Nutrition For Immunity: Lip Balm

Sunday 21 August 2016

Lip Balm

Do you use lip balms / lip gloss?

If so, what type of lip balm do you use?

What we apply on our lips gets ingested very easily. Are you concerned about the safety of the ingredients used in the lip balm?

Petroleum Jelly May Not Be As Harmless As You Think

(Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/21/vaseline-petroleum-jelly_n_4136226.html )

What Is Petroleum Jelly?

Petroleum jelly, the main ingredient in Vaseline, is a derivative of oil refining. Originally found coating the bottom of oil rigs in the mid-1800s, it’s a byproduct of the oil industry and therefore an unsustainable resource (read: not eco-friendly). It’s commonly used topically to cure everything from dehydrated, flakey skin to diaper rash.

Why Is It Potentially Harmful?

Though generally regarded as safe, the components that are removed from the oil during the refining process of petroleum jelly are carcinogenic in some cases. “Vaseline supposedly has all of these [components] removed,” Dr. Dattner says. “But there are probably plenty of petroleum jelly imitators, and one doesn’t always know the extent that they’re removed.” Denno also points out that, since petroleum jelly can be found in “different grades of purity,” you don’t always know how non-toxic your petroleum jelly-based beauty products really are. (For the record, Vaseline is highly-refined, triple-purified and regarded as non-carcinogenic.)

As for your skin? Petroleum jelly can create the illusion of moisturized, hydrated skin, all the while suffocating your pores. It’s water-repellant and not water-soluble, meaning it merely seals the barrier so that moisture does not leave the skin. So while you might feel the instant gratification of a softened surface, you’re actually drying out your pores by keeping out air and moisture. What’s more, the thick texture makes it difficult to cleanse from the skin, so never slather Vaseline on an unwashed face if you want to avoid breakouts. “It essentially seals in the dirt,” says Denno.

People suffering from skin conditions like acne and rosacea should stay away from petroleum jelly altogether, since such thick emollients can aggravate those conditions. Those who rub Vaseline on dry, cracked noses to get through a cold might want to think twice, too: If petroleum jelly gets into the lungs, it can cause lipid pneumonia. It won’t happen if you apply it once in a while, but Dr. Dattner recommends not making a daily habit of it.