Safer Beauty Swap: Lip Conditioner

My past love for Carmex runs deep. I had a stick in my purse, a stick at my work desk, and a jar by my bed. I would apply multiple times a day and always before bed. When I started learning about safer beauty and took a look at the ingredients in my beloved Carmex I knew I needed to make a switch. I wasn’t sure how anything could replace it, however. Then, Beautycounter’s Lip Conditioner came along and the rest is history. I immediately fell in love and I can’t tell you how many people said that this one product was what made them fall in love with Beautycounter. It sounds crazy, right?Anything that goes on our lips is likely going to be consumed to some extent. You lick your lips and eat or drink something which means it is ingested. It may seem that the amount that is consumed isn’t much, but remember that if you are applying multiple times a day, day after day, it will add up.One of the most common ingredients in un-safe lip products is petroleum. This ingredient is of concern as it may be contaminated during production with harmful chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been linked to cancer. Petroleum has also been shown to be an allergen.The second ingredient of concern on the list is phenol. It is used as an aromatic. It is concerning for the potential for developmental/reproductive toxicity and irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs).The last ingredient that raises a red flag is flavor. I think of this one similar to fragrance, where the individual ingredients that make it up are unknown so it can contain hundreds of ingredients, many of which are likely unsafe. I am a huge advocate of transparency and want to know every single ingredient that is included.When you are on the quest to switching to safer products know that you don’t have to sacrifice performance for safety.