Oxygen question

[Wankel7]

I have always heard that if you are wearing lipstick or chapstick and you put on an oxygen mask it will oxidize and burn the heck out of your face.

So what happens when the masks drop for the passengers? I am SURE there is plenty of greazed up lips back there. So, what happens to them?

If this question is blatantly obvious, I will remove it

Wankel

 

[flint4xx]

Sounds like a question for the Myth Busters on the Discovery Channel.

 

[bigD]

Sounds like a myth to me. I've used a mask with chapstick before (lots of it, actually - my lips were chapped to hell that day) with no ill effects.

I have no personal experience with lipstick, though!

 

[EagleRJ]

The problem isn't oxidation. When you are wearing a diluter demand or pressure demand O2 mask, the atmostphere inside the mask is obviously pure oxygen. Petroleum byproducts like chapstick and makeup that normally aren't very flammable become extremely flammable in pure oxygen. If you were to get a static discharge in your mask, your friends would start calling you Hot Lips.

Constant flow masks like the drop-down airline masks and GA masks shouldn't create a problem, since they are providing a mixture of ambient air and supplimental oxygen.

 

[TZRav8r]

EagleRJ is absolutely correct! Petroleum in a 100% pure oxygen enviroment is extremely flammable. Any charge at all can ignite the mixture. I hope you don't chew Certs mints too! Of course if you did you wouldn't be asking this question. I recommend finding a non-petroleum based lip balm.