Why Do We Need Lip Safe Fragrant Oils?

Being an Essential Oils company we understand the gravity of this and take care to offer a wide selection of plant based aromas for the delight of the discerning cosmetics customer.However, essential oils are not always the best choice and when it comes to the delicate area around the mouth it can sometimes be more appropriate to choose a fragrance over an essential oil.

Our lip safe fragrant oils are our newest olfactory offering doing exactly what it says on the tin - safely perfuming products destined for the lip area, which begs the question "how?".To answer that we first need to think about the lips.

Our lips are the gateway to our digestive system and as such perform an important role in ensuring we think twice before eating things that aren't good for us.The skin of the lips is much thinner than skin found elsewhere on the face making it more sensitive (the nerves are closer to the surface). The skin is non-keratinized which means that unlike the skin on our cheeks and arms the cells at the surface of our lips are living. Elsewhere on our bodies the top layer of skin is actually dead keratinocytes that help to protect us from the elements and lessen the sensations felt from things like the wind, cold weather, a touch or burn.If you think about it this makes sense, it wouldn't pay for our whole bodies to be as sensitive as our lips we would never tolerate wooly jumpers, and rough seating or tightly fitting high heels!So, those living cells allow the lips to act as border protection guards (or in biological terms another part of our immune system), assessing incoming cargo and ensuring that we remain safe.Further, the lips lacks sweat or sebaceous glands which all add up to lip skin being highly sensitive and vulnerable to the elements.

The most common reaction to lip products is allergic contact cheilitis which basically means 'inflamed lips' and the most common ingredients causing this swelling are: Eosin (sometimes used to soften lipstick), Perfumes and flavorings (Peru Balsam, Citral, Cinnamaldehyde, Peppermint Oil, Vanilla, Geraniol), Lanolin, Castor Oil, Olive Oil, Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Esters, Dyes, Sunscreens (Benzophenone-3) propolis, shellac, vitamin E and even the anti-inflammatory Bisabolol found in chamomile. That doesn't mean that you can't use any of the above in a lip product, purely that you should use these with care and re-consider their use for people with very sensitive or broken skin.

As fragrance/ flavor ingredients are some of the most common items to cause irritation Choosing lip safe fragrances is a good strategy for those wanting a fragrant hit! As such New Directions have been working with our team of perfume consultants to create a range that allows you to enjoy a bit of creativity and self-expression while reducing the risk of adverse reactions.

So here's what is in store:

The fragrant oils are all diluted in high purity caprylic capric triglyceride making them oil soluble. While not of natural origin the blends have all been created with the lip area in mind and so accidental ingestion has been factored in. The fragrances are substantive and can be mixed together to create unique banquets of fragrance.These fragrances are also suitable to be added to emulsions such as body custards, butters, moisturisers and spritzer sprays (with a solubiliser) so there is no need to limit yourself to lips alone!

Suggested dose rates are from between 0.1-0.3% as supplied and the fragrance should be added at the end of manufacture when the mixture has cooled to less than 50°C

Amanda Foxon-Hill

6 September 2013