By Thom Watson, founder of Phatstix, who has spent nearly two decades in beauty and years wondering why his lips got worse the more lip balm he used.
Some lip balm ingredients can trap you in a cycle: apply, feel better briefly, then feel drier than before. The short answer is that certain common ingredients either cool or tingle without actually conditioning the skin, strip away what little barrier you have, or sit on top without letting anything through. Here is what to look for on the label, and what to use instead.
Which lip balm ingredients are most likely to cause problems?
The list is shorter than the internet makes it sound. Most lip balms are perfectly fine. But a handful of ingredients (particularly menthol, camphor, added fragrance, and certain alcohols) show up repeatedly in the research on lip irritation and contact sensitivity.
The pattern is nearly always the same: the ingredient creates a pleasant sensation (cooling, tingling, fresh-smelling) that the brain reads as "working", when the skin's experience is quite different. You reach for the balm again. The cycle continues.
That does not make these ingredients dangerous. It makes some of them a poor fit for people whose lips are already compromised.
What does menthol actually do to your lips?
Menthol is the tingle. It works by activating cold receptors in the skin (TRPM8 channels, if you want the detail), creating a cooling sensation with no actual change in temperature. It does not condition, it does not nourish, and it does not form a barrier.
The issue for some people is that menthol can be a mild irritant, particularly on already-cracked or inflamed skin. The American Academy of Dermatology lists fragrance and menthol among the triggers to avoid if you have reactive skin. A 2021 review in Contact Dermatitis identified menthol as a recognised allergen capable of causing allergic contact cheilitis (that is, allergic inflammation specifically on the lips).
None of this means menthol is universally harmful. But if your lips are perpetually sore and you use a menthol balm daily, it is worth trying a fragrance- and menthol-free alternative for two weeks to see if anything changes.
What to look for instead: conditioners that actually change the skin, emollients like shea butter, jojoba oil, and sweet almond oil that fill in the gaps between skin cells and reduce water loss.
Is fragrance in lip balm a problem?
Fragrance is the category with the most documented contact sensitivity reactions in cosmetics generally, and lips are a particularly reactive site because the skin is thinner there than anywhere else on the face.
"Fragrance" (or "Parfum" in an INCI list) is a collective term that can cover dozens of individual compounds. The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety maintains a list of 26 known fragrance allergens that must be labelled separately when above certain concentrations. Even below those thresholds, accumulation across multiple products (lip balm, moisturiser, hand cream, toothpaste) can tip someone into a reaction.
This is distinct from essential oils, which are also fragrances. Rose oil, peppermint oil, cinnamon, all fragrant, all capable of causing reactions, all sometimes marketed as "natural" alternatives that sidestep the concern. They don't.
For a lip product you are effectively wearing all day and consuming small amounts of, fragrance-free is a straightforward preference to have. It removes one variable.
What about camphor and eucalyptus?
Same family as menthol: cooling, pleasant, distracting. Camphor is a mild counter-irritant: it creates a sensation that temporarily overrides minor pain or itching, which can feel like relief without being repair. Regulatory bodies including the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety generally consider camphor safe in cosmetics at low concentrations, but it is not recommended on broken or inflamed skin.
Eucalyptus oil is similarly a known contact allergen for some people. If you find your lips itch after application, eucalyptus is a reasonable candidate.
Neither is common in most modern balms, but they appear often in medicated and "intensive repair" products, which is unfortunate because that is exactly the moment you might reach for one.
Does lanolin cause problems?
This one is more nuanced. Lanolin (wool wax) is an excellent occlusive: it sits on the surface and locks in moisture very effectively. For most people it is fine. But lanolin allergy is one of the more common contact sensitivities in dermatology, particularly among people who have eczema-prone skin, and it shows up frequently in patch-test results.
The British Association of Dermatologists notes that lanolin sensitivity affects a meaningful minority of eczema patients. If your lips are chronically reactive and you use a balm with lanolin, it is worth eliminating it as a variable.
This is not a reason to avoid lanolin categorically. It is a reason to check the label if you are struggling to understand why your lips are not improving.
What is the deal with petroleum jelly and mineral oil?
Petroleum-derived ingredients (petrolatum, paraffin, mineral oil) are not allergens in most cases. They are approved cosmetic ingredients and widely considered safe. But they are occlusives rather than conditioners: they seal the surface without adding anything to the skin itself.
The "bad for you" narrative around petroleum jelly is largely overblown. The concern that petrolatum is "comedogenic" is not well-supported by the evidence. Some dermatologists actively recommend it for dry, compromised skin barriers.
The more honest case for preferring plant-based alternatives is not that petroleum is harmful, but that a well-formulated balm with conditioning oils and butters does more than petroleum alone: it both seals and nourishes. You are getting more for your money and for your lips.
If you want to understand what "100% natural" actually means in a lip balm, and what it doesn't, our complete guide to lip balm ingredients covers the full picture.
What about alcohol in lip balms?
Short-chain alcohols (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, denatured alcohol) are drying. They increase transepidermal water loss, the rate at which moisture escapes through the skin barrier. They are rarely used in dedicated lip balms, but they appear occasionally in some "medicated" or anti-cold-sore formulas.
Fatty alcohols (cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol) are different: these are emollients, not drying agents, and they are generally beneficial. The naming is confusing but the chemistry is not.
If you see "alcohol denat." or "SD alcohol" near the top of an INCI list in a lip product, that is worth noting.
What should you look for instead?
The ingredients with the most evidence behind them for conditioning dry lips are emollients and occlusives from plant sources:
- Beeswax (Cera Alba): natural occlusive, forms a protective barrier, reduces transepidermal water loss. A 2023 review of beeswax in skincare describes its barrier-supporting and soothing properties (Nong et al., 2023, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology).
- Shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii): rich in fatty acids and triterpenes; well-evidenced for emollient and soothing properties (Lin et al., 2018).
- Jojoba oil (Simmondsia Chinensis): technically a liquid wax, structurally similar to the skin's own sebum; a studied soothing oil (Pazyar et al., 2013).
- Sunflower seed oil: high in linoleic acid; supports the skin barrier and skin renewal (Lin et al., 2017).
- Raspberry seed oil: rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids (~6%), included at a meaningful level in The Balm's formula.
None of these cause the tingle or the drama. They just work.
So what's actually in Phatstix?
Phatstix The Balm is fragrance-free, flavour-free, and contains no menthol, camphor, lanolin, petroleum derivatives, or added synthetic preservatives. The full formula, nine ingredients, is beeswax, sunflower oil, jojoba, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, raspberry seed oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, and mango butter. That is it.
It is 100% natural, non-comedogenic, and suitable for all skin types. No cooling agents, no tingle, no shortcuts. The size alone (30g, roughly 7 times a standard balm) means you are getting a serious amount of product, enough to use properly, not sparingly, for around £0.80 per gram.
I made it because I have eczema-prone lips and everything I tried either gave me a brief hit of freshness or sat on top doing not much. I wanted something that actually changed how my lips felt over time, not just for five minutes. (Thom, founder.)
If your lips are dry and you want to understand what you are actually applying, The Balm has a full ingredient breakdown on the product page.
Does it matter if I have eczema-prone lips?
If you have eczema-prone skin, the stakes are a bit higher with product choice. The skin barrier is more compromised to start with, and known irritants (fragrance, menthol, camphor, lanolin) are more likely to cause a reaction or extend the cycle.
This is not medical advice. If your lips are persistently sore, cracked, or not responding to any product, see your GP or a pharmacist. Angular cheilitis, perioral dermatitis, and allergic contact cheilitis all look like "dry lips" but have different causes and different fixes. A pharmacist can often triage quickly.
For eczema-prone skin generally, the NHS and the National Eczema Society both recommend fragrance-free, minimal-ingredient emollients as a starting point.
FAQ
Is menthol in lip balm bad for you?
Not for most people, but menthol is a recognised contact allergen and can irritate already-compromised skin. If your lips are perpetually sore and you use a mentholated balm daily, try a fragrance-free, menthol-free alternative for a couple of weeks to see if it makes a difference.
Why does my lip balm make my lips drier?
The most common culprits are ingredients that create a sensation (menthol, camphor, fragrance) without actually conditioning the skin, leading you to reapply frequently. Some people are also sensitive to lanolin or certain preservatives. Switching to a simple, fragrance-free, emollient-based formula often breaks the cycle.
Is fragrance in lip balm safe?
For most people, yes. But fragrance is the most common cause of cosmetic contact sensitivity, and lips are particularly reactive. Fragrance-free is a straightforward preference that removes a common variable, especially if you are already dealing with irritation.
What does "fragrance-free" mean on a lip balm?
No added fragrance or parfum, including essential oils used for scent. Genuinely fragrance-free products will say so and will not list "parfum", essential oils (peppermint oil, rose oil, etc.), or flavour compounds on the INCI.
Should I avoid lanolin in lip balm?
Only if you are reactive to it. Lanolin is an effective occlusive for most people, but lanolin allergy is a documented condition, particularly common in people with eczema. If your lips are chronically irritated and you cannot identify the cause, it is one to investigate via patch testing with a dermatologist.
Is petroleum jelly (Vaseline) bad for lips?
No, it is not bad: it is an approved, safe, effective occlusive. The more relevant question is whether you want a balm that only seals or one that also conditions. Plant-based emollients like shea butter and jojoba do both.