Is Blistex Toxic? (And What to Buy Instead)

Written by:

Maia James

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Every time the weather changes, my and my kids’ lips become miserably chapped.

Blistex lip products definitely soothe super chapped, sore lips. Perhaps this explains why Blistex sells more than $100 million worth of their “medicated” lip balm every year! But is Blistex non-toxic?

While Blistex offers short-term relief from the pain of chapped lips, it contains ingredients that may carry other health risks.

My Favorite Natural Lip Balm

I love the creamy texture and subtle scents of Soapwalla’s line of lip balms. It is super healthy

Soapwalla Lip Locked Lip Balm

This organic lip balm is amazing. Highest quality ingredients truly make for an amazing product and Soapwalla’s products are quite simply a step above the rest.

Soapwalla’s Lip Locked Lip Balm provides serious protection with Fair Trade and USDA Certified Organic ingredients.

$9.00

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Is Blistex Non-Toxic?

A tube of Blistex contains some 25 ingredients, including a variety of preservatives and dyes. Among the most concerning ingredients are the following, which you will find in various Blistex products:

Phenol. One of Blistex’s several active ingredients, phenol is considered toxic to the central nervous system and to the heart.
Saccharin. I won’t eat food with this artificial sweetener in it, and anything you smear on your mouth has sort of got to be considered food, right?
Parabens. Unsurprisingly, these notorious, carcinogenic preservatives make an appearance in some Blistex formulas.
Fragrance. We know that when we see “fragrance” on a label, that usually means the presence of phthalates.
Oxybenzone. That really bad sunscreen ingredient that’s linked to cancer, developmental and reproductive toxicity, as well as endocrine disruption.
Mineral oil. A petroleum product.
Parraffin. Another petroleum product.
Petrolatum. Yet another petroleum product.

(See our glossary for more on many of these ingredients, including links to studies that back up all these scary claims.)

This chemical cocktail is especially concerning in a product that you smear all over your mouth. (I’ve likely eaten several ounces of Blistex in my life, since in high school it was all I used.)

he good news is that there are many natural lip balms that really do work. I’ve heard from a lot of you about how thrilled (and yes, surprised!) you are that these natural products are actually effective.

Here are some of my favorite natural lip balms:

Soapwalla’s coconut-lime lip balm is probably my favorite flavor of any lip balm I’ve tried. It’s also made by a wonderful women-owned business in Brooklyn.
Green Goo makes healing balms in several flavors (my favorite is the honey), which come in a standard chapstick-style dispenser.
Tandi’s Naturals lip balms are rich in avocado oil and beeswax, and are available in either Mint & Grapefruit or Herb Garden and come in a cool little tin (extra points for no plastic!).
Weleda’s Skin Food for the lips has a cult following for a reason. It leaves lips noticeably hydrated and soft, especially in cold weather conditions.
Badger makes some nice extra-large cocoa butter lip balms, which are great for little hands and make a perfect stocking stuffer. My kids love these most.
If you like a lip balm that doubles as a lip tint, my absolute favorites are these from Olio E Osso. They also make a beautiful clear version, and all of them work for cheeks as well as lips.
If you like a little luxury in your lip balm, I recommend Beautycounter’s lip conditioner, which also works really well over any of their lip sheers (I wear Terra).

Thankfully, lip balm is one category of products where choosing the Good Stuff doesn’t mean a sacrifice in performance (as opposed to, say, deodorant!). When my lips are chapped and painful, these natural balms really do bring complete relief.

Stay sane, and I hope you’re enjoying the winter season, chapped lips and all!

Maia, Founder & CEO

P.S. Please share your favorite lip balm brands below, or ask away if you have any you’d like us to investigate.

lip balm

Note: This article contains affiliate links or sponsored content, which means that if you make a purchase, we may earn a commission. We only recommend products that meet our strict standards for non-toxicity and that we use (or want to use!) ourselves. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Good Stuff!