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Applying Burleigh Minerals Longwear Lipstick to lips in the shade Cherry Kisses

The Toxic Truth: What's Really in Your Lipstick

Do you know what you're really putting on your lips?

You’d never eat your lipstick… but you actually kind of do. Between sipping, snacking and talking, whatever you swipe on your lips ends up going in them too, ending up in your body. This isn't very cute, especially when they’re packed with chemicals you can’t even pronounce. We know it's hard to hear but some of the most common ingredients in big-name lipsticks and glosses have been linked to hormone disruption, skin irritation and even long-term health effects. And most of us are applying them daily without a second thought.

So if you’ve ever wondered what’s actually sinking in with every application, you've reached the right place.

Ingredients to Keep Off Your Lips

Girl applying Liquid Lip Crème in mirror at the beach.

While you're not directly nibbling on your lipstick (that's something we recommend you never do - even with our safe to ingest formulas!), it's important to learn what ingredients you want to avoid. Accidentally lipstick consumption happens on a daily basis, so much so that the average person consumes 3 kilograms of lipstick in their lifetime! When you're walking through the aisles of bold colours and cute packaging it's super easy to get distracted but what you want to remember is that it's inside what matters most.

To make it easy, here are four of the biggest offenders hiding in mainstream formulas and why you don’t want them anywhere near your mouth.

Bismuth Oxychloride

  • Why it’s used: Adds shimmer and helps makeup stick to your skin.
  • Why it’s a problem: Can clog pores, irritate sensitive skin and leave your lips itchy or rashy.
  • What to look out for on ingredients lists: Bismuth Oxychloride, CI 77163

Parabens

  • Why it’s used: Works as a preservative to stop mould and bacteria growth.
  • Why it’s a problem: Parabens are known endocrine disruptors that can mimic oestrogen in the body, which is a big no for your hormones.Parabens sitting in science testing glasses in a lab
  • What to look out for on ingredients lists: Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben

Synthetic Dyes

  • Why it’s used: To give lipstick those bright, bold colours.
  • Why it’s a problem: These dyes have been linked to skin irritation and allergic reactions,
  •  which is the opposite of what your sensitive lips need.
  • What to look out for on ingredients lists: FD&C Red No. 40, Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5, D&C colours

Fragrance / Parfum

  • Why it’s used: To scent products or cover up weird chemical smells.
  • Why it’s a problem: “Fragrance” is often a blanket term for undisclosed chemicals that can trigger allergies, migraines or hormone disruption.
  • What to look out for on ingredients lists: Fragrance, Parfum, Aroma

So… Are There Safer Lipsticks Out There?

Short answer is yes, and you've actually found them (go you!). But that question is often followed by, 'Do lower tox lipsticks even work?'.  If you’re wondering whether cleaner formulas mean dull colours or products that go off in a week, the answer is a big no. Burleigh Minerals proves that you don’t need the usual chemical extras to get gorgeous, long-lasting lips. We keep our formulas simple and safe enough that you won’t stress if a little ends up where your snacks go (and let’s be honest, it always does).

Here’s what we do differently:

Bismuth and Synthetic Dyes? Replaced with ethically-sourced Micas for soft shimmer and buildable pigment.

Four Burleigh Minerals Longwear Lipstick lined up in a bathroom showcasing the shades

Parabens? Swapped for natural preservatives like nourishing Castor Oil and Vitamin E that keep products fresh while caring for your lips.

Artificial Fragrance? Forget it. We use soft, natural flavours that smell good enough to eat (but, you know, please don’t).

We know your lips deserve better, and clean formulas mean you can have colour, comfort and peace of mind all at once (which you can read more about here). Let us breakdown our safe-to-ingest, lip-loving range for you. 

Longwear Lipstick

The traditional twist-up lippie that stays put all day, so you can sip, snack and chat without constant touch-ups. It keeps your lips feeling soft, never dry or cracked, even after hours of wear. Plus, it's vegan, 100% cruelty-free and non-comedogenic so you can feel good about what you're wearing and know that it won't cause annoying breakouts around your lip line.

Liquid Lip Crèmes

We've switched up the lipstick game with our vegan gloss-meets-balm hybrid. Our Liquid Lip Crèmes keep your lips looking plump and juicy all day long, without leaving behind that uncomfortable sticky feeling. Just one swipe offers a pigmented pop of colour to suit every occasion (trust us, they'll quickly become something you can't leave the house without). 

Get Lippy Liner

What goes hand-in-hand with Lipstick? Lip Liner of course! Get Lippy liner makes your lips pop with endless ways to wear it. Whether you're adding a subtle outline to get that filled effect or shading in your entire lip for a soft wash of colour that lasts - Get Lippy is your girl.

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