Too faced lip injection gloss allergic reaction

April 14, 2006

At first dab, the lip gloss tingles.

Then the prickles kick in, and they soon intensify into a burning sting. Lips start to throb, reddening from the pain like they've kissed a hot stove. Within a minute the plumper takes its full effect. Lips bloat into a scarlet, bee-stung pout.

"The first time I put it on, it killed," Kaoru Yamamoto, 23, from Bethesda, Md., said of the lip volumizer, a gloss designed to fatten lips as though they were injected with collagen. "My mouth was red and swollen for hours. It was worse for my friend. She started screaming, ?Take it off, take it off!'"

Despite the agony, Yamamoto, an associate at Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, bought the Too Faced Lip Injection balm and quickly became an avid fan. She now owns more brands, including the popular DuWop Lip Venom. "That one's really intense," she said.

A year and a half after the first lip plumpers showed up in mainstream stores, the irritant glosses have become makeup staples among young women seeking an alternative to expensive collagen injections. Last year, Lip Venom, the original plumper, was named the most requested product at Sephora cosmetic stores.

However, some dermatologists caution that the aggravation the products induce could cause allergic reactions in lips. At worst, lips could swell to a more than the desirable size or crack or even spread inflammation, they say.

"You shouldn't use lip plumpers. I wouldn't use something that purposely gives you an allergy," said Dr. Karen Burke, a Manhattan specialist in cosmetic dermatology. "I wouldn't induce an allergy, because if you lick some, it could swell your throat and you'd have to be rushed to the hospital."

Some volumizers are made with spicy ingredients like cinnamon, ginger and clove, mixed with soothing lotions like avocado oil or green tea. Other plumpers, like Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme and Fusion Beauty's LipFusion Lip Plump, contain collagen, which, according to the labels, is absorbed into the skin and inflates lips.

Regular lipsticks and balms have also started incorporating volumizing ingredients, said Meghann Reilly, an assistant editor for Beauty Fashion, a New York-based industry trade magazine. She estimated that close to 50 lip plumpers are now sold in the United States.

The zesty elements increase circulation in the lips and make blood vessels dilate, said Dr. Paul Cohen, a dermatologist in Toronto. He disagreed with Burke and asserted that the products are harmless overall, although they could cause allergic reactions.

"If you have a cut or sensitive skin, it could be irritating, but mostly it's quite safe," he said.

The products carry warning notes about possible painful side effects. A description of Lip Injection Extreme on an online cosmetic store states, "Apply within only the perimeter of the lips. If applied on skin, a temporary redness may occur. If any discomfort is present, remove and discontinue."

According to brand labels, the puffy, sunburned effect can last from four hours to two days. However, even devoted users dispute such claims of durability.

"I definitely notice that my lips look redder," said Reilly, 24. "But I don't think it lasts, although I think some manufacturers make inferences that it does."

Lip Venom was created in December 1999 by two makeup artists who were working on the television show "Felicity," according to Lauren Hilton, a DuWop public relations manager. While on the set, the duo noticed how red and puffy actresses' lips were after kissing scenes.

"They joked that kissing did the work for you," Hilton said. "So they tried combinations of Cayenne pepper, jalapeno and anything that was super spicy. Finally, they found that cinnamon, ginger and wintergreen had the most similar effect of kissing."

At first, Lip Venom was found only in high-end boutiques, Hilton said. Its popularity soared in 2004, when Sephora began selling it. In turn, other makeup manufacturers made their own brands. Lip Venom is among the favorites, and in its first six years DuWop sold about 1.5 million tubes, with gross sales exceeding $20 million, Hilton said.

At Sephora, the price of plumpers ranges from $5 for Sugar's Pump ?N Shine to $50 for LipFusion XL. Lip Venom goes for $16 and Too Faced products sell from $18 to $23. That is far lower than the price of collagen injections, which on average cost $370, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Since discovering the volumizers, many consumers have been willing to risk distress and allergy to achieve a luscious pout like that of film star Angelina Jolie. Reilly recently received about 10 sample tubes of Lip Venom and brought them to a party to give to friends.

"They were gone immediately, and if I'd had more, those would have gone too," she said.

The first time I used a lip plumper, it burned so bad I rubbed it off. After a couple of times, I got used to it. Now, I find the feeling wears off after fifteen minutes or so... also, I sort of like the stinging/tingling.

I'd give it a few more tries if it isn't breaking you out but, yeah, it is supposed to hurt. Like everyone else said, it's plumping your lips by irritating them... We are a very silly species.

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