Kids Products, Don't Equal Safe Products

As I looked at my daughter’s chapped, dry, red lips I remembered a gift she had received for Christmas of a lip balm with a character’s face on it that would clip to her backpack so she’d have it for school and not have to worry about losing it. I cut the package open look at the back and my heart skipped a beat reading the ingredients. Yes we make our own lip balm, we call it Lip Dew, and there is no way these types of ingredients are necessary in a child’s lip balm.

The first ingredient, which means the majority of the product, was something called Ethylhexyl Palmitate, which is a new one I haven’t heard of and had to look it up. I saw it can irritate the eyes, lungs and skin. Isn’t the lip a part of your skin and wouldn’t you lick your lips causing Ethylhexyl Palmitate to get into your body? Okay so from my research except for perfuming and fragrancing the product there is no real reason they had to put that in there. Our first ingredient in any of our Lip Dews is Shea Oil, who likes that name better? Shea oil is simply put a liquid form of Shea Butter. 

The next ingredients listed in order are Squalane (derived possibly from plants or animals, but for the most part a much safer ingredient than the first in their lip balm), Ceresin (derived from plants, but can cause organ toxicity…again why in a children’s product?), Polyisobutene (a synthetic ingredient that causes a film on your lips…beeswax is much safer and is the next ingredient and does this as well), Beeswax (finally something we’ve all heard about and know is safe, but it took getting down to the 5th ingredient to feel there is one safe ingredient in this listing so far?), Fragrance (seriously fragrance, flavoring or an essential oil can be the last ingredient, it doesn’t need to be 5 away from being the last), Methylparaben (paraben…enough said, we all know they can mimic hormones in your body and what 6 year old or any other aged child or adult need that?), Proplyparaben (another paraben, I guess one wasn’t enough right? These parabens have been known to penetrate the skin and lead to cancers, why risk it?), BHT (stands for Butylparaben, so yes yet another paraben, we are times 3 now right?), Sodium Saccharin (suspected human carcinogen…enough said), that is all the ingredients listed with the exception of a side note that says “May Contain Red 6 Lake”…seriously, you can’t be sure if this ingredient exists in this product? 

So please tell me which ingredient list you’d prefer the one above or this one for our Natural Shea Lip Dew: Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Oil), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil), Beeswax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil), Ricinus Communis (Castor Oil)  *This product has been identified as an approved product by the Feingold Institute.

And when we do use flavoring, yes it is synthetic, but we find the safest we can…gluten-free, alcohol-free, formaldehyde-free, free of sweeteners or we use alternative Essential Oils like Peppermint for Flavoring or can use Extracts like Vanilla. Our colors consist of Micas and Iron Oxides…safe minerals that give your lips a hint of color and shine. 

So what’s a mom to do about a lip balm in cute packaging…well honestly as soon as I read the ingredients I dumped the ball of “crap” out and if my daughter still wants the container I can make her one with Live Love Dew ingredients, but she is so accustomed to already using our products, she doesn't even call it lip balm anymore, it’s Lip Dew to her and she knows the products she is putting on her skin are safe because her mom and “adopted mom” would never let her put anything on her skin that wouldn't be safe. 

To celebrate our Safe, Natural, Whole, Nourishing products we thought we’d do a giveaway to show our love for our fans so you too can try our products. We are going to do a $15 Gift Certificate towards Live Love Dew products; you can choose our nourishing, moisturizing Lip Dews or something else that your skin is yearning for.  Check out our online store.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Do you always read labels on your skincare products and packaged food items?  Seen anything concerning lately?