Unfortunately, we weren’t all blessed with naturally full, plump lips. Luckily, using the right lipstick or adding some va-va-voom with a bit of overlining can help the cause—but sometimes, you may want even more of a boost. That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to opt for pricey lip fillers; instead, you may choose a lip-plumping product specially formulated with ingredients that create that luscious look without any surgery. If you’re considering investing in a lip plumper, though, you may be wondering if these products are safe to use.
To get down to the bottom of things, we spoke to Rachel Scott, Co-Founder and Medical Practitioner at National TASC. While the answer isn’t exactly straightforward, Scott told us exactly how safe lip plumpers are for your lips, outlined the possible risks, and gave us some guidelines to live by. Find it all below!
Lip Plumpers Are Safe To Use On Occasion
Good news for those who want the occasional boost without surgery! Scott says applying a lip-plumping product every now and then likely won't cause extensive damage to your skin. "Lip plumpers are generally safe," she states.
However, it's important to note that the whole reason these products work at all is the fact that they're deliberately irritating your lips—so while they're not terrible for you, they aren't exactly good for you, either. "These products plump the lips by inducing an irritation in the skin, which in turn will make the lips look fuller and redder," Scott explains. Guess it's true what they say: beauty is pain! But you shouldn't worry too much, as long as you aren't applying these irritating ingredients to your lips on the regular. "Since this reaction is also what happens when you eat spicy foods or other mildly irritating food items, then it is generally safe," Scott assures us.
Just as with most things in life, the key to safe lip-plumping is moderation above all else. While you may love how luscious your lips look after using a plumping gloss, it's best not to apply some every day. Eventually, this can cause unwanted effects and become counterproductive. "Danger comes with overusing lip plumpers," Scott warns. "If overused, plumpers can induce excessive irritation and can cause lip cracking and other deep wounds. Hence, it is important that this product is regulated."
So, there you have it. If you're gearing up for a big occasion you want your shiniest, fullest lips for, go ahead and using a bit of that tingly, plumping gloss. However, don't make it part of your daily ritual—some things really are best when they're just used as a special treat!
