Each Tuesday I bring you one of my best insider beauty and fashion tips that any busy woman can actually execute in the comfort of her own home. This week’s tip is about what to look for – and what to avoid – in lip gloss.
As an avid watcher of the new OWN network, I’ve been LOVING Dr. Oz’s new show, and his website with health-focused beauty tips. But I have to admit that I was super sad to find out that the shine in most lip glosses comes from petroleum jelly, a byproduct of oil drilling. And even sadder to learn that many of us will eat up to 7 pounds of gasoline-based lip gloss over the course of a decade. Here’s what Dr. Oz says:
[W]hen you spread it on your lips, you end up eating it, which is essentially the same as drinking gasoline. Add up the amount of lip gloss the average woman uses (and consumes) over a decade, and it equals 7 pounds. The European Union has banned many petroleum jelly products, and experts are concerned they could be linked to cancer. Women with breast cancer have twice the levels of hydrocarbons (substances found in petroleum jelly) in their breasts than women who haven’t had breast cancer.
So look for glosses that look more like lipstick, or made from nontoxic beeswax. Bonus points if it comes wiht sunscreen (my belated obsession). If you MUST wear petroleum-based lip gloss, save it for special occasions and remove it before eating and reapply afterwards.
NOTE: All Julep products are formulated to be free of mineral oils and petroleum based products (as well as parabens, formadehyde, sodium laurel sulfate, and anything else we know is bad for you).
