It seems like every last thing I enjoy ends up being bad for me in some way (ice cream, shopping for stuff I don’t need, spending all day at the beach, frappuccinos, etc.) I just got an email press release stating that some Dermatologists warn lip gloss can be bad for you!?@!  This goes with my theory that there’s not a single thing I enjoy that is “healthy” (I also just read an email where Paula Begoun states hot tubs are bad for your skin in the long-term. I go in the hot tub almost every night). Great.

Back to lip gloss…Since lip gloss is so shiny, Dermatologists theorize that it magnifies the sun’s rays, thus making your lips a prime target for skin cancer. It’s true - you can get skin cancer on your lips, and as silly as it sounds, it does make a lot of sense that lip gloss really could increase your risk of skin cancer. When you go swimming, the pool or ocean acts a giant sun reflector, and it can make you tan/burn faster than just lying on the sand.

Wear SPF on your lips!
This lip gloss press release got me to put more thought into protecting my lips with sunscreen. Currently I obsessively apply my favorite blue Chapstick, which does have an SPF of 15, and over that I apply lip gloss. Since I believe that Zinc Oxide is the best sunscreen ingredient, I want to find some other chapsticks to try, since my favorite chapstick doesn’t contain Zinc Oxide. Zinka makes an SPF 30 coconut scented lip balm, so I will definitely be trying that out!

Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Soother SPF 20
The press release I received was to promote Neutrogena’s new lip glosses, which contain SPF 20 sun protection. woohoo! Now you can wear lip gloss worry-free, because these lip glosses actually protect your delicate lips from the sun. While these glosses don’t have Zinc Oxide as the sunscreen ingredient, it’s still great that they at least contain SPF. I haven’t tried them yet, but am sure I will love them, since I love all lip gloss. Neutrogena also makes MoistureShine Lip Sheer lipstick with SPF 20 if you prefer lipstick to lip gloss.

The bottom line is to remember to apply SPF to your lips. Skin cancer, brown spots on your lips, and thinning lips are all exacerbated by the sun. Also make sure to apply sunscreen above your lips as well (that’s a spot I normally forget about when I apply my daily sunscreen).