Whether or not there’s a best lip balm, what’s most important is knowing what you’re putting on your lips.

toxic skincare productsThe question you should be asking yourself is “what is the best lip balm” for MY lips.

After all, no two humans are alike and your lips might require more moisturizer than others.

Whatever the case may be however, there are lip balms on the market that are actually designed to damage your lips.

Yes, you read that correctly – the manufacturers of these products are trying to damage your  lips so you become dependent on their lip balm. Pretty sick, isn’t it?

So in this post, the point is not to determine who makes the best lip balm, but to help you understand what you need to look out for when applying moisturizers to your lips.

How often have you heard that one of your favorite foods is actually EXTREMELY bad for your health?

Not kinda bad, not even quite bad… but extremely bad?

Happens pretty often and while we don’t munch on lip balm, doesn’t mean we’re not consuming it.

We all lick our own lips throughout the day to give them a boost of hydration and that means what’s on them goes down the hatch.

Same with kissing.

If you kiss a girl with lipstick, you’re essentially eating her lipstick and if you’re kissing her and you have lip balm on, you’ll end up swallowing some of that, too.

Then there’s the absorption factor – by applying any creams, balms, ointments onto your skin means that your body will absorb it.

Pretty much the same thing as eating what goes inside you.

So that brings us to…what are you consuming through your lip balm?

What you’re about to read is likely to shock you.

It’ll likely anger you, too (I certainly was when I found out the ugly truth).

Some of the most popular drugstore lip balm brands out there not only contain ingredients that are very harmful to your health.

In some cases, there dangerous ingredients are put there on purpose, the generate more sales.

Yep, pretty disgusting.

So let’s get right to it.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular lip balm brands and listed the more harmful ingredients they contain as well as an exact explanation of how these ingredients harm your health.

SYNTHETIC COLOR & DYES (FD&C Blue 1, Green 3, Yellow 5 & 6, Red 33):

Derived from coal tar, FD&C color pigments contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto the skin, causing skin sensitivity and irritation.

Animal studies have shown almost all FD &C colors to be carcinogenic.

BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene):

BHT has been show to mimic estrogen (endocrine disruptor).  

Is is linked to developmental and reproductive toxicity, and a possible carcinogen.

FRAGRANCE and FLAVOR:

When you see “fragrance” or “flavor” on a label, read it as “hidden chemicals.”

A major loophole in FDA’s federal law allows manufacturers include nearly any ingredient in their products under the name “fragrance” without actually listing the chemical.  

Independent testing has found high levels of phthalates hiding under the label fragrance.  

Phthalates are potent hormone disruptors linked to decreased sperm counts in men, reduced female fertility, and a worsening of allergy and asthma symptoms.

CHEMICAL SUNSCREENS (Oxybenzone, Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene, Avobenzone, Padimate O)

Chemical sunscreens, penetrate the skin and may disrupt the body’s hormone system.

The most common chemical sunscreen, Oxybenzone, has been shown acts like estrogen in the body, alter sperm production in animals, and is associated with endometriosis in women.  

If you want sun protection in your lip balm, look for ones with Zinc Oxide as the active ingredient.

PETROLATUM (petroleum jelly, mineral oil):

In recent years the safety of petrolatum (petroleum jelly) in cosmetics has come into question.

Because petrolatum is derived from petroleum (oil), it needs to be refined, and some refining methods use toxic compounds.

If the petroleum jelly becomes contaminated during the manufacturing process, possible PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and other carcinogenic agents may get into the jelly.

PAHs are considered potentially carcinogenic and have links to breast cancer.  

Any traces of PAHs are supposed to be removed at the end of the refining process.  

The European Union requires that the full refining history of a product be known and that the manufacturer be able to show that the “substance from which it is produced is not a carcinogen.”  

No such requirements are in place in the US.  

Another concern with petrolatum is that it creates an airtight barrier on the skin, not allowing for normal “breathing”.  

This can act as a penetration enhancer, and if your lip balm contains any of the questionable ingredients listed above, absorption into the bloodstream will be increased.

Phenol or menthol

When you think of the term menthol, you likely associate it with immediate sensations of cooling.

But make no mistake – menthol is a dehydration agent and will provide immediate relief while it drains your lips of their moisture.

This is one of the reasons some lines of lip balm see you buttering up your lips every two minutes.

This is also done intentionally by lip balm manufacturers to snag more sales.

Yep, pretty unscrupulous. That’s why we’re bringing it to your attention.

Could This Be The Best Lip Balm For You?

DappChap has launched it’s lip balm line and we’re so convinced it’s the best lip balm for you that we’re offering you a two-pack via Amazon at 25% off

And in this two-pack of free lip balm, you’re getting two nutrient-rich, vitamin-packed tubes of lip-loving goodness.

Normally, our two-pack of the best lip balm you’ll find online retails for $10.99.

However, to prove our product and become your go-to source for skin protection, preservation and anti-aging, we’re making it even more affordable for you.

To learn more about the health and grooming products you use each day, keep up to date with the men’s health blog.