There’s just something about fall. What’s not to love? Dreamy weather, pumpkin spice everything, warm drinks, cozy layers, chapped lips - wait a minute. Fall means dealing with those dry, parched lips but did you know, the cold weather is not always the only culprit?
A lot of the most common ingredients found in lip balm not only leave our lips drier but can also affect our hormones, irritate our skin, and in extreme cases cause cancer. Ingredients matter! What goes on your body ends up in it as well and that’s especially true for our lips.
Our lips are incredibly thin and fragile. Every lip product we put on is not only easily absorbed through the thin layers of skin into our bloodstream, but also consumed as we eat and drink throughout the day. And yet, as we clean up our diet and skincare routines, our lips are the last things on our mind.
Here at Mona Moon Naturals, we take utmost care in choosing ingredients that are effective, safe, and nourishing at the same time. All we honestly want is a simple lip balm to keep our lips soft and smooth.
The next time you dig out your favorite lip balm from the bottom of your bag or car, check to see if it has any of these toxic ingredients.
Ingredients To Avoid In Your Lip Balm
Paraben
Parabens like methylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben (basically any ingredient ending in -paraben), are potential endocrine disruptors because of their ability to mimic estrogen, which can lead to increased risk of breast cancer. It may also lead to the development of malignant melanoma - a form of skin cancer. Imagine ingesting that!
Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly)
Petrolatum is made from refining petroleum- yes, the one that goes in our cars! Can we all just agree that we don’t want that stuff anywhere near our lips, no matter how moisturizing it is! Unfortunately, the refining process involves toxic, harsh products and the petroleum jelly can get contaminated during manufacturing. This makes it an endocrine disruptor linked to breast cancer. Yet another concern is that it creates an airtight barrier on the skin making it a penetration enhancer, increasing the absorption of other toxic ingredients.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Generally used as preservatives in lip balms, butylated compounds have been linked to health concerns like cancer, organ-system toxicity, respiratory irritation and endocrine disruption.
Phenol/Menthol, Alcohol
Lip balms are meant to moisturize and nourish - everyone knows that. So, putting in ingredients that dry out your skin can seem pretty counter-intuitive, don’t you think?
Ingredients like phenol and menthol give that tingling effect and were initially introduced into lip balms for exfoliation. Instead, they typically end up irritating the skin and taking off the outer layers exposing our delicate lips to environmental factors.
Fragrance And Flavors
These should just read ‘hidden chemicals’. Manufacturers are allowed to include any ingredient under the guise of ‘fragrance’ in order to ‘protect their trade secrets’. This hidden list of ingredients can more often than not contain phthalates - strong hormone disruptors linked to fertility issues as well as worsening allergy and asthma conditions.
Chemical Sunscreen
While having sunscreen in your lip balm is great, having it in the form of chemicals like oxybenzone is not. Oxybenzone is a known endocrine disruptor commonly associated with endometriosis in women.
Ingredients To Look For In Your Lip Balm
Now that you know what to avoid, here are the ingredients you want in your growing lip balm collection!
Mango Butter
An incredible versatile ingredient, mango butter is a luscious, creamy and soft butter full of fatty acids that hydrate and nourish lips while also soothing irritation. This melt-on-touch butter with a subtle, almost non-existent aroma is a perfect alternative to butters like cocoa or shea that have more pronounced characteristic smells. It all depends on preference of course!
Natural Oils
We love our balms luxuriously thick with the best natural oils! Natural oils are easily absorbed by the skin. They are full of essential fatty acids, and contain natural antioxidants, which allow for deeper moisturizing while protecting your skin from environmental stressors. Some natural oils to look for are coconut oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, sunflower oil, hemp seed oil, avocado oil, and grape-seed oil.
Take a look at our refreshingly short, all-natural ingredient list! The base of our lip balm includes rich and nourishing ingredients like vitamin E, coconut, and avocado oils, perfectly balanced with soothing organic beeswax and essential oils. Swap that generic, paraben-filled version for the real deal:
