(NaturalNews) Some women say they like to leave the house after applying a little bit of mascara, for others it may be a quick sweep of blush across the cheeks. For me, the one make-up "accessory" that I reach for is lipstick. Now I'm not saying this is something
I can't live without, as this would never pass the "desert island survival" test (unless one plans to
charm their way off the island). But even for those who like to go
au naturale, sometimes a little bit of lipstick can be applied to enhance the natural color of one's lips. I look at natural and organic cosmetics as a way to indulge in make-up without giving myself cancer. And it's good to get dressed up sometimes and have fun.
One lipstick that I found to be chemical-free is Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers. This lipstick comes in a range of 11 colors -- from light sheer pink to "Toffee" brown -- and contains natural vitamin E, coconut oil, and sunflower oil which moisturize lips. When applied, the color isn't as heavy as conventional lipsticks but adds more color than lip glosses or tints and some of the colors have a pearl finish. It goes on very smoothly and lasts pretty long. I found I didn't have to reapply it after I ate compared to a lot of lipsticks that rub off easily.
This lipstick adds a natural, luscious color to your lips that's perfect during the day and for going out at night. When I tried it out for the first time, I was surprised that it had a mint flavor. This is because of the peppermint oil in the lipstick. Now, I'm one of those rare people who can't stand the taste or smell of mint so this is something I had to get used to. The colors are all named after flavors so I actually thought the name indicated the flavor of the lip shimmer. I was wrong. But I enjoy this lipstick so much that I got used to the scent and actually feel like it functions as a breath mint when first applied.
The fact that this product is 100 % natural is important because lipstick is something that can get ingested very easily, especially when you're wearing it while eating. And with this lipstick, it isn't so much of a concern.
Recently, a Campaign for Safe Cosmetics report found that a significant portion of brand name lipsticks sold in the U.S. contained a high level of lead. Of these lipsticks, a third were found to surpass the FDA's allowable lead limit in candy. Lead is a neuro- and central nervous system toxin when ingested and tends to accumulate in the body; it has been linked to behavioral problems and brain damage in children. I'm not encouraging children to wear lipstick, but when people support cosmetic companies who use lead in their products, they are ensuring that lead continues to contaminate the environment; and this does pose a risk to children. Pregnant women in particular should be cautious of lead in lipstick.
Aside from that, many popular brands of lipsticks contain other harmful ingredients that the FDA doesn't allow in food but allows in cosmetics, so it's best to seek out all-natural and organic products.
I had a friend who was having a problem with swelling in her upper lip. She would wake-up in the morning with a weird, itchy sensation in that skin area and it would turn blue. I asked her if she'd switched to a new cosmetic product and she said, "yes, I'm using a new lipstick". So I took a look at what she was using and I could not even pronounce the first ingredient, let alone the whole list of alien-sounding chemical ingredients. I figured she was having some kind of toxic reaction to the chemicals in the lipstick so I recommended that she try something natural and chemical-free. I recommended to her Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers. Within 3 days, her upper lip was back to normal and she felt great.
This lipstick beats a lot of other all-natural lipsticks because it is very affordable, costing about $5.00 . You can find this product at most health food and retail stores that sell cosmetics. Or you can purchase it online at (
www.burtsbees.com) .
Look beautiful naturally!
References:(
http://www.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?product...)
(
http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/12/news/companies/lipstick_lead/)
(
http://www.naturalnews.com/023139.html)
(
http://www.fda.gov/FDAC/features/1998/198_lead.html)
About the author
Natural Beauty Expert and Fashionista, Aria Milan is a passionate researcher in all things that will bring out the natural beauty in people. She practices what she preaches and is always striving to look and feel her best and her goal is to help others do the same. Her philosophy is 'True Beauty comes from Health that radiates from within'.
Aria is currently the editor of an alternative news website called Apollo News Daily, which can be viewed at
www.apollonewsdaily.com .
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