Shiny Lips = Skin Cancer Risk

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:05:00 -0700

We all want lovely, shiny lips, but those beautiful balms and glosses might just be putting your pouty mouth at risk for skin cancer.

Not only do shiny lip glosses and lip balms offer no sun protection, new research shows that they may actually attract dangerous sun rays, making it easier for damaging UV rays to penetrate the lips. Since lips are more sensitive to aging and sun damage than skin, it is important to protect them, yet only about 25 percent of Americans do.

If you plan to be in the sun for over 20 minutes, your best bet it to apply sun protection of SPF 30 to your lips then add on the gloss. Keep your kisser safe!

Source

Gear Review: SPF 15 Lip Gloss by Clinique

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

I know a few of you hardcore athletes might scoff at the idea of lip gloss being gear, but this gloss offers sun protection along with color, and that is why I am ranking it as gear. Lips should be treated like skin and protected from the sun's rays. Most shiny lip gloss actually attracts the sun, making it easier for harmful rays to penetrate the delicate flesh and causing skin cancer on your kisser.

That is where Clinique's Long Last Glosswear ($14) with SPF 15 comes in handy. It coats and protects your lips, and it really does last. It is flavorless too, which I think is great, and the texture is so thin you forget you have it on. On my way out the door for a midday run, I couldn't find my chapstick with SPF, so I wore this lip gloss. It was great. It kept my lips moist and protected. It comes in many shades and is available online at the Clinique website.