Can You Eat Chapstick? Exploring Safety and Risks

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Christiana George
Christiana Georgehttps://www.thetarttart.com/
Welcome to The Tart Tart, my not-so-tart take on food, writing, and photography. I decided to start up this sucker after repeated nagging from Chris, my fiance, who cannot understand why the sight of a farmer’s market would send me into ecstatic convulsions (okay, total overstatement. I can be quite the histrionic at times).With that said, my interests, though chiefly in food, also span fashion, design, literature, and photography. So don’t mind the seemingly non sequitur odds and ends I toss in posts at times.

Chapsticks are unknowingly one of the most used products in our daily life. They are mostly used in winter but it is also used throughout the year.

However, most of the time we lick or eat the layers of chapsticks from our lips. We do it intentionally or unintentionally.

But now the main question is, can you eat Chapstick?

No, you can not eat chapsticks. Chapsticks are not edible. So, it’s better not to eat chapsticks. But still, a little amount of chapstick won’t hurt.  Most lip products, such as chapsticks, lipsticks, and lip balms are non-toxic. But if you just eat a good amount of chapstick then your health might be at risk.

To know more about chapsticks you’ve to stick with us. And you’ll get your answer to every confusion in detail.

Just stay with us and get to know more!

Can You Eat Chapsticks? Yes or No?

The answer to this question is No. You can’t eat chapsticks. Chapsticks are for external uses only. Chapsticks are not meant for food. But still, we sometimes swallow them.

Now you might think, how much chapstick does a person eat?

On average, a person eats 24mg of chapstick a day. This means a person eats 1/16 pounds of chapstick a year.

Chapsticks are usually made of harmless substances. But it’s better not to eat chapsticks as food. Because after all, those are chemicals. If you eat chapsticks then you might face some health issues and difficulties.

chapstick

Related Article: Can You Eat Coral? Exploring Edibility, Risks, and Environmental Impact

Basic Ingredients of Chapsticks

The basic ingredients of chapsticks from every brand are pretty the same. Now, you might wonder what is chapstick made of.  Chapsticks are made of mineral oil, vitamins, and so on. 

Different ingredients work for different features. The basic ingredients as per features are, 

Feature 1: Soften Lips

Chapsticks have the feature of making your lips softer than ever. To soften your lips, some specific ingredients are used. Those are, 

  • Mineral oil
  • Beeswax
  • Aloe
  • Vitamin E
  • Petroleum
  • Lanolin

Feature 2: Naturally Pink Lips

Chapsticks with SPF in them are very helpful. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. They protect lips from heat and sun. Also protects lips to get darker. 

Feature 3: Fix Sore Lips

Chapsticks hell with sore lips a lot. Sometimes our lips get inflamed and intoxicated. These cause sore lips. Sore lips are usually handled with, 

  • Salicylic acid
  • Camphor

All these features prove that most chapsticks don’t contain harmful elements. But it’s’ better not to eat chapstick as they contain a lot of chemical substances. 

What Are Some Harmful Ingredients Use In Chapsticks

As you already know that chapsticks do not carry any poisonous elements. But sometimes chapsticks contain a few harmful ingredients. Most of the time, flavored chapsticks contain harmful substances. 

Now, you might think, can you eat flavored chapsticks? It is not recommended to eat flavored chapsticks. As artificial flavors can cause allergic reactions.

You definitely need to know about those harmful ingredients and their side effects. Those are, 

Ingredient 1: Propolis

Propolis can be harmful to you. It is safe to use a little amount of Propolis. But it is dangerous to consume it. 

If you consume Propolis you might see some side effects. These are 

  • Allergic reactions to skin
  • Irritation on the skin and in the stomach
  • Ulcer

Ingredient 2: Menthol

Menthol is very commonly used among us. It is widely used in skincare products. Sometimes menthol is also used for runny nose and cough. 

But too much usage of menthol is not safe. Even menthol is not good for consumption either. Too much menthol might cause,

  • Menthols can cause irritation on the skin
  • Heart disease 
  • Lung disease 
  • Pulmonary disease
  • Menthols can get people into addiction easily

Ingredient 3: Dyes

Dyes in chapsticks can be very harmful to you. Dyes have metal salts in them. Metal saults carry toxins. And with these dyes, the toxins are carried directly to your health.

Dyes can cause, 

  • Irritation on the skin
  • Upset stomach
  • Vomiting
chapstick

Ingredient 4: Scents

A lot of chapsticks have artificial fragrances or scents in them. These artificial scents make the chapsticks smell good and flavorful.

But these artificial scents can be very harmful. They can cause, 

  • Irritation on skin
  • Allergic reaction
  • Upsetting stomach
  • Stomachache

Chapsticks are mainly harmful to these few ingredients. So, it is definitely not recommended for you to consume chapsticks. But if you do consume, in a very small portion then there’s nothing to worry about.

Related Article: Can You Eat Eel Skin? Exploring the Delicacy and Health Benefits

How to Choose Perfect Chapsticks For Yourself

There are a lot of brands of chapsticks out there. But it’s up to you which one you’ll use. So, this question definitely hovers on your mind what should be in a lip balm

Definitely avoid menthol, dyes, and artificial fragrances in chapsticks. 

To choose a perfect chapstick for yourself, you’ve to keep a few things in mind. Those are, 

Tip 1: Avoid Alchohol, Menthol, Camphor, or Phenol 

These elements are not safe for your lips or skin. They might give you an immediate cooling sensation. But afterward, you’ll feel an itch or allergic reactions from these.

chapstick

Tip 2: Choose Moisturizer For Lips

Chapsticks including glycerine, mineral oil, and aloe helps to moisture lips. Vitamin E and beeswax are a perfect combo for sensitive lips. 

Tip 3: Avoid Artificial Fragrances

Chapsticks with artificial fragrances cause so much damage to the skin. These can cause serious allergic reactions and irritation. 

Tip 4: Choose SPF Added Chapsticks

Always choose your chapsticks with SPF 15 or more. It is very important as SPF will protect your lips from sun rays. Your lips won’t turn darker with this element.

So, you can follow these tips before buying chapsticks. Also, you can follow our recommendation below.

O’Keeffe’s Lip Repair SPF 35 Lip Balm StickCheck Price Here
Sun Bum SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip BalmCheck Price Here

What To Do If Kids Eat Chapsticks

Some of us have kids at home and it’s hard to control them. Kids are generally very curious. So, whenever they see someone using chapsticks, they apply these too. 

Now, sometimes kids just directly eat chapsticks. Though chapsticks don’t have those harmful elements, it’s not safe to eat chapsticks either. If kids eat chapsticks, there are a few things you can keep in mind, 

  • Give your kids a few sips of water
  • Wait for other unusual symptoms
  • The unusual symptoms can be: Vomiting, mild diarrhea, or stomachache 
  • If the symptoms show up then contact emergency medical lines

So, look out for your kids and be careful. Keep your skincare products out of their reach.

Related Article: Can You Eat Rock Bass? Things to Know About Rock Bass 

FAQs 

Can You Die From Swallowing Chapstick?

No. You won’t die from swallowing chapsticks. Chapsticks are not foods, but even if they are accidentally consumed, they won’t do any harm. This is because they will be in extremely small quantities. And the body will eliminate them.

Can You Drink With Lip Balm On?

Yes, you can drink with your lip balm on. Vaseline and lip balms are not particularly fatally harmful.  But refrain from drinking after using them. Please properly brush your lips before eating too. Lip balms are used to keep skin from drying out as a result of bad weather.

Are Burt’s Bees ChapStick toxic?

No, Burt’s Bees chapstick is not toxic. You may use Burt’s Bees lip balms while pregnant. Because they are all-natural and don’t contain any harmful components. If you are allergic to essential oils, choose an unscented lip balm. Or one without possibly irritating menthol.

Conclusion

Hope you got your answer to can you eat chapstick

You can eat chapsticks but not in a bulk amount. Also, it is not recommended to eat chapsticks. 

Also, be aware of the harmful elements in your chapsticks. Please try to select the better chapstick for you. We’ve mentioned a few tips on how you can choose the perfect chapstick. We hope that you’ll find them useful.

Have a great day! And take care of your skin and lips. 

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