Know your ingredients: Beeswax

1. Connie October 26, 2008 5:41 pm

   I tend to be allergic to products that contain beeswax but there has been certain exceptions especially when the content was little. Hmm… Til now I’m still not sure what causes my lips to look literally beestung and clamped-by-a-lobster when I use certain lip products.

2. beautifulwithbrains October 27, 2008 2:21 pm

   I’ve never heard of anyone being allergic to beeswax but I think it may occurr, I’ll do some more research about that. Are you allergic to all the products that contain beswax or just to some? Cause maybe they were using unrefined or synthetic beeswax and that may be what’s causing the problem?

3. Connie October 27, 2008 7:33 pm

   I’m thinking it could be the whole animal-based thingy but I’m not too sure *shrugs* Most products with beeswax I’m allergic too but I only get reactions on my lips (hypersensitive) and not anywhere else though. For example, I can’t use Burt’sBees lip balms, Estee Lauder Pop lipgloss, Elizabeth Arden 8 hour lip balm, benefit’s her glossiness lip gloss, benefit’s smoooch lip treatment and many others. But products WITH beeswax that I don’t have a problem with are neutrogena lip balm and NYX round lipstick.

4. beautifulwithbrains October 28, 2008 4:27 pm

   That’s weird, if you’re allegic to an ingredient then all the products containing it should cause a problem. I’m still doing some research on the issue. I’ve found very few info so far. It seems like synthetic beeswax may cause a reaction. You may also have problems if you’re allergic to bee stings. I haven’t found any studies confirming this though but I’m still looking. My personal opinion is that those product you have problems with may contain synthetic beeswax, or may not be formulated properly anyway. But to be absolutely sure you’re allergic to beeswax, you should consult your doctor and do an allergy test.

5. Ciru December 1, 2008 5:04 am

   I think I’m allergic to beeswax too. If I use lip balm with beeswax I start coughing right away before I can even replace the cap. Basically I have to wash the stuff off. I’m now using a vegan lip balm. I also noticed that if I wax my eyebrows with wax containing beeswax I get rashes all around my eyebrows the next day and they last about a week. My skin doesn’t itch on these areas but it feels a little sensitive.
   So I think allergies to beeswax can exist.

6. beautifulwithbrains December 1, 2008 1:38 pm

   Thanks for your comment Ciru and I’m sorry you have problems with this ingredient. To be honest with you, I had never heard of people being allergic to beeswax, but only to people being allegic to only certain products containing this ingredient, which led me to think that those products weren’t formulated properly, hence the allergic reaction. But if you can’t use any products with beeswax then you’re probably right. I’ll do some more research on the topic, although consulting a dermatologist for an allergy test would be the only way to know for sure. I’ll go and edit the post now.

7. Ciru December 1, 2008 7:19 pm

   Please let us know what you find out. I, too, have been trying to do research on this subject and very little information is available. I plan on having allergy tests done but I have to wait till some time next year when I have better health insurance coverage as allergy tests tend to be expensive.
   So far I do not think I’m allergic to bee stings as I remember being stung by a bee in 1986 and did not have any adverse reaction. That being said I do not know what a future sting would do as one needs to be pre-exposed for an allergic reaction to occur.
   Eating raw honey gives me a stomach ache and makes me throw up but using it in hair as a deep conditioner does not seem to affect me (other than occasional painful pimples in my scalp which I can not for sure tie to the honey).
   This is all a mess but I hope to work it all out and figure out what exactly in bee products I am reacting to.

8. beautifulwithbrains December 3, 2008 1:41 pm

   I’m having problems finding informations on the subject too. I’ve only found little bits and pieces so far but no article or study about it, but I’ll keep looking and let you know as soon as I find something.
   I was wondering if you are allergic to pollen though? Because some types of cosmetics and honey as well, when they aren’t formulated properly, can still contain some impurities, like small amounts of pollen, so maybe that is what you’re reacting to?

9. Ciru December 3, 2008 11:22 pm

   As far as I know I am not allergic to pollen. I do not suffer from seasonal allergies either. Only mold gives me mild rhinitis.
   I have been using Eco Lips lip balm. Their organic unflavored balm makes me cough right away after applying it while I am ok if I use their vegan lemon-lime one. Here are the ingredients:

   Organic and unflavored: organic jojoba oil, organic beeswax, vitamin E, organic calendula, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

   Vegan lemon-lime: organic jojoba oil, organic sunflower oil, candelilla wax, organic cocoa butter, organic lemon peel oil, vitamin E, organic lime oil, organic calendula flower extract, rosemary leaf extract, and vitamin C.

10. beautifulwithbrains December 5, 2008 5:01 pm

    Sorry it took me a while to answer back Ciru, but I wanted to see if I could find anymore information but unfortunately I didn’t. I’m thinking of going to my local library and see if I can find anything there. But anyway, from the ingredients lists, it sounds like beeswax could be the problem. I would have thought that organic beeswax would be ok, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility it could still contains some impurities. Unfortunately without an allergy test it isn’t possible to know to which impurity (or maybe even beeswax itself) you’re reacting too. I would just avoid products containing beeswax for now and I’ll keep you posted on any new info I might find in the future. It’s a very interesting topic and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it.

11. L. April 28, 2009 10:25 pm

    I was looking for info on beeswax as an ingredient in cosmetics and I found this website. I am trying to find out is beeswax can produce allergies and what is it made of since I have a new mascara that uses beeswax and I have been having problems with cosmetics so far.
    I am very allergic to depilatory wax (not sure if beeswax or only artificial wax. I am not allergic to pollen, bee sting or honey), band aids, hair spry and plastic shoes and some eye makeup. For what I have found out so far all these products contain colophony, a pine resin which can cause allergies to some people.
    I just don’t know if beeswax can contain this resin or if it is only artificial was that does (forget my ignorance). Maybe you can give me some info on this.

    Thanks a lot!

12. beautifulwithbrains May 6, 2009 5:32 pm

    Hello L, sorry for my late reply. Virgin beeswax is a mixture of several substances like pollen and resins, so it is possible that it contains colophony too. Unfortunately not all companies use the same type of beeswax. Some process it to get rid of some or all the impurities, other use it in its natural form. I don’t know if the mascara you’re using contains refined beeswax or not, but if you’re worried you should consider avoiding all products containing this ingredient.

13. Lisa May 16, 2009 5:33 am

    Yes, one can be allergic to beeswax!!! VERY allergic, as I am.
    People who are allergic to bee stings will often also be allergic to beeswax so be careful. Also note that most candles -scented and unscented- are made from beeswax and an unventalated room with a burning candle in it CAN ACTUALLY BE DEADLY to someone with an extreme bee allergy. Most lipsticks contain beeswax so be careful with that too. Eye pencil, lip pencils, Carmex, Chapstick, Concha Nacar de perlop (a face cream some of you may be familiar with) all also contain beeswax. Allergic reaction can mean much more than itchy skin, hives, sneezing, coughing and rashes. Anaphylaxis can happen to a person suffering from an allergic reaction and can be DEADLY in a matter of minutes so please be cautious about what you apply to your skin and to what you breath in if you have allergies and/or sensitivies. Also remember that bees are drawn to lovely fragrances and with it being spring there are a lot of those around.One last thing that is of vital importance- ‘CERA ALBA’ IS ANOTHER NAME FOR BEESWAX AND COSMETIC COMPANIES MAY USE THIS NAME INSTEAD OF ‘BEESWAX’ ON THEIR INGREDIENT LIST.

    Thanks for this discussion, I hope this info come in handy,
    take care of yourselves. peace

14. beautifulwithbrains May 16, 2009 12:03 pm

    Hi Lisa, thanks for your comment. I’m sorry to hear you’re very allergic to beswax. The thing about beeswax is that there are different types around. Some are pure beeswax and contain lots of impurities (like pollen and resins) while others are refined to get rid of those, so it’s difficult for some to determine what’s causing the allergy. If the beeswax doesn’t contain any impuritism then the risk of an allergy is lower. But you’re right, you have to be extra careful about what you put on your skin, esp if you’re allergic to bee stings. Some allergic reactions can be very dangerous.

15. June A. May 16, 2009 3:37 pm

    It would be more likely the reaction comes from another ingredient in the product, such as lanolin which comes from sheep.

16. beautifulwithbrains May 16, 2009 7:43 pm

    Hi June, that’s a possibility too. There are so many ingedients in a product that it is hard to determine what’s causing the problem. Doing an allergy test is the only way to know for sure.

17. Janice June 17, 2009 2:43 am

    I also seem to have a problem with almost all lip balms, and have tried many organic varieties. The one common ingredient in all of them is beeswax, so I have been making my own balms, which seems to have helped. I am going to try some of the vegan balms with no beeswax and see how they do. Another ingredient I have problems with is vitamin E, which often comes from soy or canola, both of which give me problems.

18. beautifulwithbrains June 19, 2009 6:31 pm

    I’m sorry to hear you have problems with many lip balms, that’s too bad! But at least you can create your own, which is fun and cheap. I hope the vegan balms work for you.

19. hana July 13, 2009 5:45 pm

    I am allergic to products with beeswax as well. If I use a lip balm containing beeswax, my entire mouth becomes red, inflamed, and my skin peels off constantly. It is not a nice look and it is very irritating, itchy, and painful. If you suspect an allergy to a beeswax product, you should stop using it right away and do not use any products for two to three weeks. If the reaction you have goes away, then you are most likely allergic.

20. beautifulwithbrains July 19, 2009 6:14 pm

    I’m sorry to hear that, allergic reactions are really nasty! If I had a reaction like that, I would never use the product again!

21. Lacey November 1, 2009 8:11 pm

    I am really allergic to burt’s bees lip balm and other lip products with beeswax. Because of that, I don’t ever really wear lipstick or anything. I am getting married soon though and am looking for a lipstick without any beeswax in it and I am having the hardest time finding something. Anyone know a brand without beeswax?

22. beautifulwithbrains November 3, 2009 7:50 pm

    Congratulations Lacey! I’m sorry you’re allergic to beesax, finding lip products without it is not easy. I think NYX, Laura Mercier and Morgana Minerals make some lippies without beeswax. They contain other type of waxes though so you may wanna check the ingredient list before purchasing. Hope this helps.

23. Heather November 17, 2009 4:12 pm

    I am starting to suspect I have an allergy to beeswax. The lip balms I have used with this ingredient have made my lips so irritated they cracked and bled. One time my mouth was so sore I couldn’t smile for about a week.
    I’m still trying to figure it out. I’ve also suspected jojoba oil causes it.
    One lip gloss I use that doesn’t cause me any problem is Burt’s Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss. Despite it’s brand, it doesn’t have any beeswax, and the color looks nice and natural. They seem so sell this product everywhere.

24. beautifulwithbrains November 17, 2009 7:13 pm

    Hi, Heather, I’m sorry to hear that, it sounds painful. It also sounds like beeswax could be the problem. It’s hard to tell since different companies use different kinds of beeswax but avoiding this ingredient altogether may be best for you. And I’m glad you’ve found a lipgloss that works so well for you

25. Meg November 21, 2009 11:40 pm

    I just manifested an allergy to beeswax lip products within the past month. It took me a while (and a lot of tubes of chapstick) to figure out exactly what was causing my lips to sting and break out. I already have sensitive lips due to a combination of sensitive skin and cold sores, but now I cannot use lip products with beeswax. I think the level of beeswax weighs heavily on my reaction. For example, if beeswax is listed as the 3rd or 4th ingredient, my lips wont react until an hour after use and will only break out a little. Yet if I use something like Bert’s Bees which lists beeswax as the 1st or 2nd ingredient, my lips not only react instantly, its also accompanied by an oh-so-pleasant itching. I’m surprised by this because I have always used lip products with beeswax without issue.

26. Joelle November 23, 2009 4:54 am

    I’m also allergic to beeswax, which I believe is due to using Burt’s Bees lip products. Through patch testing, I learned that my allergy is classified as Balsam of Peru, which includes a list of spices, citrus foods, beeswax, and just about anything that starts with “benz…” as in benzoic, benzyl, benzoate, etc. What is extremely frustrating is that EVERYTHING you can imagine putting on your body- shampoo, lotion, make-up, etc- has something similar to the above list. I have reactions just by shaking someone’s hand, who has on sunscreen. Any suggestions of products or remedies?

27. beautifulwithbrains November 23, 2009 6:45 pm

    Megs, I’m sorry you are allergic to beeswax too. Usually allergies appear within hours but sometimes an allergic reaction can be seen after years of use.

    Ingredients are listed in order of concentrations so it makes sense that the more beesax the product contains, the sooner the symptoms show. It’s not easy, but avoiding products with lip balm is probably the best thing to do.

28. beautifulwithbrains November 23, 2009 8:18 pm

    Hi Joelle, that’s awful, I’m sorry. At least you know what causes the problem. But apart from avoiding products with those ingredients that cause you an allergic reaction I don’t know what to suggest. Consulting a dermatologist may be a good idea as he/she will be able to suggest a few products for you to try. Sorry I can’t be of more help.

29. Lisa February 19, 2010 8:30 pm

    I’m so glad I found this blog and these comments on beeswax allergies! I have been going *crazy* for about 5 months with incredibly dry, chapped, peeling and cracked lips that are red beyond the borders of my lips. Horribly uncomfortable, and I look like someone threw acid on my lips. I use only natural and organic skin-care products (no phthalates, parabens, SLS, petrolatum, etc.) and had been using Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm for months, which I loved and which had never caused a problem. When my lips started getting incredibly dry, I slathered on more Dr. Bronner’s lip balm, thinking it couldn’t be the problem since I’d been using it for months without a problem (I now know after reading about cosmetic allergies that this is common). My lips got so bad I went to my dermatologist, who took one look at me and said “severe allergy to a cosmetic ingredient.” Dr. Bronner’s lip balm only contained jojoba seed oil, avocado oil, beeswax, hemp seed oil (all organic) and tocopherol. I thought at first my allergy was to jojoba seed oil, but after some testing of different lip balms I just discovered that my allergy is actually to beeswax after switching to Burt’s Bees lip balm which does not contain jojoba seed oil, but does contain beeswax, and my lips were worse than ever. Now, after four days of slathering Mentholatum on my lips, they are almost healed. It’s so frustrating, because it’s very difficult to find a lip balm without beeswax. I’m going to try the Eco Lips brand mentioned above since it doesn’t contain beeswax. I’m glad to find I’m not the only one with this problem — I don’t feel like such a freak! Also glad to hear that beeswax also goes by the name of cera alba so I can avoid that.

    Thanks so much for this blog!

30. beautifulwithbrains February 19, 2010 10:37 pm

    Lisa, I’m glad that you found the post and the comments helpful. Allergies to beeswax seem to be quite common and I’m sorry to hear it gave you such a bad reaction, it’s awful! Finding a lip balm without beeswax is sadly very hard and frustrating. Usually, lip balms that don’t contain beswax use vaseline instead but I’m not sure you’ll be comfortable using those either. I think most of Eco Lips lip balms do contain beeswax as well but they make one called Bee Free, which contains natural ingredients and no petrolatum nor beeswax. I hope that’ll work well for you.

31. Lisa February 19, 2010 11:19 pm

    Yes, I searched the Eco Lips website and found their “Bee Free” balm without any beeswax, so I’m going to see if I can find it at one of my local health food stores. I also became allergic to penicillin after having used penicillin-derived antibiotics several times in my life without any ill effects — then the last time my doctor prescribed amoxicillin for a spider bite, I quickly developed a severe rash. So now I know that it’s the same with body care ingredients — we can develop an allergy to an ingredient that we’ve been using for years.

    You’re correct that I don’t like vaseline or petroleum-derived ingredients (I’ve not liked using Mentholatum on my lips because it contains petrolatum, but I had no choice), but it has helped my lips to heal in just a few days. I made the mistake of buying Alba Botanica’s “Un-Petroleum Jelly” for my lips thinking it would be a good alternative to petroleum jelly, and my lips were still awful. I read the list of ingredients — and it contains beeswax!! Arghhh.

32. Joelle February 20, 2010 1:01 am

    Hi Lisa,
    I am so sorry to tell you this, but I actually tried Eco Lips Bee Free and I had a reaction. (allergic to beeswax since fall 2007) It took about 12 hours to react, where usually I can tell within 4 hours, but a reaction nonetheless. I’ve recently been testing pure products, such as cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, etc on my lips and I’m in the process of developing my own lip balm. After having a reaction to Bee Free, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that no lip balm will work for me, unless I make it myself.
    Please let me know if you have a reaction or not to Bee Free! If you don’t (which I hope is the case for you) then I’m allergic to something else as well- ugh.
    Best of luck- this allergy is brutal, huh?
    Joelle

33. beautifulwithbrains February 21, 2010 9:40 pm

    Lisa, that’s truly awful! Unfortunately allergies can happen at any time and just because you used an ingredient before without problems, it doesn’t mean you won’t become allergic to it later on

    I hope the Eco Lips Bee Free Balm will work for you. I also found another website called My Lip Stuff (http://mylipstuffstore.com/) that sells more than 300 lip balms! I have never purchased there so I can’t vouch if their service is good or not but with so many choices available maybe you’ll be able to find something that’s good for you.

    I also agree with Joelle that another great option would be to make your own. Unfortunately all the lip balms recipes I know include either beeswax or vaseline, but I guess that substituting beeswax with another type of wax may work just as well. Also, you may try using extra virgin olive oil on your lips, that’s very moisturizing and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

34. beautifulwithbrains February 21, 2010 9:47 pm

    Joelle, that’s too bad the Eco Lips Bee Free lip balm gave you such a bad reaction! When you’re allergic to beeswax, finding a lip balm that works for you is so frustrating! Please, when you have developed your own lip balm, let us know the recipe. I think it would benefit a lot of people who are allergic to beeswax as well.

35. Daile February 22, 2010 4:57 am

    I was just finding a nice amount of information on http://www.truetest.com on balsam of peru allergies (including beeswax), and several others. Just click on “Common Allergens” on the left side of the page under the heading “Patients”. Then click on individual allergens to get more info.
    They list several common household and work items that contain each product, several that don’t contain them, and then even list alternative names for the product as well as related compounds to look for. At the bottom it gives information in small print about accessing the governments more complete listing in their household product database.
    I started having peeling lips last summer after using Burt’s Bee’s lipstick for years. I was told by the dermatologist that I had a pre-cancerous condition, and then had my lower lip burned with liquid nitrogen 5 visits in a row to try and remove those pre-cancerous cells. On the 6th visit I had a biopsy done, leaving a small white scar in the middle of my lower lip. On my 7th visit I was told I never had the pre-cancerous condition, but just had “dry lips” caused by an allergic reaction to something. Nice.
    I’m sure that it is an ingredient in the Burt’s Bee’s, but I don’t want to spend the money on patch testing, and I’m not convinced I’d have much of a reaction on my back from the patches anyway.
    Thanks for all the sharing!

36. Lisa February 22, 2010 4:11 pm

    Joelle, I’m sorry the Eco Lips Bee-Free lip balm didn’t work for you. I’m going to try it and see what happens; hopefully I’ll be able to use it. If not then I think I’m going to give up on commercial lip balms as well. If you’re able to develop your own that doesn’t give you a reaction, I’d also love to have the recipe — or maybe you can sell it and I’ll buy some! Daile, what a horrible situation you had! I’m so sorry you went through all that pain and even have a permanent scar on your lip because your doctor misdiagnosed you. I would be very angry at that doctor. Thanks very much for the website and the info on balsam of peru allergies. I’m going to check out that site. Joelle in November of 2009 up above in the thread said that she was patch tested for allergies and is allergic to the balsam of peru ingredients which contains all sorts of other things besides beeswax. Hopefully just because someone is allergic to beeswax does not automatically mean that that person is also allergic to the other ingredients in the balsam of peru group!

    Apparently allergy to beeswax is not all that uncommon, although a friend of mine who works at Whole Foods in the body care/supplements section and is extremely knowledgeable about that field said she’s never heard of anyone being allergic to beeswax.

    Joelle, I also bought some pure, unrefined shea butter recently while my lips were still in terrible shape, and it didn’t help at the time, but now that they’re healed I’ll give it a try again at night just as a moisturizer instead of lip balm. Nighttime is the only time I like to use lip balm. So far I’m not reacting to the various brands of lipstick I’ve been using (mostly Avon and Maybelline), so I really hope that continues!

    Thanks to everyone for the very helpful comments and information.

37. Lisa February 22, 2010 10:38 pm

    P.S. After looking at the truetest.com website about allergens and specifically balsam of peru allergy, I now realize that balsam of peru is a single ingredient from a tree (apparently not used much anymore), and that a “cross reaction” can occur with beeswax allergy. So I guess being allergic to beeswax doesn’t necessarily mean that one will also be allergic to balsam of peru or other cross-reactive substances.

38. beautifulwithbrains February 23, 2010 6:32 pm

    Daile, thanks for posting the url and info about that site, that’s very helpful and I’m sure lots of people will benefit from it.

    Oh my goodness, that’s absolutely awful! It’s terrible that your doctor misdiagnosed your condition and I’m sorry you had to go through all that.

39. beautifulwithbrains February 23, 2010 6:39 pm

    Lisa, I hope the Bee Free lip balm will work for you. I admit I never heard of beeswax allergies before writing this post, but it turns out lots of people are affected by it. It’s a shame companies haven’t come out with an alternative lip balm for those that can’t use beeswax yet. And thanks for clearing up the connection between balsam of peru allergy and beeswax

40. judy February 26, 2010 3:17 am

    This has been very interesting reading. I developed a contact dermatitis (my dr. said it was that and not an allergy) from using Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, the Dr. Pepper flavor, for probably at least 20 years. It took me a long time to figure out why my lips were swelling up, they looked OK sometimes, that Angelina Jolie look, kind of. But then they started cracking in the corners and became pretty miserable. I also did not want to spend the $$ on patch testing, but have done some patches myself (you just put an ingredient on your inner arm and cover it with Tegaderm and leave it on for 3 days). Found out I was not allergic to castor oil like I thought I might be. I have begun thinking maybe it’s beeswax. I haven’t found any straight beeswax to do a patch test with but am making my own lip balm with petrolatum, lanolin, a tiny spritz of peppermint oil (too much has irritated my lips), castor oil and glycerin melted together in the microwave. It’s pretty easy. I need to refine and quantify my recipe but it’s fun and cheap. The reason I used lanolin and petrolatum is because that was the main ingredients in A&D ointment, which soothed my lips and helped them heal, but I couldn’t stand the cod-liver-oil smell.

41. Ami February 27, 2010 3:52 am

    Do you happen to know of any websites that lists the ingredients in different cosmetics? I have had allergic reactions to several different lip products including Burt’s Bee’s, Clinique and several others and I am hoping to find the common ingredient that may be causing my lips to blister. Any thoughts???

42. beautifulwithbrains February 27, 2010 11:44 am

    Judy, I’m sorry that you developed contact dermatitis, that’s awful! I didn’t know you could do a patch test at home, thanks for sharing. Unfortunately with beeswax, that’s not simple to do cos not all types of beeswax are the same. Some companies use beeswax contaminated with pollin, resis or other substances, while other refine it to remove all these material. So, it’s hard to say if one is allergic to beeswax or to one of the substances that may be in it without being properly tested by a doctor.

    Making your own lip balm sounds really fun, isn’t it? I’m glad that you’ve found a recipe that works for you. I think petrolatum is a good choice and very moisturizing. That’s why most lip balms that contain beeswax include petrolatum instead.

43. beautifulwithbrains February 27, 2010 11:56 am

    Ami, Cosmetics Database (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php) lists the ingredients of thousands of products. It’s worth checking out but don’t be scared by all the negative things they say about ingredients. Most of the time, they tend to exaggerate their potential harmful effects. When used in small concentrations and applied topically, ingredients are usually safe so there’s no reason to panick. But you should found the information you’re looking for there. Hope this helps.

44. Lisa March 1, 2010 3:45 pm

    I’ve been using my favorite lipstick since my lips finally healed (once I stopped using any lip balm with beeswax) — Avon’s Pro to Go lipsticks in several colors, and after about 3 days of use my lips have started getting dry and flaking like when I used beeswax lip balm (although not as bad). I sent an email to Avon to see if these lipsticks contain beeswax and got a reply back that they don’t; they contain “wool wax” and silk from silkworms. (I’ve never heard of wool wax). Anyone who is allergic to beeswax have a problem that you know of with either of these ingredients?

45. Daile March 2, 2010 4:20 am

    Since thinking my allergy was to beeswax, and using my original Burt’s Bees gloss ingredients as my “trial-and-error” list, I am wondering about some of the other waxes. I’ve tested the castor oil, beeswax, peppermint oil, lanolin, cocoa butter and tocopherol ingredients directly on my lips with no reaction. What’s left is candelila wax, carnauba wax, sunflower oil, and “may contains” iron oxide, mica, carmine (bug juice, literally. Check it out), and titanium dioxide.
    Does anyone have any good information or experience with any of these others causing a problem? I’d love to get some firsthand feedback.

46. Lisa March 2, 2010 4:08 pm

    Hi Daile,

    I had a reaction to a Neutrogena MoistureShine Lip Sheer that I used, and the company said it didn’t contain beeswax but does contain carnauba wax. This was around the time that my lips were still in pretty bad shape, so I’m not sure if the Neutrogena lip product was the culprit — but after one day of using it, my lips were in much worse shape the next morning. So I suspect I may also have a problem with carnauba wax. Do you know where carnauba wax comes from — is it a natural (from nature) product?

47. Daile March 2, 2010 5:34 pm

    I know that carnauba wax is a type of car wax. It’s the same stuff. I think there’s even a brand of car wax out there with that name. I need to carve out some internet research time in the next nights to look into my remaining possible culprits, but that seemed quite foreboding in terms of what I might find out.

48. beautifulwithbrains March 2, 2010 7:49 pm

    Lisa, I’m sorry beeswax is not the only ingredient that gives you a bad reaction. I think wool wax is another name for Lanolin, a thick substance derived from the sebaceous glands of sheeps. And Lanolin is an allergen, so that may be the culprit.

    As for carnauba wax, that’s a natural wax derived from the leaves of the Brazilian tropical palm tree. I searched online but I couldn’t find a lot of information about allergic reaction to this substance. I read the summary of an article published on “Contact Dermatitis” magazine in 2008 (I’d give you the link but it’s in Italian and I don’t know if you know the language) and it says that a little girl had a bad reaction to a lip balm and after patch testes were done, it turns out she was allergic to the propolis in beeswax and to the cinnamic acid, which is a component of carnuba wax. I’m not sure if the two allergies are related (the article didn’t mention it), but it is possible to be allergic to both. I’ll research the topic more and let you know if I should found out more info on the subject.

49. Lisa March 2, 2010 7:53 pm

    Thanks Daile and Giorgia. This is all interesting, and good to know since I’m not sure if I am allergic to more than just beeswax — it’s possible. It’s frustrating, since the typical lipstick / lip gloss has so many ingredients, and it’s possible to be allergic to any of them. Giorgia, if you find out more, please post. Thanks so much!

50. beautifulwithbrains March 2, 2010 9:14 pm

    Daile, as I mentioned in my comment to Lisa, the cinnamic acid, which is a component of carnauba wax, can give some people an allergic reaction. Sunflower oil can also cause allergies, but that’s very rare. I have never heard of anyone being allergic to candelilla wax, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. I know candelilla wax contains some resins too (unrefined beeswax may also contain resins), so maybe that’s the culprit. I hope you find out what you are allergic too, although the best way to know that for sure would be to get tested for allergies.

51. beautifulwithbrains March 5, 2010 8:29 pm

    Lisa, I hope you are not allergic to anything else. Yes, that’s definitely frustrating. Most lipsticks have pretty much the same ingredients so you could compare the ingredients of those that irritate your lips to see which they have in common. Although the best way to know for sure if you’re allergic to something is to get allergy tested.

    Unfortunately I haven’t found any more information as of yet, but I’ll keep you updated

52. Lisa March 9, 2010 11:11 pm

    I’ve continued to use the Avon Pro-to-Go lipsticks, and my lips are ok so far so I don’t know why I seemed to have a reaction after using this product before. Sigh. I’m also going to buy the Eco Lips Bee-Free lip balm soon and give it a try at night. Right now I’m still using Mentholatum ointment on my lips at night because it doesn’t cause any reaction. My lips cleared up very quickly (3 days) after stopping any products with beeswax, so at least I know for sure that I am allergic to beeswax at a minimum.

53. beautifulwithbrains March 10, 2010 9:09 pm

    Lisa, I’m glad the Avon lipsticks work for you and that you don’t seem to be allergic to anything else bar beeswax. That must have been a relief! I hope the Eco Lips balm works for you.

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