Not So Fast!! Are You Really Sure You Want To S.W.A.K.?

Why is it that the female species in both animal and human kingdoms traditionally resemble plain Janes compared to their male counterparts? For some reason, boys always seem to be naturally prettier, whether they are lions, peacocks, birds, rock stars or runway models. While some ladies are fortunate enough to look flawless the moment that they roll out of bed, the one thing that they always seem to reach for is a little touch of lipstick so that they can take things to the next level of awesome.

It’s hard to imagine, but cosmetic ornamentation actually pre-dates the Indus Valley Civilization of 2600–1900 BCE (now known as Pakistan and a few Indian states). Women well before our time first began applying crushed semi-precious stones on their lips but they fast transitioned into very unusual and often dangerous territory by staining them with highly caustic bomine mannite, carmine beetle pigment, iodine, red cinnabar (a poisonous mercury-based element) and plant-based fucus-algin, which imparted a purple-red tint.

By the 20th century, the familiar twist tube that enables women to achieve their signature ruby red lips was readily available, but whale spermaceti (also known as “whale oil blubber”) was the main wax-based ingredient used to impart moisturization and spreadability.  When a moratorium on whaling was finally launched in the 1970s, lipstick manufacturers began to look for suitable alternatives which led them to using the rendered fatty subdural layer of an animal known as the mink. Both sources of oil -- whale and mink -- were highly unpopular with animal activists, resulting in enough negative media exposure to compel companies to explore synthetically derived and plant based moisturizers like:

•   Castor Oil (an oil derived from the seed/bean of the Castor plant -- when  consumed regularly, it causes excessive urination)
•   Lanolin (a viscous animal oil extracted from wool)
•   Olive Oil
•   Candelilla Wax (derived from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub)
•   Cocoa Butter (a pure vegetable fat extracted from the cacao bean)
•   Beeswax
•   Carnauba (derived from wax palm tree leaves)
•   Paraffin (derived from crude petroleum)

Across the world however, conventionally produced lipsticks available via mainstream retailers continue to be laden with ingredients that are more than a bit surprising. Petroleum waxes are among the most common, but the Environmental Working Group (EWG) claims that there are many others made with rendered animal fats. When Mad Cow Disease entered public awareness, the Food and Drug Administration informed companies that while they could continue using rendered brain and spinal cord tissue from younger cattle in their products, they were forbidden from using 30 month or older cows/downer cows to create the fat bases for their lipsticks.

If that’s not alarming enough, EWG found that after testing 711 top cosmetic brands in their 2004 study, 28 percent of them contained highly toxic or health-compromising ingredients like carcinogenic coal tar dyes, titanium dioxide, butylated hydroxytoluene and detectable levels of lead while the majority of the chemical components were deemed untested for human safety. The US consumer group Campaign For Safe Cosmetics determined just three years later that lead was present in 60 percent of lipsticks tested, including Cover Girl Incredifull Lipcolor in “Maximum Red”, Dior Addict in “Positive Red” and L’Oreal Colour Riche “Classic Wine” and “True Red” (whereas Revlon lipsticks had none whatsoever). Lead helps deepen color, which is why it has been used in the auto industry to help cars retain the vibrancy of their paint. Cars may love it, but when humans are exposed to it, they can suffer reproductive toxicity, neurological damage, heart problems and kidney failure.

There are infinitely safer alternatives for women who want to paint their lips without suffering from the fear of the unknown. If you are industrious, you can make your own tint by combining one tablespoon of grated beeswax in a double boiler with two tablespoons of olive oil and tinting it with one teaspoon of beet juice or beet root powder. Pour it into a re-sealable container, allow it to solidify and then apply it with a lip brush. If you’re more of an instant gratification gal, then you probably know that companies like HoneyBee, Zuii, Cargo and NVEY Eco are in competition with many others to meet the growing demand for organic lip colors. Whole Foods, Sunflower Market, Sephora and department stores carry an increasingly varied range of natural choices for the eco-conscious gal as do countless online purveyors. If you are a fan of a particular line of organic cosmetics, please let everyone know in the comments section below!