Lip Balm & Lip Gloss increase risk of cancer

[LTC LPN 2006]

See article:

Lip Balms And Glosses May Raise Skin Cancer Risk

[cougarnurse]

Thanks for the article. I especially got a kick out of this passage:
Shiny lip balms/glosses have the opposite effect of sun blocks - they attract the rays to the lips. Lip gloss/balm should only be applied after a layer of sun protection has been put on the lips first - the sun protection should be under the shiny lip gloss/balm. If you are going to be exposed to sunlight for over 20 minutes you should apply a sun block with an SPF of 30 beforehand, says Dr. Brown.
I guess people forget about this.

[katyv]

I have had a couple of skin cancers (fair skinned/redhead). I have started using lip balm with sunblock in it. A great article. I am passing it on to some of my friends. I preach to my staff when they come in after hitting the tanning beds. I lost a brother in law to skin melanoma. It ain' pretty.

[cassioo]

Even though the article says lip balm attracts the rays I don't think it's so much attracts them but intensifies them like putting oil in a frying pan. I have been a tanner not so much any more but still do during vacation and not tanning beds in the wintertime. I only got burned bad once in my life when I was in FLA and laid out (in the late 70's ok) with oil and had on a gold necklace and the burn under that necklace was bad.

[Dillon1]

Great article...thanks for sharing. I am addicted to lip balm..I never leave home without it. Apparently I need to change my routine with it. I do remember burning my lips so bad one summer. I was playing in a softball tournament and it was hot and I mean hot. I didn't feel it that night after playing but I woke up the next morning and my lips were huge and they hurt like crazy. I never did that again I can assure you of that.