The guaranteed shelf life of any good lipstick (both domestic and imported) is at least three years. After starting use lipstick can be stored 3-4 months. If you want to keep a certain shade of lipstick until next season, store it in the refrigerator. By the way, it is recommended to put the lipstick in the refrigerator for a while whenever it “sweats” - becomes covered with droplets of melted fat, oil or glycerin.

Pomade unknown "author" it may simply turn out dangerous, contain cheap, often poisonous, chemical dyes, poisonous salts of heavy metals and fluorescent substances that, under the influence of the sun, release atomic oxygen, which discolors the lips.

Lipstick weighs on average 5g. Per day woman "eats" near 17 mg lipstick or 35 kg for life! A man gets three times less lipstick when kissing. Gradual “eating” of lipstick does not pose any danger. Experts have found that symptoms of poisoning can occur if you eat at least three tubes of lipstick on an empty stomach.

Lip gloss - elegant and comfortable

Lately serious competition lipsticks are made up of lip glosses. Essentially, lip gloss is the same as lipstick, only soft, delicate, without a hard structure. Gloss differs from regular lipsticks in that it contains more liquid oils and less solid waxes and structure-forming fats. They have a lower concentration of coloring substances and a higher concentration of moisturizing substances. Due to this composition, glosses better perform a softening, nourishing and moisturizing function.

The decorative properties of glosses are very relevant. As is known, modern trends in makeup– these are transparent, shining shades, the absence of bright unambiguous colors, as well as a mysterious shine and exciting shimmer on everything that attracts attention. Lip glosses do an excellent job of all these tasks. Firstly, the glossy or crystal coating adds shine to the lips expressiveness and volume. Lips look soft, moist, sexy and at the same time natural, since the shade of the gloss always remains natural. Secondly, glosses make it possible give makeup a new twist. They can be applied directly to the skin of the lips without any preparation, without even drawing a contour, as well as over lipstick. In addition, lip glosses very easy to use.

With the onset of colder months, dry lips become an issue for many of us. Women love to use hygiene products several times a day, believing that this is how they will prevent physical discomfort and the feeling of unattractiveness associated with chapped lips.

Causes of dry lips

We simply automatically reach for a tube of hygienic lipstick and don’t even ask ourselves about the reasons for the unpleasant problem. Cosmetologists believe that a number of factors cause such a nuisance as chapped lips. These include exposure to wind, sun, dry air and medications. People who are not accustomed to using hygiene products experience a natural reaction when dry lips occur - the need to lick their lips in order to somehow moisturize them. Undoubtedly, this action will temporarily solve the problem, but after drying, the lips become even drier and the sensations are even more unpleasant.

Is it possible to fight this condition naturally?

Most physical ailments and ailments can be easily eliminated by alternative methods, without the use of chemicals. It's no secret that chapstick contains a number of ingredients that are unwanted toxins. Therefore, if you want to maintain your health in the long run, you can avoid unwanted chapped lips by making sure your body gets enough moisture through drinking. Make it a rule to drink not only tea, but also water during the cold months of the year. This will protect the body from dehydration, and your lips will stop drying and cracking.

In addition, given the increased dryness of the room due to the operation of the central heating system, you can use air humidifiers. This trend is especially relevant for the bedroom - a place where a person spends a sufficient amount of time.

What to do if cracks on the lips could not be avoided?

There are also a number of natural moisturizers that can be used if the problem cannot be avoided. The two simplest and most natural alternatives are coconut oil and vitamin E capsules, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. The minerals contained in coconut oil not only moisturize the skin, but also treat dryness. After using coconut oil, lips become soft and silky. Well, the fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin E can work wonders on your lips: it nourishes and regenerates skin cells, in addition, it has a calming effect.

What are the undesirable ingredients in lip balm?

Before you make a choice between coconut oil, vitamin E and regular lip balm, it is a good idea to study the composition of the cosmetic product. Here is a list of toxic ingredients that may be contained in the products of a particular cosmetic brand: petrolatum, paraffin, white wax, saccharin, methylparaben and polyparaben. Fortunately, there are a number of manufacturers on the market that avoid using harmful toxic substances in their products.

Can lip balm be addictive?

If you find yourself moisturizing your lips dozens of times a day during the long winter months, this habit is not at all chemically dependent. You have simply developed a pathological craving for artificial hydration. Always remember that our lips must naturally produce new cells. And frequent use of balms interferes with the natural processes of skin cells.

We know from history that even in ancient Egypt, women used cosmetic paints. Basically, lips were smeared with henna or carmine. Women from the time of Cleopatra preferred to apply red clay mixed with olive oil and lanolin to their lips. Lipstick, as we are used to seeing it, appeared thanks to Cardinal Richelieu. He really loved the smell of rotten apples and asked the doctor to prepare him an ointment with that aroma. The doctor fulfilled the order and called the resulting balm “lipstick.”

Surprisingly, the recipe used to prepare lipstick for Richelieu has not changed at all. The composition still contains waxes, fats and oils.

Waxes provide the shape of the lipstick, its plasticity and density. Initially, natural beeswax was used for production. Later, due to the fact that beeswax can cause pain, it was replaced with natural plant wax, or safe synthetic purified wax was used as a basis.

Oils are added to lipstick for several purposes. Firstly, they give the lipstick softness. Secondly, they nourish and soften the skin of the lips. And finally, they help dissolve the coloring pigment. Mainly used in the production of lipstick. It is resistant to oxidation. But in recent years, manufacturers have been adding avocado oil to the composition, which is also good. It supplies the epidermal cells with valuable substances and makes the lips incredibly soft without causing harm.

Fats give lipstick its hardness. They protect the delicate skin of the lips from chapping and loss of moisture, creating an invisible film.

In addition to the main components, various polymers and “gliding agents” are introduced into the composition of the lipstick, which make the application of the lipstick more even and smooth.

At first glance, it may seem that lipstick is not at all hazardous to health. But this opinion is wrong.

Researchers have proven that using lipstick can harm our teeth. Solid paraffin, which is part of the cosmetic product, affects the appearance. This substance gets onto our teeth with pieces of food. It is recommended to wipe your teeth with a napkin after eating if you cannot immediately rinse your mouth or brush your teeth. This way you will get rid of paraffin particles.

Poor quality lipstick can have dire consequences. Therefore, experts advise paying attention first of all to the composition.

Various fragrances in lipstick can cause an allergic reaction. This is dry skin of the lips, tightness in the corners, as well as the appearance

The benefits of lipstick

Lipstick manufacturers are now adding protective, moisturizing, nourishing, and healing components to their production that protect lips from the sun, wind, frost, dry air and poor ecology. Lipsticks that moisturize not only color your lips, but also make them softer and prevent flaking. They contain oils: avocado, castor, cocoa, sunflower or coconut oil, chamomile extract.

Nourishing lipsticks can easily protect lips from cracks in winter and autumn, because they contain a large amount of wax.

Long-lasting and super-long-lasting lipsticks leave no residue and can stay on the lips for up to 24 hours. They are easy to apply and have a nice texture. They also contain coloring pigments along with esters. When the esters evaporate, a colored film remains on the lips. But it is not recommended to use long-lasting lipsticks every day because they make your lips dry.

Hygienic lipsticks perfectly prevent dryness and cracking. Very good for caring for lips in winter. They contain vitamins, nutritional, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing substances. But such lipsticks do not shade the lips, so their use is not decorative.

Studies of lipsticks, including global manufacturers, have shown that there are still negative effects from lipstick, and it’s worth knowing about it.

Harm from lipstick

It’s not worth talking about cheap lipsticks at all, but it’s worth recalling that in this case everything is not limited to cosmetic problems: cheap lipstick can be poisonous, contain heavy metal salts and chemical dyes.

Lipsticks that sparkle and glow may contain substances that are released in the light of the sun, the so-called atomic oxygen - this is a terrible oxidizing agent, it sharply accelerates skin aging. Therefore, before using lipstick, you should at least take a little interest in its composition, otherwise, instead of pleasure, you may feel burning, itching, and skin inflammation.

For example, carmine dye, which is used in the food industry, quite often leads to severe allergic reactions, and lanolin, used to moisturize the skin, disrupts the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

Vaseline has long been used to soften the skin; it is considered a safe product, but it can also cause allergies, and with regular use it dries out the skin of the lips. As a result, if a feeling of dryness appears, a woman unknowingly tints her lips more and more often.
The listed ingredients can also cause nausea and headaches if they constantly, even in minimal quantities, pass into the gastrointestinal tract.

Mineral oils such as paraffin and microcrystalline wax are also dangerous. These substances are created on the basis of petroleum products, they can accumulate in the body, affecting the kidneys, lymph nodes, liver - and there are many women who simply will not leave the house without applying their favorite lipstick.

Most well-known manufacturers add solid paraffins to lipstick to make it thick and not run. Paraffin particles are not noticeable to the ordinary eye, but they transfer from lipstick to teeth, stick tenaciously to them, and become a refuge for millions of bacteria. As a result, more microcracks appear on the teeth and caries develops quickly.

As mentioned above, in order to avoid negative consequences, when purchasing lipstick you need to carefully check the composition. You should not take cheap lipstick that contains lanolin, petroleum jelly and carmine. These components are the most dangerous and harmful to human health.