❋ Detoxcellence

Petroleum-Based Lip Balm

Mineral-oil / petrolatum lip balm applied and ingested daily.

65Low burden · out of 100
Cleaner swapBeeswax or plant-oil balms from refined sources

How this score is built

  1. 100Start
  2. 86.2Chemical hazard 3 × 4.6−13.8
  3. 72.6Everyday exposure 4 × 3.4−13.6
  4. 65Persistence 3 × 2.6−7.8, then rounded to 65
  5. LowThe band65 sits in 60–79.

What each input rests on

The three ratings behind the score, and the studies each rests on
InputRatingEvidence
Chemical hazard3/10unsourced input
Everyday exposure4/10

  • Of 175 lip products on the Swiss market, 68% contained at least 5% mineral-oil or synthetic saturated hydrocarbons and 31% more than 32%; since lip product is largely swallowed, regular use of the latter would exceed the highest estimated dietary exposure.

    Mineral oil and synthetic hydrocarbons in cosmetic lip products · Int J Cosmet Sci 2016

    DOI 10.1111/ics.12276 · PMID 26352930 · Abstract, Results · read 2026-10-16

Persistence3/10unsourced input

Ratings are editorial. A study listed here supports the rating; it did not compute it. How the index is built

What this means for you

Poorly refined mineral oils can carry aromatic hydrocarbon impurities, and lip products are partly swallowed. Well-made plant- or beeswax-based balms avoid the concern.

Evidence strength: moderate

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