Harmful Effects of Lipstick

Heavy metals cause renal failure
Lipsticks contain harmful heavy metals like cadmium, magnesium and chromium. All these metals can cause dangerous diseases and organ damage. Extremely high amounts of cadmium can increase the risk of renal failure. Frequent application of lipstick can cause severe stomach tumours.

Lead is harmful to the nervous system
is a common constituent in most lipsticks. Lead is a neurotoxin that has a harmful effect on the nervous system. It can also cause brain damage, hormonal imbalance and infertility.

Petrochemicals may affect the growth
Many lipsticks have petrochemicals as a common ingredient, which have harmful side-effects. Petrochemicals are a by-product of crude oil and natural gas. It can cause endocrine disruption that works as an obstacle for growth, development, reproduction, and intelligence.

Preservatives used in lipstick cause cancer
The preservatives used in lipsticks are formaldehyde and parabens that are known carcinogens. Lipsticks that utilize these preservatives cause irritation of the eyes, coughing, wheezing and irritation on skin. The mineral oils used in lipsticks block the skin pores and are responsible for many permanent harmful effects.

Chemicals in lipstick harm the body
Though bismuth oxychloride is a chemical used to preserve the lipstick, it is extremely harmful for the body. The harmful effect of lipsticks is due to the carcinogenic property of this ingredient. The propylparabens act as preservatives just like formaldehyde.

Lipstick increases toxin ingestion
Lipsticks are worn most of the time, including when eating out. Women ingest them accidentally while eating, long after they are applied. This increases the impact of the toxins present in lipsticks. The lipstick or lip gloss result in women exceeding the daily intake permitted for aluminium, cadmium, chromium and manganese. These accumulate in the body over time and cause toxicity. The intake of these metals are more than 20 per cent of their accepted daily intake (ADI) limits. ADI is the maximum amount of a toxin that a person can be exposed to without any major health risk.

So, here are some major side-effects caused by the harmful chemicals and heavy metals present in leading brands of lipsticks and lip gloss. The next time you wear your lipstick, make sure you wear one that does not contain these harmful ingredients.

On the lighter side, even men are vulnerable to the side-effect caused by lipstick stain on their shirts, when they are caught by their wives who realize that the lipstick stain on their shirt does not belong to them.