After visiting the EWG website, I decided to look up ChapStick Lip Balm (peppermint flavour). Now that winter is approaching I know my lips are going to feel the weather change and are going to want some of that lip balm.The overall rating for the product is a 5, which is a moderate hazard. The first thing I did was look at the ingredients found in ChapStick, which are listed on the EWG website. To be honest I couldn't pronounce most of the ingredients, which made some red flags pop up in my head. What I also noticed is that there are a lot of different ingredients and I wondered if there is even a need for all those chemicals to be in my lip balm.
Next, I scrolled down and read through some of the major concerns with the ingredients and how they can affect humans. What stuck out the most to me was neurotoxicity. There is strong evidence of human neurotoxicity in two of the ingredients found in my lip balm. What this means is that exposure to these toxins can alter the normal activity of the nervous system in such a way to cause damage to nervous tissue. I could have stopped reading there because right then I made the decision to through away my ChapStick. However, I did decide to read on and another alarming concern is endocrine disrupters. There is strong evidence of this in two of the ingredients. These are disruptions that can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. YIKES!
As I continued to read on about the concerns, I was left in complete shock. I had no idea that all of those toxins could be in one little tube, and that there are some major health concerns related to those toxins/ingredients. The list is quite lengthy and I could go on about the different concerns but it was clear to me that this product is not one that I will continue to use. My sister, who is a nurse, has told me many times that I should read cosmetic labels and that I should really try to use more natural products or at least learn more about what is in my products. Well I can now say that she was right all along. I am definitely going to find a safer product for my lips and I am throwing away my ChapStick!
Check out Burt's Bees Lip Balm. It has a much lower hazard risk. That is the one I frequently use. I looked it up for this assignment (even though I did not write on it), just to see what the risks were with it.
ReplyDeleteI too hate all those big words that are hard to even pronounce....and it was scary to learn what those ingredients were. Certainly made me think twice about the products I use. Thanks for the letting us know about this brand.
it's scary to think about what in ChapStick considering with use it on our lips. I feel like it's one of those necessities during the cold months though.
ReplyDeleteI have also been told over and over to look at chemicals on cosmetic products and I just sort of ignore the advice. It's hard to switch all of the products that you use, but seeing all of those chemicals on something that I put on my lips kind of freaks me out. I agree with Alina, Burt's Bees Lip Balm is something you should try, especially the pomegranate flavor, it smells so good!
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