Color me bummed! A story on msnbc.com last week reported that some dermatologists believe that wearing lip gloss can increase your risk of developing skin cancer by allowing damaging rays to penetrate the lips. The story says about 3,500 new cases of skin cancer of the lips are diagnosed each year and more bad news, skin cancer can be more aggressive on the lips than on other parts of the skin. Or you could end up not with cancer, but with a scaly patch of skin and “a wart-like bump” if left untreated.
The dermatologist in the story blames, of all things, “the moisture in lip gloss.” The shinier the gloss, the worse it can get. The only good news is that “no studies have confirmed the lip gloss-skin cancer link.”
I’m a lip gloss junkie and because I live in Florida, I can’t carry around lipsticks in my purse or car because they melt. So what’s a girl to do? The experts recommend you switch to a lip gloss with SPF
15. There aren’t too many out there, but I like Clinique’s Long Lasting Glosswear ($14) available in plenty of pretty summer shades.
Doctors say the next best thing is to protect your lips by applying SPF 30 lip balm under your gloss. For just $$1.69 a tube, you can stock up on Eco Lips with SPF 30, organic vegetable oil, beeswax and herbs, and you won’t have to toss your gloss.
Tip: Read our Gentle Skincare Guide for the best skincare products for new moms and babies.
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