Dangerous chemicals found in lip balms

Lip balm users have been warned by a leading French consumer group about the dangers of smearing their lips with the product after their tests found that certain balms contained toxic substances.

Half of the 21 products put to the test by UFC Que-choisir were discovered to have potentially harmful ingredients, including lip balms from large cosmetic brands Garnier, La Roche Posay, Carmex, and Le Petit Marseillais.

The consumer group warned consumers to stay away from the balms which were found to have carcinogenic substances.

Others contained Mosh – mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons – which if swallowed, can make their way into the lymph nodes and liver and inflame them.

“The level of Mosh (mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons) in these lip balms is extremely undesirable, on account of their toxicity when they are ingested,” the report said.