Poison stick for your lips

[hannoja]

Crikey. It shocked me to find out what's in Blistex!

I've just about run out of a Blistex 'tint and shine'/lip tone/blush lip balm stick which I rather liked. However, thinking it would be even nicer if it had a nice flavour, I thought I might have a go at making some myself. I recently got carried away with buying some stuff (shea/cocoa butter, coconut oil, etc.) from justasoap.co.uk (http://www.justasoap.co.uk/catalog/index.php) - partly as a result of lurking around places like the OS and Green boards :p - so I thought I'd check out the ingredients. At well over £2 each, it's cheaper and safer to make your own!

The first site I looked at was this one (http://www.natural-skincare-authority.com/blistex-lip-balm.html), which makes for rather scary reading. I've been putting that stuff on my lips for ages :eek: I hope my other lip balm sticks aren't so bad: will be checking those too now!

Since that site seemed to sell/recommend certain 'natural' products (which looked a bit pricey to me), I looked a little further and read what The Ecologist (http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=937) thought. It's tellingly titled, "Warning! Kissable lips may endanger your health."

I'll admit I haven't really looked into it much further than this yet; in fact I haven't even checked whether the ingredients in the one I've been using are the same as those in the products written about in the links above. Doesn't matter really: as far as I'm concerned, Blistex is now off the list!

I'm sure there are many people who won't be shocked at this, but I just wanted to post it. For warning to the unwary/discussion/whatever, but mainly because it's scary!

[frivolous_fay]

It's the adverts that put me off :D
I think it's pretty bad that they can market something that supposedly has essential oils in it, but contains precisely none. Trades descriptions, anyone?

[treliac]

I guess it's the same for many of the cosmetics we use.

Have wondered about safety but concluded that women have used them from time immemorable and ... well, I just wouldn't like to give them up :p

Suppose we have to rely on legal standards and requirements in the hope that we are properly protected, at least in the absence of definitive health warnings.

[ivylinn]

I refuse to use anything with an ingredients list like that.

Around 2 years ago I developed acne which everyone thought was hormonal.
I didn't really want to use any of the strong treatments unless certain it was 100% necessary.
I looked in to what I was putting on my face and getting rid of all the nasties solved the problem.
I'm very wary of a lot of products now.

[suki1964]

Those things just dry your lips out and make them worse (as well as being rrather sus on the ingredients)

Shea Butter everytime for me

[hannoja]

Yeah I'm going to fill up my empty lipsyl tubes with my own concoction which will certainly have Shea butter in it Suki :)

I haven't fully decided on the 'recipe' yet, but it will contain:

Shea butter
Cocoa butter
Beeswax
Oil - e.g: castor, sunflower, grapeseed, jojoba?...
Peppermint essential oil
Some kind of colur/pigment (http://www.naturallybalmy.co.uk/ourshop/cat_116307-Pigment-Colour-Sienna-Red.html) ...

I've looked at naturallybalmy.co.uk (http://www.naturallybalmy.co.uk/page_560513.html), aromantic.co.uk (http://www.aromantic.co.uk/lip-balm.htm), and bleuarts.blogspot.com (http://bleuarts.blogspot.com/2006/11/how-to-create-your-own-lip-balm-recipe.html) so far..

:)

Well done you ivylinn on an intelligent approach to solving your own problem. Bet it felt good! :D

I wouldn't rely on regulations treliac, though most of us do. We should be able to shouldn't we? :rolleyes: If you read about what's in some of the stuff we use every day, it's pretty alarming. There's an increasing number of companies now who aim to produce more natural products. Some of them are listed at the bottom of that Ecologist article (http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=937&j=y) I linked to earlier (such as soorganic.com (http://www.soorganic.com/home.php), burtsbees.com (http://global.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreView?storeId=10101&catalogId=11801&langId=-1), etc..); and there lots of others, such as purenuffstuff.co.uk (http://www.purenuffstuff.co.uk/), lilylolo.co.uk (http://www.lilylolo.co.uk/), etc..

I'm thinking I should've posted this somewhere in the 'green' forum now :o I'm sure someone will move it if they think it should be somewhere else.. :D

[kris1anne]

Oh my goodness. I am a qualified makeup artist and i didnt know that. They are bad for you anyway by the way. If you use them roughly two to three times per day your lips stop producing their own moisture and start relying on the balm, regardless of what you use - in effect being totally counterproductive. You are better off without them unless absolutely necessary.

[suki1964]

http://uk.loccitane.com/FO/Catalog/Product.aspx?prod=01BK008KA

Lasts for years does one of those. Lips, cuticles. split ends - I have one in me handbag all the time

[ivylinn]

Well done you ivylinn on an intelligent approach to solving your own problem. Bet it felt good! :D
Thanks :beer: it does.


There's an increasing number of companies now who aim to produce more natural products. Some of them are listed at the bottom of that Ecologist article (http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=937&j=y) I linked to earlier (such as soorganic.com (http://www.soorganic.com/home.php), burtsbees.com (http://global.burtsbees.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreView?storeId=10101&catalogId=11801&langId=-1), etc..); and there lots of others, such as purenuffstuff.co.uk (http://www.purenuffstuff.co.uk/), lilylolo.co.uk (http://www.lilylolo.co.uk/), etc..

I really like the things from lilly lolo and burts bees :T

[hannoja]

Oh my goodness. I am a qualified makeup artist and i didnt know that. They are bad for you anyway by the way. If you use them roughly two to three times per day your lips stop producing their own moisture and start relying on the balm, regardless of what you use - in effect being totally counterproductive. You are better off without them unless absolutely necessary.

Yes, that doesn't surprise me at all. If I forget my lipsyl my lips get irritatingly dry, and I know it's much quicker than they would 'naturally'. Still, I don't normally wear lippy, and I like a nice minty smell, so I've kind of set my heart on it now. Hehe :whistle:

http://uk.loccitane.com/FO/Catalog/Product.aspx?prod=01BK008KA

Lasts for years does one of those. Lips, cuticles. split ends - I have one in me handbag all the time

That's cute. I bought a kilo of shea the other day for £7.48 from justasoap.co.uk (http://www.justasoap.co.uk/catalog/shea-butter-p-194.html), so I'll be hunting for a sweet little tin or pot to put it in now.. Ha. Just found an old lip balm pot I saved.. from the Bodyshop I think it was.. blackcurrant.. now where did my little boy hide the lid... :wall:

:D

[DaisyNelson]

You're right that does make scary reading.
Well done on making your own. Hope it turns well.

[cookie monster]

Use vaseline on my lips

[suki1964]

http://www.vaseline.com/Template2.aspx?Path=Consumer/Glossary/Home