Lip Products that Clog Pores

Pore Clogging Products: A Series

Hey there, guess what! We are going to start a new series on the blog! The series is called Pore Clogging Products and Their Ingredients.  We will be taking some time, twice a month to dig into all the products that you can and can’t use if you are acne prone.  

We are starting with lip products, specifically lip balms. Some of you will notice that you are constantly getting blackheads or breakouts on and around your lips. These breakouts are most likely occurring because of the products you use on your lips everyday. 

Here is a bit of a guide to safe and unsafe lip balms for those that are acne prone.

The most important thing when picking out lip balm is to make sure to check the active and inactive ingredients before you start wearing it. Some lip balms will be okay with their active ingredients, but will contain pore clogging, non-active ingredients.

Below, we have listed some of the most popular types of lip balms and their active and non-active ingredients. You will notice that the pore clogging ingredients are all listed in the non-active section of these product’s ingredient lists. They are highlighted in red for you to notice.

Eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

 

Inactive Ingredients:

Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax/Cera Alba (Cire D'abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor (Aroma), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Tocopherol, Cucumis Melo (Honeydew Melon) Seed Extract*, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract*, Limonene**, Linalool**. *Organic. **Component of Natural Flavor. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth.

 

ChapStick Classic Lip Balm SPF 4, Original

Active Ingredients:

Contains: Padimate O (1.5%) (Sunscreen), White Petrolatum (44%) (Skin Protectant)

Inactive Ingredients:

Arachadyl Propionate, Camphor, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera) Wax, Cetyl Alcohol, D&C Red 6 Barium Lake (CI 15850), FD&C Yellow 5 Aluminum Lake, Fragrance, Isopropyl Lanolate, Isopropyl Myristate, Lanolin, Light Mineral Oil, Methylparaben, Octyldodecanol, Oleyl Alcohol, Paraffin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Propylparaben, Titanium Dioxide, White Wax

Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lip Balm, Classic Beeswax

Active Ingredients: 

Beeswax (Apis Mellifera), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Lanolin, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) Root Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Canola Oil

Carmex

Active Ingredients: 

Octinoxate (6.4%), Oxybenzone (5.4%)

Inactive Ingredients: 

Beeswax, Camphor, Cetyl Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Flavor, Lanolin, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Menthol, Ozokerite, Paraffin, Petrolatum, Phenol, Salicylic Acid, Theobroma Cacao (cocoa) Seed Butter

 Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Moisturizer SPF 15

Active Ingredients: 

Octinoxate (7.5%), Oxybenzone 4%

Inactive Ingredients: 

Castor (Ricinus Communis) Seed Oil (Ricinus Communis), Corn Oil (Zea Mays), Ozokerite, Petrolatum, Beeswax (Apis Mellifera), Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Stearyl Alcohol, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera) Wax (Copernicia Cerifera), BHT

 Blistex Medicated Lip Balm, SPF 15

Active Ingredients:  

Dimethicone (2.0%, Lip Protectant), Oxybenzone (2.5%, Sunscreen), Padimate O (6.6%, Sunscreen)

Inactive Ingredients: 

Beeswax, Camphor, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Euphorbia Cerifera Candelilla Wax, Flavor, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Stearate, Lanolin, Lanolin Oil, Menthol, Methylparaben, Mineral Oil, Ozokerite, Paraffin, Petrolatum, Polybutene, Propylparaben, Red 6 Lake, Theobroma Cocoa Seed Butter

I know what you’re thinking, if all of these products have pore-clogging ingredients, what am I supposed to use on my lips? We highly suggest using simple vaseline or aquaphor on an everyday basis for your lips. Vaseline (not the lip therapy though it has shea butter)or aquaphor really is the most helpful thing for dry lips anyway. So keep it simple and throw all your other lip balms away. We guarantee you will see a difference around your lips. No more blackheads.  

Make sure to stay tuned for our next post about Pore Clogging Products. If you’d like to learn even more about safe products for acne sufferers and other acne fighting techniques, call the Skintherapy Skincare and Acne Clinic of Salt LakeCity to schedule an appointment today.