You have bought lipsticks one after another, changed brands one after another, but still haven’t found the “it” that belongs to you?

Others have moist, plump lips after using it, but you have dry and flaky lips after using it? Or even a cheilitis attack?

You know, the skin on our lips is very fragile. Because this part of the skin has only a small number of sebaceous glands and no sweat glands, it lacks a natural protective film and easily loses moisture.

Especially in autumn and winter, because the climate is cold and dry, lips are prone to dryness, itching and discomfort. Many people will subconsciously lick their lips...

Because Saliva contains various digestive enzymes, which will destroy the barrier function of the lip mucosa, thereby aggravating the symptoms of dryness and itching. Therefore, most people will feel that the more they lick, the drier they become.

There are generally two types of cheilitis caused by lipstick:

Contact cheilitis

Fragrances, antioxidants and preservatives are responsible for contact cheilitis Common allergens.

Others such as certain ingredients in topical drugs, toothpaste, dental preparations, lipstick, and light-blocking lipstick, contact with cosmetics, nail polish, tobacco, rubber, metal, etc., or eating oranges, lemons, and mangoes Fruits and other fruits may also cause contact cheilitis.

Exfoliative cheilitis

It is often used to describe an unexplained primary desquamation and mild inflammation of the lips, sometimes associated with chronic actinic cheilitis It is difficult to distinguish from chronic contact dermatitis.

Exfoliative cheilitis can be secondary to mechanical stimulation such as habitual lip licking, and allergic reactions caused by lipstick, lipstick and other substances can also be the cause.

Let’s take a look at the ingredient list. It is not difficult to find that most lipsticks contain lanolin, petrolatum, liquid paraffin, and paraffin.

In lipstick, waxes and oils are the main components and act as molding agents. The gloss, rigidity, hardness, and melting point of lipstick are mainly related to waxes, including beeswax, microcrystalline wax, and carnauba. Tree wax, etc.; while skin feel and moisturizing are mainly related to oils, including jojoba oil, lanolin, squalane, etc.

Lanolin

It is a kind of oil secreted by the skin of sheep and attached to the wool. Later, it is recovered from the washing crude wool liquid and processed and refined to obtain lanolin. It has a very good softening effect on the skin, and generally, few people are allergic to lanolin.

Petrolatum

Another name is Vaseline (if you change the name, it will be very familiar to you), it can restore the skin's luster and elasticity. Vaseline is not easily absorbed by the skin and will not cause acute allergies or irritation.

Liquid paraffin

Also known as mineral oil, it is a substance distilled at a certain boiling point range during the oil refining production process and is used as a solvent for oil-soluble ingredients in lipstick. The higher its purity, the better its quality. If it contains impurities, it may cause allergies.

Paraffin

It is a hard wax obtained by the fractionation and refining of petroleum. It can reduce the evaporation of water from the skin and make the skin soft and elastic.

The only difference between the above four ingredients is that they are all common occlusive moisturizing ingredients, which can form a closed film on the skin surface to prevent moisture from evaporating and firmly lock in moisture. live.

Its main anti-inflammatory ingredient is allantoin, which can relieve skin redness and moisturize and repair it.

Allantoin is also commonly used in pharmaceutical products, cosmetics (lotions, creams) and oral hygiene products (toothpaste, mouthwash).

There are many types of lipsticks on the market now, so everyone should be careful when choosing~

A high-quality lipstick should meet the following characteristics

For lips Non-irritating (should be edible raw materials), harmless (low heavy metal content), no microbial contamination

Natural and pleasant taste

Uniform appearance and smooth application

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Stable, no caking, breaking, softening or odor, or "sweating" (similar to surface water droplets) will occur during storage

You can choose these lipsticks

Contain hyaluronic acid Lipsticks containing sodium, ceramide, squalane and other ingredients not only moisturize, but also help repair the skin barrier.

Lipsticks containing sealants such as castor oil, jojoba oil, and petroleum jelly can effectively lock in moisture and make lips softer.

Lip balm containing moisturizing and repairing ingredients such as allantoin and vitamin E can relieve chapped and peeling lips.

It is best not to choose these lipsticks

Lipsticks containing exfoliating ingredients such as salicylic acid and phenol, although they remove dry skin on the lips, they also damage the cuticle of the lips. It's easy to lose moisture on your lips, and they may become drier the more you apply it.

Some people choose to use a disposable lip mask, which is similar to a facial mask and can moisturize the cuticle quickly and briefly. Applying it once in a while is not a big problem. However, it is not recommended to use lip masks for a long time, including "pure natural lip masks" such as honey and aloe vera prepared by yourself.

Anyway, lipstick is just a tool to help moisturize your lips. If you suffer from cheilitis, you must go to see a doctor, see a doctor, see a doctor (say important things three times), and follow the doctor’s advice! Don’t think that just using lipstick can cure it.

All handsome men and beautiful women, when you take good care of your face, don’t forget to take care of your lips~ After all, dry and flaky lips don’t make people want to kiss them!

[References]

[1] Zhao Bian. Chinese Clinical Dermatology[M]. Jiangsu Phoenix Science and Technology Press, 2017.

[ 2] Zhang Jianzhong. Skin care lessons for dermatologists[M]. Science and Technology Literature Press, 2020.

The data in this article was updated on January 7, 2021

Popular science content cannot be replaced Doctor's diagnosis and treatment opinions are for reference only

If you have skin problems, please consult your doctor in time

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