Cosmetic products make your feel on top of the world. They help you to improve your appearance and look enticing. Use of cosmetics can be dated back to ancient civilization, where only royal families would wear rouge on lips and cheeks.
Lipsticks similar to all other cosmetics are containing a lot of chemicals. Not all of these chemicals are harmless, however most people would not experience any harmful effects from the lipsticks. If a lipsticks contains a chemicals that you are allergic to it. It can be easily cause lips allergies to you.
In view of the fact that lipsticks are applied on the mouth, women have a tendency to lick their lips and digest some chemicals all the time from the lipsticks.
On an average, a woman may ingest 4-5 pounds of lipstick in their lifetime, more frequently than not. That is not what causes the allergies. The contact of the lipstick with the lips is what lipstick allergies in the first place.
Only after 20th century lipstick was made general and women on average ingest 4 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. Lipsticks contain numerous natural and artificial ingredients, they may trigger allergic reaction. Lipstick allergy symptoms may include dry peeling lips, bumps may appear and your lips look raw and red.
Symptoms may differ from person to person, ranging from simple rash to fully fledged allergic reaction. You must check out the ingredients listed over lipstick to know if you’re sensitive to it.
There are a host of allergens which could be trigger lip allergies, when they come in contact with the lips or the mouth. These allergens may be cosmetics (lipstick, lip balm) etc. This can also cause swelling of the lips if one is allergic to them.
Lipstick Allergy Symptoms
- Burning lips
- Pain and discomfort
- Tingling sensation in both lips
- Itching of lips
- Swelling of both the lips
For different flavors cosmetic manufacturers use food based ingredients like olive oil, vegetable oil and other innate elements. As mentioned one of the best way to treat lipstick allergy is to avoid it or at least stay away from the particular ingredient that is causing allergic reaction.
If you have contact dermatitis due to the chemicals enclosed in the lipstick, the allergic reactions would be most likely to occur directly on the site of the contact. The lip appears hypersensitive, red and puffy.
If the allergies are causing itching and burning sensations on your lips, ingesting the lipstick may cause the symptoms to spread. An element well-known as carmine is a ruby dyed pigment that is derived from the crushed shells of beetle.
Allergic symptoms range from peeling of lips to serious flare-ups over lips.
1. Skin Rashes
If you’ve eczema or other chronic skin ailments, then lipstick allergy may aggravate the diseases. Skin rashes may appear as soon as you topically apply the lipstick. As lipstick may enter mouth, tongue and throat, infection or inflammation may affect in your mouth.
Your lips may undergo angioadema after applying lipstick. Experts say that Carmine, a red pigment found in lipstick may trigger allergic reaction.
2. Gastrointestinal Issues
As mentioned, women use about 4 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. Most lipsticks are flavored with food colors, so it implicitly or explicitly enters mouth, tongue and throat.
A variety of the other problems experienced by those who are affected by the lipstick allergies are focused in the gastrointestinal organs. The chemicals may reach your stomach and cause problems to you. Most of the gastrointestinal problems are caused by the ingested chemicals from the mouth by lipsticks.
If the chemicals in the lipstick contain bismuth oxychloride, they you could experience bismuth toxicity. However these levels remain low and they may ultimately increase and can cause allergic reactions.
Chemical ingredients and irritants in this cosmetic product may trigger stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pains. These allergic symptoms may accompanied by skin problems. Bismuth oxychloride packed in frosty lipstick may not be toxic but according to Lifescript this compound turns to irritants.
3. Respiratory Problems
Asthma, nasal congestion, runny nose fainting and light-headedness are few more allergic symptoms due to lipstick. People with asthma and other respiratory problems should avoid lipstick application.
In rare cases the allergic reaction may lead to anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that may lead to death. Along with above listed allergic symptoms anxiety, coughing, hives, wheezing, slurred speech and palpitations. This condition needs immediate medical attention.
4. Anaphylaxis
However anaphylaxis is an uncommon condition, this could be happen if you develop a very severe allergy to the lipstick that you have been using. In case of a brutal allergic reaction, the most important organ system begins to shut down one by one.
Ultimately your airways become obstructed and you are not able to breathe at all. Anaphylaxis may cause a stroke and in rare cancer and even death.
Please share your lipstick allergy symptoms in comments.
CHECK WHATS IN A LIPSTICK