Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm?

I just finished reading a very interesting book called Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? This book is written by a group of experienced cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising claims really mean. This team of chemists also have a very informative website called The Beauty Brains which is a great resource for your beauty related queries! 

Being a beauty junkie, I really enjoyed reading this book as it’s very well written and covers a whole lot of information about hair care, skin care and various cosmetic products. It answers the common beauty myths and numerous questions about lotions, potions and other beauty products you use everyday! So, if you want to know more about maybe why do your nails turn yellow when you wear nail polish or do eye creams really reduce puffiness and circles, this one is a must-read!

For today’s post, I decided to share some of my favorite beauty questions from the book…….here they are:

Can you get hooked on lip balm?

You can’t get addicted to lip balm in the way you can get addicted to cigarettes but lip balm can certainly be habit-forming. Here’s a scientific explanation from the book : The top layer of your skin consists mainly of dead, dried-up cells and as those cells flake off, they send a signal to the deeper layer of skin to produce fresh skin cells. When you put on lip balm, it creates a barrier (top) layer that isn’t drying as much and thus interferes with the signaling mechanism to the skin’s basal layer to replenish the older cells. Using lip balm, while it makes your lips feel good initially, when it wears off your skin feels dry again as there are no fresh, moist skin cells to replace the dying ones. So you add more lip balm to relieve dryness and when that wears off, you apply more and more. And then more! And so in that way you can get ‘addicted’ as it becomes sort of a psychological habit.

Do lip plumpers really work?
Lip plumpers work by temporarily irritating the skin and causing your lips to swell slightly. So, your lips look more full but the effect is only temporary. However, the most important thing to remember is that lip plumpers should not be used on a regular basis since the irriating ingredients (like menthol that causes the cooling/tingling sensation) can be damaging to your skin in the long run. As I have mentioned in some of my previous posts too, irritation is always a problem for skin as it causes collagen to break down and impairs your skin’s ability to protect and repair itself.

Which oils can actually help to make your hair strong?
While Jojoba oil is all the rage these days in hair care, Coconut oil and olive oil are one of best natural oils for strong and shiny hair. Because of their chemical structure, these 2 oils easily penetrate all the way into the hair shaft and help make your hair stronger. Avocado oil is also a great option for the same reason. Jojoba oil cannot penetrate into the hair at all so there is hardly any practical benefit of using it to improve the condition of your hair.

Can Nail Hardener Polishes really fix soft, brittle nails?
Nail hardening products have a lot of formaldehyde type ingredients. It’s these ingredients that causes the initial ‘hardening’ of the nails but eventually make them brittle and more prone to breaking/splitting . The softer and more brittle your nails are, the more susceptible they are to damage with nail hardeners. So, it’s best to skip these hardening formulas and instead take care of your nails by moisturizing them regularly with creams or oils everyday.

Is it safe to use lipstick on your cheeks?

Yes, it’s not a problem to use lipstick or lipgloss on your face. However, lip and face makeup should never be used on your eyes (like a lip liner as eyeliner is a total no-no). That’s because the ingredients (colors and preservatives) used in face makeup are not permitted to be used in eye makeup for safety reasons. There are only a few colorants that are approved for use around the eyes while products for the lips and face can include many more. Also, your lipstick or gloss might have some bacteria that may not be harmful when ingested but can cause serous infection if used on the eyes. So, you need to be extra cautious when applying products around your eyes.

Hope you find this post useful and interesting. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!