We can’t keep our lips sealed any longer. There are so many lip balms on the market today and so many of them contain toxic ingredients—including ones that lead you to believe they’re natural. Commonly found ingredients include petroleum/petroleum byproducts, aluminum/aluminum byproducts, parabens, toxic dyes and soy. While many brands appear to be safe, all too often do they contain a selection of these toxins. I don’t know about you, but we certainly don’t want a product like that anywhere near our lips. In this blog post, we discuss the lip balm ingredients to avoid and introduce an all-natural alternative.
Looking for Toxins or Irritants in Well-Known Lip Balm Brands
Burt’s Bees Ingredients (Original): cera alba (beeswax, cire d’abeille), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, lanolin, tocopherolrosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil (huile de colza), limonene.
Chapstick Ingredients (Classic Original): Padimate O, White petrolatum 44%, arachidyl propionate, camphor, carnauba wax, cetyl alcohol, D&C red no. 6 barium lake, FD&C yellow no. 5 aluminum lake, fragrance, isopropyl lanolate, isopropyl myristate, lanolin, light mineral oil, methylparaben, octyldodecanol, oleyl alcohol, paraffin, phenyl trimethicone, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, white wax
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisture: Active: Octinoxate 7.5%…Purpose: Sunscreen, Oxybenzone 4%…Purpose: Sunscreen. Inactive: Castor (Ricinus Communis) Seed Oil, Corn (Zea Mays) Oil, Ozokerite, Petrolatum, Beeswax, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Paraffin, Stearyl Alcohol, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera) Wax, BHT.
ChapIce (Original): Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Ozokerite, Microcrystalline Wax, Trimethicone, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Flavor NA, Camphor, Red 6 Lake, Methylparaben
Maybeline Baby Lips: Active Ingredients: Octinoxate (7.5%). Octisalate (3%). Inactive Ingredients: Polybutene, Octyldodecanol, Isopropyl Myristate, Petrolatum, Polyethylene, Ozokerite, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Diisostearyl Malate, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, VP/Hexadecane Copolymer, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Flavor, Alumina
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Octinoxate 7.5%, Avobenzone 3.0%, Petrolatum 40.2%. OTHER INGREDIENTS: Avocado Oil, Beeswax, Butylparaben, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cocoa Butter, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclomethicone, Flavor, Hydroxy Polyester, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Lanolin, Microcrystalline Wax, Ozokerite Wax, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Shea Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate
Smith’s Rosebud Salve: We could not find anywhere that they actually disclose their full ingredients, however we did find this: “Cotton Seed Oil and Aromol, with essential oils blended in a special petrolatum base”
What Are These Ingredients?
Good question! First of all, to call petrolatum a “special base” for lip balm is quite the misnomer. There is really nothing special about petrolatum or petroleum when it comes to putting them into skin or lip care products. Would you rub petroleum on your lips and even lick your lips knowing that is what is on there? This is one of the most common toxic ingredients in lip care products. And here is what the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has to say about petrolatum.
Apart from this, the other common toxic ingredients are parabens, including: methylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben.
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid:
- Parabens (Of any kind)
- Petrolatum or Petroleum
- Chemical Fragrance or Flavor (Commonly listed as Fragrance or Parfum)
- Chemical Dyes (Commonly listed with a # next to them)
- Mineral Oil
Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in an SPF Lip Balms:
- Octinoxate
- Oxybenzone
- Avobenzone
- Cinnimate
*SPF lip balms active ingredients should contain only Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide. These are mineral and physical sunscreen ingredients.
In contrast, Beauty by Earth offers a number of great non-toxic, non-GMO, soy free, petroleum and paraben free lip balms in Peppermint, Superfruit, Honey Vanilla, and Unflavored.
Here are Beauty by Earths Lip Balm Ingredients: Beeswax, Sunflower Seed Oil, Coconut Oil, Castor Seed Oil, Lanolin, Vitamin E (non-GMO), Natural Flavor, Aloe Vera, Shea Butter and Cocoa Seed Butter. That’s it!
Toxins in lip balm aren’t needed to achieve smooth lips. So, stick with simple, pronounceable, recognizable ingredients derived from the Earth.
Inspire Beauty, Naturally!
Prudence
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Hi, thanks for sparing your time by giving us your information and suggestion. These are my ingredient list on my lip balm. What do you think of it? sopropil Myristate, Ricinus Communis (castor), Seed Oil, Diisotraryl Malate, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis (jojoba) Seed Oil, Beeswax, Euphorbia Cerifera (candelilia) wax, Microcrystaline wax, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Sucrose, Prunus Persica (peach) Kernel Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) Butter, Tocopheryl Acete (vitamin e), Tocopheral, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Aroma (flavour), CI77891/Titanium Dioxide, CI 15850/Red 7, CI 19140/Yellow 5 Lake.
Thank you
Hi Ayun, I suggest that you refer to the Environmental Working Group’s site Skin Deep. You can look at the ingredients individually on there or check by the brand name. I can tell you off the bad that sucrose, Red 7 and Yellow 5 are not ingredients I would recommend. There are some others in here too that I wouldn’t like in my system.
I am trying to find the research study that
backs your claims of toxicity – You have a vested interest here in that you are also paid by the co selling “natural” products I have followed your links tobreferences and have yet to see any studies done by scientists nor any that have pass the test for good science. Please provide sources.
Hi Linda, Thank you for your question. Yes we definitely do sell natural products and try and raise awareness of ingredients that can have ill effects on our bodies. The EWG is a great resource for information on ingredients. For example, here is some information on mineral oil: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/703977/MINERAL_OIL/#.WsI93NPwbMI – here is another on parabens and phthalates: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21155623. I hope you find these resources helpful. They are widely available on the Internet.
Hi is these ingredients safe for my lips? Because the outline of my lips became slightly chapped but the inner part of my lips are somewhat in between moisturized and dry.
Ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, cera alba (beeswax), theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, caprylic/capric triglyceride (vegetable-derived) leaf essential oil, mentha arvensis (corn mint) leaf essential oil, tocopherol (vitamin E), iron oxide (CI 77491), manganese violet (CI 77742), mica (CI 77019), titanium dioxide (CI 77891)
I hope you can help me. Thank you
Hi, thanks for the questions. These ingredients don’t look bad. I would say that you may want to check out if there is something in these ingredients that you are sensitive to. The titanium could be the culprit or possibly the mint. You would have to try eliminating those and seeing how you do. That is all I can suggest I’m afraid. Good luck!
This is great information! I appreciate you taking the time to put it all together! I did have one question though. I recently discovered that burts bees was bought out by clorox. I noticed it was your first example and was wondering what your thoughts on the use of canola oil in their “all natural” product is. Obviously there are more than a few questionable choices on their list but I was curious about this specific one. Thank you!
Hi Crystal, yes they were bought out by Clorox. They use soy, which we are not a fan of. Canola is another ingredient we are not particularly found it. Most canola oils are GMOs and we steer very clear of GMOs. I hope that helps.
Hi! I wanted to know whether these ingredients are safe or not can I use it.
Ingredients: Mineral oil,petrolatum,polybutene,DIISOSTEARYLMALATE, ceresin, ethyl hexyl, palmitate , bees wax ,macadamia ternifolia seed oil, tocopheryl acetate, propyl paraben.
Hi Thanks for your question. A good reference for your questions is the EWG’s Skin Deep Database – you can check them all individually. However I can tell you right now that mineral oil, petrolatum, polybutene, and parabens are not safe. Thanks again and good luck!
Are these ingredients Ok for lip balm and if so please say what they are so I can avoid them. Plz and thank you.
Ingredients:Mineral oil,polybutene,ethlhexyl palmitate,aloe barbadensis leaf extract,ozokerite,synthetic wax,caprylic/capric triglyceride,beeswax,mathlparaben,proplparaben,tocopheryl acetate,titanium dioxide,fragrance.
Hi Emerald, Thanks for the question and I am happy to answer this for you. First of all, this ingredient list that you sent along his has quite a number of toxic ingredients. Mineral oil, polybutene, synthetic wax, parabens and fragrances are all ingredients that you do not want on your lips. Or anywhere on your skin for that matter. I hope this helps.
hi, this was a very helpful site. thank you for making it
Are these ingredients ok for a lip balm ?
Ingredients: Ozokerite Glycine Soja Oil Cocos Nucifera Oil Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Ethylhexyl Palmitate Octyldodecanol Ethylhexyl Methoxy-Cinnamate Benzophenone-3 Cetyl Alcohol
Aroma Myristyl Myristate Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil Theobroma Cacao Butter Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil Tocopherol Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil Myristyl Laurate Stearyl Alcohol Myristyl Alcohol Stevioside
Rebaudioside A Benzyl Alcohol Benzyl Benzoate Limonene
Hi Lucy, I would say definitely not. There are several ingredients in there that are not good. Soy being one of them, Cinnimate is another, Cottonseed oil isn’t good either. You can always check the EWG skin deep database. Thanks.
Hi Lucy, We personally don’t like soy in any products. It is a hormone disrupter. Cottonseed oil is also a no-no to us. Check out https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ and look up this brand that you are asking about. It will rate each of these individual ingredients.
Do you have any lip balm without lanolin. I have recently developed an allergy to it
Hi Melissa, none of our bath bombs contain lanolin any longer. We switched to a USDA organic lip balm without any lanolin. I hope that helps. Thanks.
Does EOS lip balm contain any harmful ingredients?
Hi Nina, Well, I think their organic lip balm is just fine! Their sunscreen lip balms use a chemical protecting active ingredients, so I suggest staying with the organic ones.