Many people suffer from chapped lips, especially in the cold season. Regular application of cream can protect against this. However, if you frequently use lip care products, you will also swallow some of them. It is therefore important that the products do not contain any substances that could be harmful to health if they enter the body directly through the mouth.
Stiftung Warentest had 30 lip balm sticks and creams tested in the laboratory, including well-known brands and retailers’ own brands. Seven products are certified natural cosmetics. We wanted to know whether the products contain critical mineral oil ingredients – as was usually the case in the previous lip care test in 2017. Pleasing: This time we can recommend many lip balms, some of which are available for little money. With our test results you will find a lip balm that you can use without hesitation. You can also find out which ones are better left on the shelf.
Why the lip care test is worth it for you
Testergebnisse
Of the 30 lip care products tested, 20 did not contain any mineral oil-based ingredients. We sent lipsticks, lip balms and lip creams from brands such as Labello, Blistex or Rituals, own brands from drugstores and discounters as well as pharmacy products such as Bepanthol or La Roche Posay to the laboratory. The price range is very wide at 0.99 euros to 26.90 euros per 10 grams.
The best lip care for you
You will find out which lip care products Stiftung Warentest advises against for safety reasons because they contain critical mineral oil components – and which are free of these critical substances. You can search our results specifically, for example by certified natural cosmetics, your favorite product or the price.
Kaufberatung
If you want to be on the safe side, you should avoid certain ingredients in lip care products. We explain why – and have listed which substances these are. You can also use our checklist to check the ingredients listed on the packaging of products that are not in the test.
Magazine article as PDF
After activation, in addition to the test results, you will receive the magazine article from test 10/23 for download.
Lip care in the test Test results for 30 lip care products
Critical ingredients in 10 out of 30 lip care products
In a previous test in 2017, the majority of lip care products contained critical mineral oil ingredients. Certain mineral oil hydrocarbons such as Mosh (mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons) may accumulate in the body. The health consequences have not yet been conclusively clarified. Moah (mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons) with special chemical structures can alter the genetic material of human cells and cause cancer.
Our current test shows that many providers responded to our criticism back then and have since changed their recipes: We can now recommend 20 out of 30 pencils and creams for the lips. They do not contain any critical mineral oil components. However, this did not apply to a third of the test – including well-known brands and more expensive products.
Tipp: Even before activation, you can see all tested lip care products and, for example, filter whether they are certified natural cosmetics.
Lip care in the test: No titanium dioxide found
Suppliers must indicate on the packaging which ingredients they use. If certain ingredients are stated on the package, this indicates that critical mineral oil hydrocarbons are included. For reasons of preventive consumer protection, Stiftung Warentest recommends avoiding these ingredients – we have summarized them in a checklist for a quick overview.
Tipp: We have also tested decorative lipsticks for critical substances. All products contained titanium dioxide, which we classify as a pollutant. In the lip balm sticks in the current test, however, titanium dioxide plays no role.
Lip balm and lip balm are not addictive
We are not choosing a classic test winner in the current test. We didn’t give any grades. Because we didn’t test how well the sticks and creams care for the lips. It is clear that the fatty film that the products create ensures that the skin feels well-groomed. Without lip balm, however, the skin appears uncomfortably dry and tight. Anyone who wants to reapply cream again and again is not addicted to the products. Rather, it is a habituation effect. And it is harmless.
Tipp: We did not test any special lip care products with UV filters. But the lips also need protection from damaging UV radiation. Classic sunscreens can also be used to provide effective UV protection for your lips.