Does Beeswax Benefit Skin? (And What It’s Really Doing In Your Skincare Products)

164 Comments on Does Beeswax Benefit Skin? (And What It’s Really Doing In Your Skincare Products)

1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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

    • I, like you, am severely allergic to wasps, bees, honey, and beeswax. I am happy the discussion is happening. I hope more makeup companies become wise and stop using it, cause I want to use lipsticks too.

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

16. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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?

    • Lacey, Try VMV Hypoallergenics. I am allergic to propolis which is a component in beeswax. Their lip glosses which come in colors do not contain it. http://www.vmvhypoallergenics.com
      This is a good company for people with allergies because their products are devoid of a lot of common allergens. Everything has coconut oil in it.

22. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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

    • Hi Joelle. Yes, I had an allergic reaction to bee-free Eco Lips as well. I think I’ve narrowed it down to the candelilla wax or their source of vit E. I’ve used it for over a week and little by little, my lips became increasingly drier (requiring more frequent applications of it), red, irritated, swollen with tiny ‘allergy pimples’ around my lips. I went back to using pure shea butter this morning and already my lips feel a tiny bit better. The redness has gone down a little too. Hugs.

33. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

    • Hi Daile, in my case, I’ve narrowed it down to: candelila wax, sunflower oil (doubtful) and the vit. E (doubtful) source Eco Lips uses. I’m thinking it is candelilla wax because sunflower oil has been in moisturizers and other natural cosmetics I’ve used/currently using and it didn’t seem to pose any related issues and I have used vit E without issues … although I will say that it could very well be a different source than the one Eco Lips uses. I had been using Dr. Bronners Naked Organic Lip Balm … which lists beeswax as the 3rd ingredient. It didn’t give me problem enough to notice but when I started using Eco Lips, my lips and my skin all the way around my lips, began to get red, irritated, swollen and with tiny ‘allergy pimples’. This morning, I switched to using pure shea butter. Hugs.

      • Sorry, I forget to mention that Dr. Bronners Naked Organic Lip Balm does not have candelilla wax. I seemed ok using it. 🙂

46. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

    • Hi Lisa … there are times that I reacted to beeswax and others I didn’t. I try to avoid it at all costs because I have had ‘a’ reaction. Even one time will do it. Perhaps it depends upon how well or poorly our immune systems are functioning at those times. If you notice your immune function dip, it might be wise to use something else until your immunity picks up again. Hugs

53. 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. 🙂

54. Joelle, just like you, I tried the Eco Lips Bee-Free lip balm and had a bad reaction — not immediately, but the second night I used it. Red, swollen, dry and peeling lips. It doesn’t contain beeswax, but the first listed ingredient is organic jojoba oil, which is also one of the (few) ingredients in the Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm that I had such a horrible reaction to (it also contains beeswax). So, I know I’m allergic to beeswax, but I’m also apparently allergic to either jojoba oil or something else in the Eco Lips. I’ve given up on all lip balms and will just use Mentholatum ointment at night. I don’t like using petrolatum but have run out of other options.

55. Lisa, I’m sorry to hear the Bee Free lip balm gives you a bad reaction as well. What a bummer! I’ve checked the ingredients again and I’m wondering if it is the candelilla wax that’s causing the problem? There’s no way to be sure without an allergy test, but I’ve recently found out that beeswax and candelilla wax may both contain natural resins that could trigger an allergic reaction. I’m not sure if they contain the same resins, though. I’ve been researching possible connections betwen allergies to beeswax to other types of waxes lately but there’s barely any information on the subject, I’m afraid.

    I think petrolatum is an ok ingredient, but if you’re not comfortable using it maybe you can just apply plain olive oil to your lips? I do that sometimes and it makes them very soft and moiturized.

    • Hi everyone … I wanted to offer my experience as well, so we can maybe get closer to finding an answer. I used the vegan bee-free Eco lips many years ago without problem and just bought a couple tubes last week when I saw them again (for the first time in years) and I made the connection this morning, that it has been giving me an allergic reaction since I started using it. I am also allergic to beeswax and a growing list of things, due to having my immune system severely triggered, due to stress and a living in two severely moldy homes in past years. I remembered, that when I was using pure shea butter and olive oil or coconut oil prior to using Eco lips last week, I didn’t have any of these little weird ‘lip balm allergy’ breakouts above and below my lips. The skin around my lips wasn’t red, inflamed or irritated as it now. I, too am very curious about which ingredient triggered the allergic reaction. I agree that it might be the candelilla wax unless it is the source of their vit. E. I know from the process of elimination, that it is not shea butter or coconut oil – in my case, unless they are contaminated somehow, with something – however this is a doubtful scenario. I’m not allergic to lemon oil either. This narrows it down to: sunflower oil (which I do not think it is), candelilla wax, their vitamin E source, lime oil and rosemary oil. I have used calendula as well … so that’s not the culprit either. I tend to like to avoid lip balms with strong oils … such as lemon, lime, rosemary, orange. I find they are too strong to be on the lips even in meager doses. Perhaps us sensitive types are best off with using: shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut butter, olive oil etc. It’s just too bad that without some sort of wax or substance similar to wax, home-made VEGAN lip balms don’t seem to work well. It is a tricky balance and mine are usually too thick or too thin and don’t have any staying power – at all. It doesn’t help that I have always had dry lips and began using lip balms when I was just a little girl – maybe 9 y.o. (I’m 37 now) when my mother gave me something for them and they are well-conditioned to be dry and highly dependent on having a layer of something rubbed on them every 20 mins. or so. It’s not as easy thing to ween off of extra moisturization. Best of luck to everyone to find what works for them. Hugs

      • Moonshinegal, thanks for sharing your experience with us. I’m sorry to hear about your allergy. I agree that when one is very sensitive, it’s best to stick to only olive oil, coconut oil and things like that. Unfortunately, they don’t have a great texture when used alone, but I guess it’s always better than getting a negative reaction.

        • Thanks for your compassion. 🙂 I had my first very bad reaction while I was living in a very hot climate without air conditioning. The nearest store (Walmart … you know you’re living in the “middle of nowhere”, if the nearest store is a Walmart LOL) ) was a 30 min. drive away and the only ‘pure’ option was Burt’s Bees (they didn’t carry Eos, Say Yes To Carrots etc.). How unfortunate. The stuff dried my lips badly but I had nothing else to use. Olive oil evaporates quickly and easily especially when it’s hot. Since my dry lips needed application every 20 mins. or so, I couldn’t keep the balm in the fridge – I kept it nearby. The stuff went rancid pretty fast and I wasn’t conscious enough to know right away and my lips became so inflamed, irritated, broken out, painful. I stopped using it and used olive oil. I had to apply some every 15 mins. or so but my lips cleared up within a week. I’ll never go back to B.B’s again. I’ve noticed switching what you’re using helps … perhaps it fools the body a little bit if you dabble here and there without giving your body enough time to realize there is an allergen to fight. I know switching seems to help me. I go back and forth from Say Yes To Carrots, Eos, Dr, Bronners and sometimes if I find a rare-gem-of-a-gloss that is natural and lists olive oil or avocado oil or coconut oil as the first ingredient, I’ll take a chance that it will moisturize and not give me a problem. Thank you for this very enlightening blog! Hugs

          • Moonshinegal, I’m sorry you had so little options. When you have allergies, it’s already hard enough to find something in big stores that carry a lot of different lines. But I’m glad that switching seems to help somewhat.

            You’re welcome and thank you for sharing your story. I’m sure other people will find it helpful.

56. Hi Giorgia,

    You may be right and I might be allergic to candelilla wax. The Eco Lips lip balm has a lot more ingredients than the Dr. Bronner’s, which I had such problems with, so it’s hard to know which one(s) are causing the reaction. Someone else suggested using plain olive oil, and I should try that. I have plenty at home.

57. Lisa, I feel bad now about recommending the Eco Lips lip balm but I didn’t really think there could be a connection between beeswax and other types of waxes until recently. Of course it could also be something else, which just makes things even more frustrating. Do try the Olive Oil and let me know how it goes. I’m sure it’ll work fine for you 🙂

58. Thanks, and don’t feel bad for mentioning the Eco Lips lip balm. I’ve tried so many at this point, and this one does not have beeswax so *should* have been ok. Maybe my lips are just on “hyper-alert” at this point, and almost anything will cause a reaction.

59. Lisa, that must be so frustrating! But at least the olive oil should work fine. It’s just one ingredient and if you often use it to cook without problems, it shouldn’t give you an allergic reaction. 🙂

60. I’m so sorry to hear that lip balm is still troubling everyone. I had a reaction to shea butter (ugh) so my home-made lip balm is on hold. I wanted to stop using petroleum so I’ve been carrying vitamin E capsules with me, and use that as a moisturizer for my lips. I’ve also been using coconut oil when at home, but maybe I’ll switch it up with olive oil ;).
    I’ve been so frustrated with this whole thing that I decided to see a highly recommended allergist who said I am NOT allergic to beeswax, but rather have a skin irritation. He believes that by breaking the cycle, I could be able to wear “normal” products again. I’m extremely skeptical, but I am undergoing patch testing and such with him next week. I will definitely post when I hear something more definitive!

61. Hi Joelle,

    Do you know what the allergist meant by “skin irritation”? That sounds pretty generic. What does he think caused it, and why are so many different products causing your lip problems? Just curious if he explained himself. I wonder why he’s so confident that you aren’t allergic to beeswax. If you’re not, then why can’t you use products with beeswax without your lips being so affected?

    Please let us know what happens with the patch testing — is that to rule out allergy to beeswax and other ingredients?

62. Joelle, I’m sorry that you’ve had a reaction to shea butter too. I think it was a good idea to go to an allergist so you’ll know once and for all what’s causing the problems but I have the same questions and concerns as Lisa. Please, keep us updated 🙂

63. I’m allergic to wax too. Nice to read all of the other comments and realize that I’m not the only one out there. For years I had horribly itchy eyes, cracked lips, and an itchy scalp. I kept buying different kinds of lip stick and lip balms b/c my lips were cracked and bleeding. Then, several years ago I bought Neutrogena wax free mascara and suddenly my eyes stopped itching. That got me thinking about the wax in lip products and the wax in the conditioners I use for my thick, curly hair. I now use only lip gloss and my lips feel great. I use Selsun Blue on my hair and only natural oils for conditioner. My scalp had itched all of my life, and now it never itches. Unfortunately, it appears that Neutrogena has stopped making wax free mascara. I tried their new mascara (beeswax is the second ingredient) and immediately the itching started. Any mascara suggestions?

    • Heyden,

      I have the same problem and it sucks. Anyway, I did find a wax-free mascara that recently came out by Origins. It’s call Full-Story. If you go to their website you can find it and it says “wax-free”. This works great for me and I really like it. However, it does have “kaolin” in it, which is a clay-like mineral that has sometimes given me problems because it is known to have a wax-like make. Generally, I am fine using Full-Story, I just make sure to wash it all off at night. What’s nice is that you can buy Origins online or at Macy’s =) Hope this helps.

64. Hayden, I’m sorry you are allergic to beeswax too. Looks like this allergy is more common than most people think. I’m glad that you have managed to find products that work for you though. Is it just beeswax you are allergic too or other types of waxes? Cos most brands use some kind of wax in their mascaras. I know Origins makes a wax free mascara, it’s called Fringe Benefits. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how well it performs but it doesn’t contain beeswax. It uses carnauba wax instead. And I believe you can still find the Neutrogena mascara online. Hope this helps.

65. I was so hopeful seeing the recommended renowned allergist, and he was absolutely no help at all. When I returned for patch testing, we confirmed that I have absolutely NO reaction to beeswax on my back, which I suspected anyway. However, the allergist who originally thought there was a way to “break the cycle” with the lip irritation, after further research, thinks this isn’t a possibility for those of us with balsam of peru like allergies/irritations, whether we react only on our lips or not. I almost walked out while he was still sitting in the office. I really don’t care whether it’s an allergy or irritation, and I don’t care what it’s classified as, I just want to wear normal products and not have to use hydrocortizone after each reaction. Sorry for venting, but you all know my pain. 😉 Anyway, I’m struggling with the homemade lip balm, since the reaction to shea butter. I just tried making some today with pure carnauba wax but it feels grainy on the lips. I’ll know if I have a reaction by tonight.
    As for mascara, I too have been using Neutrogena waxless mascara for the past 3 years and also just found out it’s been discontinued. No longer on their website, not in CVS, Target, etc, and I haven’t found any other online suppliers. I did however find a mascara at Sephora (looking online) that uses no wax, but is $40. I’m planning on going in this weekend for further investigation.
    Good luck with the experimenting and searching for products, ladies. I’ll post once I find something, whether it’s mascara, lip balm, or a miracle worker dermatologist!

66. Hi. I have a history of adverse reactions to beestings. And now, after years of using different chapsticks with beeswax, I’ve developed soreness, redness, and cracking on the lower lip. My dermatologist prescribed Hydrocortisone Ointment 2.5 mg. to heal this area just below and around the lower lip. It worked temporarily. There seems to be alot of shedding of the skin on said lip area. Anyway, I’ve stopped using any chapstick with beeswax and we’ll be trying alternate products (sparingly) by what I’ve read here. I was wondering if anyone has tried a bee-free chapstick from Whole Foods which has lemon/ lime oils in it. My concern with this is a sensitivity to citrus fruits. Finally, my wife is concerned about the effects of kissing me with her beeswax chapstick. Lord, have mercy! Any thoughts? Thanks…

67. Hi Peter,

    I think you’re referring to Eco Lips “Bee Free” vegan lip balm (lemon lime flavor) that’s available at Whole Foods. Yes, that’s the most recent lip balm I tried and I had a reaction within 24 hours, just like when using anything with beeswax. So I’ve personally given up on all lip balms since I had a reaction to so many and am back to my old stand-by, Mentholatum ointment. I don’t like using a product with petrolatum, but I can’t find anything else that doesn’t cause a reaction.

    If you’re like me, your lips will heal within just a few days after stopping all lip balms (the Mentholatum also helped my lips to heal after stopping the balms). My lips also peeled, were incredibly dry, red, cracked, and were horribly uncomfortable and looked awful while using numerous different brands of lip balm. It started with me while I was using Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm, which I had used for many months with no problems and which contained only about five ingredients, all organic. I didn’t connect my peeling, dry lips with the Dr. Bronner’s balm since I’d used it with no problems for so long, but it turned out that it was what started my hyper-sensitivity, and now it seems that any lip balm causes the same reaction.

    Good luck and let us know how you do!

68. Hi Joelle,

    I’ve been wondering if you went to the allergist, so thanks for posting about your visit. I’m sorry it didn’t help! I would have been as frustrated as you are. It’s interesting that you had no reaction on your back to beeswax. I suspect I wouldn’t either, but if it’s anywhere near my lips (along with other ingredients that I haven’t nailed down yet), forget it. I finally gave up after reacting to the beeswax-free Eco Lips Bee Free lip balm and am back to using what I used for years before trying to go more organic and natural, Mentholatum ointment. I don’t like using petrolatum, but at this point it seems to be the only thing I can use without a reaction.

    If you discover anything else that works for you, please post.

69. Joelle, thanks for keeping us updated about your visit to the allergist. I’m sorry to hear he wasn’t any help at all. That must have been so frustrating! I’m also sorry you’e stuck with the homemade lip balm, but I hope that carnauba wax didn’t give you a bad reaction as well. And $40 for a mascara?! That’s insane! It’s appaling how few options are out there for people that are allergic to beeswax and it’s not fair when they are so expensive! I hope you can find some products that work well for you and please keep us posted if you do.

70. Joelle, the mascara I use does contain beeswax and jojoba oil, but it has never bothered my eyes. Have you reacted in the past to mascaras with beeswax? Maybe in my case I only have problems with beeswax on my lips. At any rate, I try to use cosmetics that are as natural as possible, and I use Dr. Hauschka mascara from Germany, available at Whole Foods for about $25, which at least is better than $40. I like it because it goes on well and doesn’t have any mercury (which I read that some mascaras and other eye cosmetics contain and are allowed to contain), and it washes off with plain water which I also like. If you ever want to try it and live near a Whole Foods, if you react to it you can return it for a full refund. Whole Foods is great about taking products back for almost any reason.

71. Peter, I’m sorry to hear you are allergic to beeswax too. That’s awful but I hope some of the products mentioned in this post will work for you. As for the kissing, I don’t know what to say. I guess that if the lip balm she’s wearing contains lipgloss and comes into contact with your skin there is a possibility it may cause a reaction, so personally I would err on the safe side. But it’s just my personal opinion. If someone else has any experience with this, please share.

72. Hi Lisa,
    Yes, my eyes did have a reaction the last time I used mascara with beeswax. It was just around the time I started having trouble with my lips, so I might try a mascara with wax again- maybe it was an old tube. I also started looking at metholatum ointments. Which do you use? And do you ever have reactions to products other than lip balm? I’m so sensitive that even if I wear certain body lotions, I have a reaction later in the day, on my lips. Even coming in contact with people with lotions, hair products, etc, will cause a reaction on my lips. Is anyone else this sensitive? I’ve been trying to abstain from using the hydrocortizone until absolutely necessary.

    Hi Peter,
    I actually do have plenty of experience with the “swapping” of beeswax. My boyfriend does not wear any lotion, lip balm, hair product, cologne, aftershave, etc that causes me to have a reaction. He definitely does not enjoy this (as I know your wife won’t either) but witnessing my battle the past few years has made him self-less. I think he wants me to figure this out as much as I do. 😉

    Hi Heyden,
    Are you allergic to ALL waxes? Not just beeswax, but also vegetable wax (candelilla wax and carnauba wax)? After trying the carnauba wax in my homemade lip balm and having a very slight reaction, I was curious if anyone else thinks they have reactions to wax other than beeswax.

    I had a thought, or two, about strength in numbers. So far, my dermatologists, primary doc, and allergist(s) have no other patients with my condition, but surely somewhere out there someone has, and solved it. I was thinking that collaboratively we could search out help for our condition, such as contacting multiple dermatologists (as a group), publishing an ad in a dermatology publication, or things of this nature. Anyone interested?

73. Hi Joelle,

    The mentholatum ointment I’m using on my lips is actually the Mentholatum brand — little green plastic container with a white lid that says “Mentholatum Ointment / Topical Analgesic”. Available at most stores and drug stores. I used this for years on my lips at night until I started searching out more natural products and started using the Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm which I loved, until after about six months my lips started going crazy. So now I’m back to using Mentholatum, even though it contains petrolatum which I do not like.

    As for other products, yes, I developed dry, flaky, peeling skin on my face several years ago. Even went to my dermatologist who was a bit confounded and wasn’t sure what was going on. That’s when I decided to stop using conventional cosmetics, face creams, etc. with ingredients like sodium laureth sulfate, parabens, phthalates, etc. after reading about how many of them can cause skin irritation, sometimes severe (as well as all kinds of other nasty problems). I threw away all of my expensive perfumes (pretty much ALL perfumes contain phthalates, a nasty chemical), cosmetics and lotions and started using products from Whole Foods and other natural stores and even then was diligent about reading labels. When I stopped using the conventional face creams and cosmetics, the skin on my face cleared up immediately. So I’m not sure what I was sensitive to, but it was definitely an ingredient in something I had been using.

    I now use a wonderful face lotion that I buy at WF, Alaffia brand, which contains wildcrafted shea butter from Africa — but I think you said you can’t use shea butter. Bummer!!

    You do sound a lot more sensitive than I am. I truly feel for you! Just the struggle I’ve had with my lips has been so frustrating. I hope you can connect with some other people who are as sensitive as you are and find some answers.

    • Sounds like many of us need pure care items. I react to just about all unnatural substances with a red itchy rash with tiny bumps … if it was something I applied to my lips – that’s where it happened. I have gone through times in my life where I react to something and I have no idea why or what from. I would wake from rashes, dry itchy flaky skin etc. It would come and go without logic or warning. This has happened on my scalp, sides of face/temples by my eyes, around my nose, my lips, elbows, knees, hands. My immune system is so sensitive, I have cause to be aware of everything I apply, where, when and for how long. I try to switch products so my immune system has a rest because I have found that if I use something for a long period of time, my body (immune function) begins to get triggered. That’s why I think it’s good to mix things up a bit if there are enough options for you. I have numerous food allergies (allergies trigger the immune system, intolerance have more to do with digestion) and I say I was born to be a vegan because of this. Non-organic things trigger me too. I don’t chance eating GMOs because of how I feel afterwards. Skin irritation is a symptom and I can’t help but wonder how all your immune system functions are. Hugs.

74. Joelle, as I mentioned above, while I was researching any links there could be between an allergy to beeswax and other types of waxes, I stumbled on an article that mentioned that a girl had a reaction to both beeswax and carnauba wax. It turns out that it was cinnamic acid, which is a component of carnauba wax, that trigged the negative reaction. And I think that cinnamic acid is also one of the many substances those with Balsam of Peru allergies need to avoid. I’m no doctor but my guess is that’s why you had a reaction. I’m really sorry about that. As for other types of waxes like candelilla wax, I haven’t found any connection to beeswax allergies yet, but then there isn’t a lot of information about this subject. I will keep looking though.

    I also think that your idea is really good and I hope that a lot of people will come forward to help find a solution. I don’t have any allergies, at least not yet, but if I can help in any way, just let me know.

75. Hi There,

    Sorry to hear that so many of you have allergies to beeswax and other lip balm ingredients. I too have many of the same reactions, so started making my own lip balms and body products. I have done a lot of research as to why the skin around my lips (corners) crack and bleed depending on what I use on them. So, here is some information that may help. Please keep in mind that I am only relaying what I have found for myself, and in no way am implying it would help you!

    1) Many people who are allergic to nuts or latex will be allergic to shea butter, so you can try mango butter instead. It is very moisturizing and has many of the same properties and consistency of shea butter. It also has a less greasy feel than shea butter.
    2) Jojoba oil is not actually an oil but a wax ester. It is most like human sebum and rarely causes reactions. There is a golden type which is unrefined, versus the clear, non-scented type which goes through various refining processes. Maybe you could try the golden to see if it works better.
    3) Candelilla wax comes from a plant in Mexico and southern areas of Texas. The wax is separated from the plant through boiling of the stems. Then it is further refined along the way to you. You can read more about it here: http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/waxcamps/index.html. In general it is not known to have adverse reactions in people, but that’s not to say you couldn’t be allergic.
    4) I have tried both refined and unrefined beewax in my lip balm recipes, and am starting to think that although the unrefined is more natural and smells better, it may actually be making my lips more sore than the refined. It only affects my lips though, not in the other products I make for my feet and hands.
    I also made a lip gloss with Caster Oil, Sunflower Oil and Beeswax, which is now making my lips hurt when I use it. So, next I will try Caster Oil, Sunflower Oil and Candelilla Wax to see if that makes a difference. The lip gloss is very nice looking though so I am hoping the Candelilla Wax works.!
    5) Many organic and natural products which are anhydrous (no water ingredients) have vitamin E added as an antioxidant to retard the rancidity of the oils. It can either be natural or synthetic vitamin E (tocopherol). Perhaps you are allergic to the vitamins?

    Thanks also for information about Balsam of Peru, I will have to check that out more for myself as I use that in some of my recipes and would hate to have anyone have an allergic reaction from it.
    .-= Kathy´s last blog ..Not Quite Springtime =-.

76. Kathy, I’m sorry you have negative reactions to beeswax but thanks for sharing this info with us. I’m sure a lot of people with the same problem will benefit greatly from your experience.

    It doesn’t surprise me that the unrefined beeswax makes your lips more sore than the refined type. Unrefined beewax contains all sorts of resins, pollen and other substances, that unless removed, can cause negative reactions.

    Also, let us know how the lipgloss with Candelilla wax turns out, it sounds really good!

77. Kathy, very interesting, and you sure have done some research! Thanks for the information.

78. Very interesting reading on beeswax allergy. I was in incredible pain for nearly 3 years before my beeswax allergy was identified. My symptoms include a very red and swollen face, my eyes are so swollen they virtually disappear, then as it starts to subside my skin starts to peel like I have been severly sunburnt. And to top it all off my eyebrows fell out! The itching and soreness is intense and with it being on my face very embarrassing.

    Do not take this lightly, comments about refining and taking out certain ingredients before being used in make-up and lotions is nonesense if you have a true beeswax allergy avoid at all costs. look our for cera alba and propolis cera as well. Beeswax is also found in food as a glazing agent and on tablets as a glazing agent.

    I had skin patch tests done at the hospital so if anyone thinks they have a reaction to beeswax get tested, if not you could end up like me with 3 years of problems, which I still have every so often, and now having related issues such as very sensitive skin, an intolerance to UVA and UVB and having to shell out loads of money for sun-cream that does not contain beeswax. Oh and I still havent got any eyebrows!!!

79. Rach, I’m so sorry to hear that. You went through a real nightmare and I hope things are better for you now. I guess if your allergy isn’t very severe or if you are allergic to only one of the components in beeswax, then using the refined type may help, but in severe cases like you, avoiding beeswax at all costs is definitely the best thing to do.

80. Wow! I am so happy I want to cry! I can’t believe there are others whoe share my horrific problem. I too have an adverse reaction to all chapsticks. I can not figure out what ingredient causes this all I know is that the only thing I can use is Vaseline, which I also hate useing because of the petroleom. I have not used chapstick in about a year or two so I decided to try it out again and now I am in such horrible pain and discomfort. Thats when I decided to do a little research online.
    I do have some other things I’ve tried that I would like to pass on so that others can feel some relief…
    1.) I bought an Aloe Vera plant and each morning I break off a tiny bit and apply on my lips. I also take that tiny piece and put it in my purse for later.
    2.) When I accidently or purposely use chapstick and get an allergic reaction I put RX grade exzema cream that I got from the doctor for my exzema problem. That helps soooooo much to cure it faster.
    3.) throught the winter I carry my vaseline tube. You can get it at any drugstore it’s actually made my Vaseline. (white tube with a blue cap). Love love love this product except for the petroleum jelly aspect. But it has great effect.
    I hope you all are doing well and at least finding something to tame this aweful problem. I am so glad to find you all.

    • Rebecca, so sorry to hear that you’re having a similar problem to the rest of us. I no longer even attempt to use any lip balm. The one that started it all for me was my very, very favorite lip balm, Dr. Bronner’s, which is 100% organic and only has about 5 ingredients, including beeswax, and which I used for months with no problem — until I developed a huge problem. As I recall, Chapstik also contains beeswax, but if you want to narrow the possibilities of what’s causing your reaction, you might try buying a tube of the “Naked” variety of Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm (available at natural stores like Whole Foods, etc.) — naked has no fragrance which eliminates a potential ingredient that you might react to. Beeswax is one of the main ingredients in Dr. Bronner’s, along with jojoba seed, avocado and hemp seed oil. If you still react, then you can bet you’re sensitive to beeswax, jojoba, avocado or hemp seed oil. If you don’t react, then you’ve found a fantastic, moisturizing organic lip balm without petroleum.

      I’ve resorted to using Mentholatum brand ointment on my lips at night (which is when I like to use some type of lip balm), as I reacted to everything else I tried, even products without beeswax like Eco Lips “Bee-Free” vegan lip balm. I’m actually going to have allergy testing done in a few months, since I’m having seasonal allergy problems anyway that cause upper respiratory infections, so I will definitely be discussing this with the allergist and will hopefully be able to have beeswax included in the patch testing.

      • Lisa, good luck with your allergies tests. I hope the doctor will be able to determine exactly what it is you’re allergic to and give you some valid alternatives to mentholatum as well as I know you don’t like using it. Keep us updated. 🙂

        • Thanks Giorgia. I will definitely post after the allergy patch testing (will be a few months). I sure hope it shows why I have this reaction to lip balm ingredients!

    • Rebecca, I’m sorry to hear you have such a bad reaction to most lip balms as well. But at least Vaseline works ok for you. I don’t have a problem with it but it’s a shame there aren’t more alternatives for people with allergies out there especially since it looks like a lot of people are suffering from them. Thanks for sharing your experience and the tips, I’m sure people in your same situation will find them very useful.

81. I just found this page and I’m happy to have some people who can sympathize! For the past 12 years, I’ve been having these problems! I will use a lip product for anywhere from a few months to two years, and then all of a sudden I will develop an allergy to it! My lips get red and irritated and break on in small bumps. It’s extremely frustrating! I finally went to a dermatologist last year (at my husband’s insistance), and the jerk dermatologist told me that he “wasn’t concerned” about the problem. Um, thanks! I am concerned, seeing as they’re MY lips! At the time, I was using vaseline (after having switched from chapstick, to which I had just had a bad reaction), and it was working, so he seemed to think that vaseline was the solution, even though I repeatedly told him that most new products work for me for a while, and then I develop an allergy/reaction.

    This week, I started breaking out with vaseline, so I’m back to square one. Things that I can’t use include: Chapstick (the weird thing was that I had a reaction to vanilla mint chapstick after using it for two years, then was able to use regular chapstick for six months before developing an allergy to that), Vaseline, Naturals Brand, Vitamin E stick, Neosporin Lip Health, Bonne Belle, and more that I can’t think of. Yesterday, I bought organic Jojoba oil thinking that since it was just one ingredient, it wouldn’t irritate me, but when I woke up this morning after putting it on before bed, my lips were literally HARD and cracking. It was pretty gross. At the moment, I have olive oil on my lips. It’s the first time I’ve tried it, so I’m hoping it works because I am running out of options…

    Sorry this has been so long. I’m just glad to have people to talk to about this! My question for all of you is – do you think it’s worth me finding another dermatologist and/or an allergist? I’d like to find a solution, but since I seem to develop new allergies every few months, I don’t know if it would even be worth it.

    • Bethany, I’m so sorry to hear about your problem. It’s awful and it must be so frustrating for you to develop allergies all the time. I really hope olive oil works for you. I wouldn’t know what else to suggest if that doesn’t. 🙁

      That dermatologist was a real jerk. His job is to help patients so he should be concerned with their problems. He was just so rude, but I think it’s worth going to an allergist. If you get some tests done, you’ll be able to know which substances are causing the reaction and maybe even why it’s happening. I hope you manage to find something that works for you.

82. Bethany, I feel your pain (literally). I used lip products without any problem, including my favorite lip balm, Dr. Bronner’s organic (100% organic ingredients and only about 5 ingredients total), then started reacting terribly to it about a year ago. At first I had no idea it was the lip balm, figuring I’d used it for a long time so how could that be the problem? So I used more and more on my increasingly dry, peeling and finally red/cracked lips until I realized IT was the problem. Went to a dermatologist who recognized that I was having a severe reaction to something I was using. Since then I’ve tried quite a few natural lip balms (Eco Lips vegan balm, Waleda from Germany, Burt’s Bees, etc.) and have reacted to every one. I’ve isolated beeswax as at least one of my problem ingredients, but then I also reacted to balms without beeswax. So I don’t know, maybe I’ve just gotten so sensitive that I’m reacting to multiple ingredients.

    A pharmacist at a local “whole health” pharmacy where they do a lot of compounding and are very knowledgeable about natural alternatives suggested that I might have lost the protective “lipid layer” on my lips and hence almost anything is causing a reaction. She suggested that I try Caladryl lotion (the colorless one) on my lips for a week or so. Apparently she thinks it might help to restore the lipid layer due to some ingredient in the Caladryl. I haven’t found the colorless one yet, only the original pink formula, so will check a few other places and give it a try. What do I have to lose? Sounds far-fetched, but at this point I’m willing to try just about anything. Even my favorite Avon lipsticks are now causing problems. The one thing I seem to be able to use without any problem, which you might want to try, is Mentholatum ointment, the one in a little green plastic container. It has petrolatum which I’m not crazy about as I like to use products that are as natural as possible, but my lips get so dry that I have to use something and it works without making my lips break out. It also helped my lips to heal when they were in horrible shape (has camphor in it, which I think is supposed to be healing).

    • Thanks, Lisa!! I will try Mentholatum ointment! Let me know how the Caladryl lotion works for you, too. I’d definitely give that a shot if it worked for you.

      My mom has had a similar problem all her life, and Avon chapstick is the only thing that works for her. I used a tube of it, but was using something else at the same time (someone had suggested that not always using the same product might “trick” my lips into not developing an allergy so quickly), so when I began to break out, I didn’t know if it was Avon or the other product and stopped using both. I may try Avon again. My mom’s problem is so bad that she can’t eat apples with the skin on – the wax that they use to coat fruit makes her lips break out. If my problem is inherited from her, I’d assume that at the very least, I’m allergic to some kind of wax (carnauba wax and candellia wax are often used on apples), but that wouldn’t explain me breaking out to Vaseline. So frustrating!

      • I’ll definitely post after I try the Caladryl. And if you try Mentholatum, please post also and let us know if it caused a reaction.

        I am also considering going to an allergist in a few months for testing (did it many years ago for seasonal allergies that caused very bad upper respiratory infections and took shots for a year which helped a lot, but I think the protection has worn off). If I do, I’ll certainly ask him/her about this problem with my lips and see if they can test for beeswax or other lip product ingredients.

    • Lisa, if the skin’s natural protective barier (or “lipid layer”) is damaged, then skin won’t retain moisture well and can become dry and chapped. It is severely damaged, I think it makes sense that it makes your lips more sensitive and prone to a bad reaction. I’m glad you found something that works for you, but I didn’t know Mentholatum contains camphor, but then I’m not very familiar with the product. Camphor is an counter-irritant, which means it reduces inflammations in deeper skin tissues by causing local inflammation. It just substitues one kind of inflammation with another, really which may be good short-term, but not in the long run. Petrolatum, on the other hand, has shown in several scientific studies to have healing properties without the side effects. And please, do let us know how the Caladryn lotion works for you.

83. Giorgia, Mentholatum’s active ingredients are camphor (9%) and natural menthol (1.3%), both of which are listed as “topical analgesics”. It did seem to help my lips heal when they were in horrible shape, and is still the only thing I can use on them without reacting. Bummer. I’ll post after trying the Caladryl.

    • Lisa, as far as I know Camphor and Menthol are both analgesic and counter-irritants. They can both relieve pain and help healing but can cause irritations too. I don’t think it’s bad to use it for a while, but I wouldn’t want it to make your lips more prone to irritations overtime. Still, I’m not a doctor and if it works for you, by all means keep using it.

      • Giorgia, I would dearly love to be able to ditch the Mentholatum, believe me! If I could only find *something* else I could use on my dry lips. Everything else I’ve tried has caused reactions or just didn’t help my dry lips (like the pure shea butter that I tried again last night). I used to use Mentholatum years ago, every night for years, before I started using natural products and it never caused a problem.

        • Lisa, I know. Unfortunately sometimes the products that work for us don’t have the best INCI. I hope you’ll manage to find something else that’ll work for you. 🙂

84. Hi Lisa,
    I don’t know, but I came across your blog while searching google for wax-free mascara. I developed an allergy to waxes a few months ago. I have no idea why and neither did my allergist. My lips become super dry and start to peel, by eyes become puffy, red, and swollen. Once I eliminated ingredients, I realized it was wax! Wax in my lipsticks, wax in my foundations, wax in my mascaras! Lipstick may be hard, but there are lip-glosses and foundations at the drug store that don’t have wax. Also, instead of chapstick, I now use Vaseline. Mascara is harder: Origin’s has a wax-free mascara you can buy at many Macy’s or Neutrogena has one you can buy online (it’s been discontinued).

    I am planning on going back to my allergist to see if she can test all waxes on me and hopefully help. The process has been horrible and seems never ending. I just wanted to let you know there is someone else out here with your problem!

    Good luck!

    • Oh, also, a wax allergy is confusing because wax is a natural product. So all of the natural and organic mascaras don’t matter, because it isn’t a chemical problem. I went through patch-testing with my doctor because we thought is was a chemical…
      Apparently you can just develop allergies and no one knows why.

      • Exactly — you can develop an allergy at an time, even to something you’ve used or taken for years. I became allergic to penicillin a few years ago after having taken it at various times my whole life without any issues. Last time I took oral penicillin for a bad spider bite, I immediately broke out in horrible hives. I used Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm for about six months with no problems, then suddenly I couldn’t use it any more.

    • Hi,

      It’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one out here with this bizarre problem. When I first found this blog, I was so relieved because I’d never heard of anyone else with this issue. I know for sure that I’m extremely sensitive to beeswax, but also obviously to some other ingredients. I can use my Avon lipsticks most of the time, but then occasionally my lips will start to react and I’ll have to use nothing on them for a few days. Right now I can use my lipstick with no problem, so it’s strange. But I also had reactions to some other natural products that didn’t have beeswax so there are obviously other ingredients that cause me problems.

      Thanks for your post and I wish you luck with your situation too!

    • waxallergies101, I’m sorry to hear you have this problem too. Yes, unfortunately you can develop an allergy at any point to any substance you have used before, and not just chemical ones. Natural substances can cause allergies too. It must be so frustrating. I hope the allergist will help determine to which waxes you are allergic to so you’ll know exactly what you can and can’t use.

85. I’m sitting at my desk right now with incredibly red, swollen and inflamed lips after stupidly trying another natural balm last night. I can use it on my hands with no problem (it’s actually a natural product sold at Whole Foods called Climb On Bar and was designed for rock climbers to use on their hands; it’s a great product with all natural ingredients). I have no idea why I thought I might be able to get away with using it on my lips after all I’ve been through, but I put a tiny bit on my lips before going to bed last night and woke up this morning, took one look in the mirror and realized that any child looking at me would run screaming in fear. I am so tired of this!!! I’ve learned my lesson and will not even try any other product except Mentholatum ointment. I’m glad there’s one thing out there that doesn’t irritate my ridiculously sensitive lips, even if it’s not a natural product and I don’t like using it.

    • Lisa, I’m so sorry. It must be a nightmare not to be able to trying anything new cos it’ll just gonna cause a bad reaction. I can see why you are so tired of this, anyone would be, it’s so frustrating. I really wish you could find something other than Mentholatum that works for you as I know you don’t like using that, but I think it’s best if you stick with it after all, at least until you do some allergy tests and figure out exactly which ingredients are causing you to react so badly.

      • Have you tried Vaseline? I know that is the only thing I can really wear, but I love it for my lips! It’s pretty low on ingredients…basically petroleum jelly. Hope you find something soon =(

86. Laine, I haven’t tried Vaseline. I actually like the menthol smell of Mentholatum but don’t like that it’s not a natural product (petrolatum or petroleum jelly is not a great thing to put on one’s skin). I’ll check out the label on Vaseline at my grocery store and if it has less ingredients, I might give it a try. I imagine it would not cause my lips to react since I think its main ingredient is petroleum jelly, like petrolatum.

87. Hey I am soooo glad I’m not alone with this horrible allergy thing… I have developed an allergy to all lip balms, lipsticks and glosses I have spent a fortune trying to find something. My lips immediatly go dry and flaky with an eczmea type look under my bottom lip – Attractive not especially as I am getting married in 8 weeks………….HELP PLease…XX

    • Lisa, I’m sorry to hear that, it’s awful that you can’t use anything. I’m not a doctor or anything but my advice to you would be to use something like olive oil or jojoba oil or even vaseline, which all have moisturizing properties and being only one ingredient, they’re less likely to cause a negative reaction. I would suggest have some patch tests done if you haven’t already so you can determine exactly what is causing the problem (may be more than one ingredient) and what products you can use on your lips without irritating them. Hope this helps and that you can find something that works for you soon.

      Congratulations on getting married!

88. Thanks for the reply – Even vaseline irritates them … I’ve just rubbed olive oil on them – not a great look for wedding pics tho hey ;-( x

    • Lisa, I agree with the other Lisa too. At the moment I think your priority should be that of getting your lips in good condition and olive oil should do just that. I also wouldn’t try any new lipstick or other lip product or you could risk having red, irritated and flaky lips on your wedding day and you don’t want that. Maybe try applying olive oil very sparingly so that it will moisturize without looking too shiny and oily.

89. Lisa, welcome to the club that you never wanted to join! 🙂 So sorry to hear that you’re in the same boat as many of us. I can’t use ANY lip balm anymore — have tried many, and anything with beeswax makes me look like someone threw acid on my lips by the next morning. Most of the time my lipsticks are ok, but sometimes they also cause a problem. You also might be severely allergic/reactive to beeswax, and if even lipsticks are a problem, then perhaps also to the other types of cosmetic waxes used in them.

    In the short term, to heal your lips, you might want to try the only thing I’ve been able to use — Mentholatum ointment. It seems to be healing (for my lips at least) and got my lips past the swollen/red/flaking/peeling stage in about a week. This might get your lips back in shape for your wedding, at least. If even lipsticks are causing your lips to react, then I don’t know what to tell you to try for your wedding day. You might have to play up the rest of your face with makeup and go “au naturale” on your lips, or use just a bit of extra virgin olive oil to give them a little shine. I’ve been wanting to stop using the Mentholatum as a long-term lip balm (I like to use something on my dry lips while I sleep) because petrolatum, the main ingredient, is not a totally benign ingredient. So I just started trying some extra virgin olive oil on my lips at night, and it feels good and is not causing me any problems. It’s also safe and benign.

    From my experiences trying many different natural and even 100% organic lip balms and reacting to every one, I’d say since you’re getting married soon, the main goal is to get your lips back to a healthy state ASAP. To that end, I’d avoid all lip balms and lipsticks if I were you and try Mentholatum for a few days and see if your lips heal, or even just try the olive oil.

    If you’ve done some reading, you might be aware that now that your body recognizes beeswax (or whatever ingredient you’re reacting to) as a trigger, you will probably always have this sensitivity. At least that’s what I’ve read. I used my favorite 100% organic lip balm, Dr. Bronner’s, for almost a year every night with no problems — until I started reacting horribly to the beeswax in it. But I’ve also reacted to Eco Lips Vegan lip balm, which contains no beeswax. Sigh.

    Keep us posted, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

    • Lisa, have you completed a patch skin test with unrefined organic coconut oil? Avocado oil is good too .. if you decide you want to give olive oil a break. Please do a skin test first before attempting to put any of these on your lips. Hugs. Do you also have other immune function issues? Rashes, itchiness, dry skin on other parts of body, constantly shifting body temperature, fatigue, feeling run-down? Malaise? I’m looking for links to weak immune function … that’s why I ask. Thanks. Hugs.

90. Aw thanks for your advice ladies,I started trying olive oil last night although did try putting sudocream on them before bed and used couple of lip balms today they’re worse than ever so sore!! Gonna try that menthoulm n make sure I stay clear of eveything else in the meantime.

    Thanks again peeps x

    • Lisa, since you posted above that even Vaseline irritates your lips (the main ingredient of which I think is petrolatum), I wouldn’t even use Mentholatum if I were you, since the main ingredient in it is also petrolatum. Petrolatum seems to be the one thing that does not inflame my lips, but it might yours. I’d recommend just sticking to the olive oil and not to use anything else at all until after your wedding so you’ll look fabulous in those photos!

      I’ve always read that if you play up your eyes with makeup, you should have nude-ish lips, so maybe on your wedding day use some beautiful eye shadows, a bit of blusher on your cheeks, and just a touch of olive oil on your lips which will (hopefully) make them look like you have a bit of gloss on them.

    • Lisa, once again I agree with the other Lisa. If Vaseline irritates your lips, Mentholatum will too so just sticking to olive oil will probably be the best thing for you.

      Also bridal makeup is usually very natural, barely-there so no one will probably notice that you’re only wearing some olive oil and nothing else. I know that’s probably not what you wanted your wedding makeup to be like, but sometimes we just don’t have a choice. The idea of playing up the eyes is a very good one too. It’ll make the eyes the focus of your look so that the lips will be less noticeable.

91. Well ladies would you believe Olive Oil made them worse?? Weird as I cook with it everyday with no reactions…. However been to the pharmacist today he said wouldn’t use mentholeum but recommended camex which is for cold sores has NO lanolin or beeswax in it and my lips feel and look better already after only 1 days use – Plus it only cost me £2 BARGAIN I’ll keep you posted xx

    • How bizarre! I would have thought olive oil was safe, especially since you said you cook with it. Which probably means it gets on your lips. Well, if Carmex is helping then by all means use it. Keep us posted.

    • Lisa, oh no! I thought olive oil would have worked well for you as you can safely it, guess not. I’m glad you found something else that works for you, though and please, keep us updated.

92. Question: I know many of us have problems with lip balms and lipstick and irritation around our lips…but do other products affect you as well??? I can’t wear 99% of mascara (because of wax) or any type of creamy eye shadow and some foundations. I know my allergy is to wax, which is maybe different from some of you all…but are you having problems anywhere else on your face??? This has been such a nightmare!

    I know what helped me is I compared my mascara/lipstick ingredients (which made me react) to ingredients in something I wore all the time with no problem (lotions, eyeshadow, etc.) and then narrowed down the ingredients and went from there…

    Good luck everyone!

    • Laine, that’s too bad that you can’t use products with beeswax anywhere, it must be so frustrating to find some products you can use. I’d think that if you are allergic to something you should react to it everywhere, but then I’m no doctor and I guess it’s possible to react only on the lips, if the condition is not too severe. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, hopefully someone else with a beeswax allergy will be able to help.

    • Hi Laine,

      I actually can wear mascara (though I don’t any more), and it did not make my eye area irritated. I wore Dr. Hauschka’s mascara (a German, natural cosmetics company with very pure ingredients, available at Whole Foods stores), which I really liked. I think it did contain some type of natural wax. But the weird thing is, I can use products with beeswax, which make my lips go crazy, elsewhere on my body without any problem. So my lips seem to be much more sensitive than other areas of my body.

      Although, when my lips were in their worst state before I knew that beeswax was the main culprit, the irritation (dry, flaking, peeling skin) actually spread from my lips to my cheeks and the skin around my mouth to the point that I had to use a powerful Rx prescription steroid cream.

      Your sensitivity sounds even worse than mine, and I’m so sorry!! I know the frustration you must feel.

93. Hi Laine,
    I also have reactions to mascara with all waxes, but I’ve found Nars at Sephora and my eyes don’t react. And Lisa, when I first discovered this horrible allergy, I also reacted around my mouth, due to the moisturizer I was using.
    I’ve revamped my entire facial products regime, especially concealers and moisturizers as they cause me to react. I experiment with products, mostly from Whole Foods and Sephora. I stay away from anything with waxes, or ingredients that start with “benz” such as benzone, benzoate, benzyl, etc. What I have been unsuccessful in finding is a tinted moisturizer. Before this madness started I loved Bobbi Brown- does anyone have any recommendations?
    Best wishes!
    Joelle

    • Joelle, I’m glad you finally found a mascara that works for you. As for tinted moisturizers I’m not sure to suggest. I’m pretty sure that Tarte and Philosophy make tinted moisturizers without waxes nor ingredients that start with benz but I haven’t tried them so I’m not sure how well they work.

      But if your skin is very sensitive maybe mineral makeup is a better option? They usually contain only few ingredients so the chance of getting a bad reaction are very small. I know most of them can only be bought online but companies usually offer sample kits so that you can try several different shades at a very cheap price before committing to buying the full size.

94. I thought I’d share with the others out there who are highly sensitive to beeswax that I FINALLY found a lip balm that I can use without my lips looking like acid was poured on them. It does NOT contain beeswax. I’d just about given up on ever finding a lip balm I could use on my dry lips, when I found this one at my local Whole Foods Market. It’s made by a company called Enfusia, which is a local company where I live in Texas (it’s made in The Woodlands, Texas). It’s called “Bee Friendly” lip balm and comes in 3 flavors — spearmint, citrus and unflavored. It has good ingredients — no parabens, phthalates or petroleum products and uses organic jojoba and sunflower oils and organic cocoa butter, and organic food flavorings and essential oils. It goes on very smoothly and is wonderful! I’m so happy to have finally, finally found a lip balm I can use after I started having all the beeswax problems.

    Here is a link to Enfusia’s web page about their lip balm in case anyone else wants to try it; you can probably order it on-line:

    http://www.enfusia.com/BeeFriendlyLipBalm.asp

    Lisa

    • Lisa, I’m so glad you finally found a lip balm that works for you and thanks for sharing it with us. I’m sure it’ll be very helpful for people that are allergic to beeswax. 🙂

      • I hope others here who have not been able to use any other lip balm might be able to use Enfusia’s BeeFriendly balm. I even reacted to Eco Lips Bee-Free vegan balm for some reason, but not to Enfusia’s. It’s a relief to finally have found something besides Mentholatum that I can use, since I don’t want to use petrolatum.

95. Oh my gosh, Lisa! I am so excited for you. That’s so great that you’ve found a lip balm that works. In fact, I’m rushing out to Whole Foods after work today. I’ve been making my own lip balm, using vitamin E, coconut oil, and cocoa butter, but it is far from perfected. Thanks so much for the tip! Crossing my fingers that Enfusia’s Bee Friendly works for me too…
    Thank you for letting us know!
    Joelle

    • Joelle, I hope you can find this in your local Whole Foods. They try to carry locally-made products so depending on where you live your store might not carry it, but I’ll bet you can order it on Enfusia’s website. Good luck, and if you’re able to find it, please post if it works for you!

      Lisa

    • Joelle, did you find the Enfusia lip balm at your local Whole Foods?

      Believe it or not, I just found another brand (also available at WF) that does not contain beeswax and that I did not have any reactions to! It’s made by Hugo Naturals, and it has really pure ingredients. Comes in several scents; I have the vanilla and sweet orange scent. This brand might be more readily available in stores than Enfusia.

      • Lisa, I’m glad that you were able to find another lip balm that you can use. And also that more brands are slowly (and finally!) coming out with lip balms that even those allergic to beeswax can use without problems. It’s nice to have choices. 🙂

      • Hi Lisa,
        I looked and called a couple Whole Foods stores in my area but they don’t carry Enfusia products. I ordered it online and should be getting it soon. Once I know for sure that I’m not having a reaction, I’ll test it out. Thanks so much again for letting us know! I’ll try Hugo Naturals if the Enfusia balms don’t work.
        Thanks!

        • Hi Joelle,

          Ok, please let us know how the Enfusia lip balm works once you receive it. I really am liking the Hugo Naturals lip balm too, so maybe that will work for you if the Enfusia doesn’t. And I’m impressed with the ingredients in both — really natural. No parabens, phthalates, phenoxyethanol (very toxic preservative that’s common), etc.

96. I was very glad to find this site as I have been able to diagnose sensitivities to beeswax after much research. I see there hasn’t been any posts in a few months. Are the Enfusia and Hugo lip balks still working for anyone?

    • Rose, I’m sorry you have problems with beeswax too. I haven’t tried those lip balms but I think that are still working if no one has mentioned anything anymore. If anyone has more info, please correct me.

    • Hi Rose,

      Yes, I am still using Enfusia and Hugo Naturals lip balms (neither contains beeswax) with no problems! I like the texture and feel of both of them a lot. I’m thankful I finally found something I can use!

      Luckily, I don’t seem to have a problem with most lipsticks and lip glosses.

97. Oh how I love this forum. Thanks for all of the info from everyone. I have to tell you guys that I have been living with this for such a long time and needed to come up with some kind of moisturizing agent because I also battle eczema on my face as well as around my mouth. So here is what I use Because I too am allergic to all lip balms and chapsticks etc..
    I purchase an empty lip gloss tube (from ebay by a store called more than bottles) and I fill it with vitamin E oil and and essential oil like lavender or peppermint. The other thing that is good on my lips is that rosebud balm (you can get it at sephora or cheaper at walgreens but same product) it has Cotton Seed Oil, Borax, Aromol, With Essential Oils in a special Petrolatum Base. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it comes in a tin and i have to use my finger to use it. I hate useing my finger. I hope this helps.

    • Rebecca, I’m sorry to hear about your beeswax and eczema problems but thanks for sharing with us what works for you. I’m sure lots of poeple will find it helpful. 🙂

98. Oh and if you are tired of not wearing lipstick, try using blush or a eye shadow and mixing it with your vitamin E oil or vegetable oil.

    • Rebecca, that’s a great tip, thanks for letting us know. All your advice is very helpful. 🙂

99. I bought the Enfusia lip balm after Lisa mentioned it and it’s hard to tell if I had a reaction to the lip balm or if it was something else. I’m extremely sensitive so even just touching a door handle and then my face somehow could give me a reaction on my lips. Ugh, horrible, but the fact that I’ve tried Enfusia three separate occasions and I can’t determine that it causes a reaction is a good thing.
    Side note. I started seeing a holistic doctor and had a food sensitivity test done and have eliminated foods that I am highly sensitive to (dairy, egg, soy, gluten, and some nuts) and for the first time since this horrible lip sensitivity started, my body is able to heal itself from reactions without the use of hydrocortisone. My lips still have reactions, so I’m sticking with the restrictive diet and adding in probiotics for two more months. It really is a lifestyle change to eliminate so many common foods, but I highly recommend trying it. For those of you not as sensitive as me, you might be able to heal yourself completely.

    • Joelle, I’m glad your doctor was able to recommend a treatment and a diet that helped your problem. It sounds very restricting so it mustn’t have been that easy at first but at least you’re better now so it’s worth it.

100. Haha, I love this forum too. I also love Rebeccas advice about lipstick alternatives. I recommend Vaseline for your lips. Some people would rather have something all natural, but I have had too hard of a time doing finding all those. And it is very similar to the Rosebud tin mentioned above, but comes in a portable tube or larger jar. Easy to find and cheap – I dont know where I would be without it!

     Goodluck!

     • Laine, thank you for your recommendation, it’s very helpful. I think vaseline would work very well for those allergic to beeswax too. It’d be great if there were more alternatives for those who want to use natural products, but until then, one sadly can’t afford to be too picky.

101. I patch tested allergic to beeswax. I have been using Aquaphor ointment on my lips for years as a lip balm alternative and its great.

     • Andrea, I’m sorry you are allergic to beeswax too but it’s great that you managed to find a lip balm that works for you. Thanks for sharing, I’m sure others will find it useful. 🙂

102. At 4 years old I was stung and found out I have a severe bee allergy. After a few years of allergy shots and little improvement I also developed a honey allergy. I only discovered this after eating some Honey Smacks! This isnt just a concern while eating but also a topical allergy. I made the mistake of using a shampoo with honey in it when I was 19 and suffered hives and hair loss. I never thought something sticky like honey would be in shampoo! Next I started having problems with beeswax so avoided that too. I used medx lip balm on day and my blood pressure dropped so low I passed out and ended up in the hospital over night and on steroids and benadryl for over a month to suppress the allergic reaction. I recently started to have problems with carnuba wax also. So many meds are coated in it to help make swallowing them easier so be careful!!! My question to all is… Does anyone know if synthetic beeswax is made from anything coming from bees? I have not tried it because I can not find an answer. I am only guessing but I think my allergies have something to do with the enzymes in the bees that help them break down pollen, make wax and honey. Honey bees are the ones I am most allergic to and have the worst reactions too. Any info would be helpful! Good luck to all those dealing with this sort of thing

     • Tonya, I am so sorry to hear that, how awful! I wish I could help you, but unfortunately I don’t know if synthetic beeswax is made with anything that comes from bees. I will try and do some research but I can’t promise anything. If I find something, I’ll let you know straight away.

103. Tonya, how awful — my problem (and the problem of many who have posted here) is just a topical reaction to beeswax, but your problem is much more serious. You truly have a severe allergy that could be really serious (as I do with penicillin).

     I don’t have the answer to your question either; I wish I could help. Obviously you will have to be extremely diligent in researching cosmetics — many do contain carnuba wax or beeswax, lipsticks especially. And wow, meds being coated with carnuba wax — what a nightmare!

     I wish you luck and hope you can find the answer to your question.

     Lisa in Austin

104. I am allergic to beeswax. I actually go into Anaphylactic Shock if it gets in my mouth. I had my eyebrows waxed once and broke out in hives. It sucks because a lot of makeups have beeswax so I am very limited. I can’t eat jellybeans either. ):

     • Mikayla, I’m so sorry to hear that, how awful! And it’s a shame there aren’t more beeswax-free products around, that must be very frustrating.

105. Do you know any beeswax products also contain resin? I m very allergic to resin/colophony and it seems everything that I use on my lips and face contain it.

     • Tennis4me, I’m sorry to hear that. I know that colophony is used in lip products for its stickiness. I’m not sure if beeswax contains it, but there may be traces of it in unpurified, organic beeswax. Try using the purified kind only, as during the process, they remove all the resins and other impurities that may be in it. Hope this helps.

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107. Just wanted to let those of you out there who are allergic or very sensitive to beeswax know that I just found what I think is going to be a fantastic lip balm (and line of gorgeous, natural lipsticks).

     I had totally given up on finding a lip balm without beeswax (almost all lip balms contain beeswax, especially the “natural” ones, and I’ve even been sensitive to one I tried that didn’t contain beeswax). I’ve resorted to using Mentholatum on my lips at night, but I know it’s awful and contains toxic ingredients. I just found Red Apple Lipstick (www.redapplelipstick.com), a small company that makes handmade, 100% gluten-free, paraben-free, lead-free natural lipsticks and cosmetics, all made in the USA, and they have a lip balm that people rave about called Rallye Balm. It does not contain beeswax, and it actually heals dry, chapped, cracked lips by hydrating them and letting them breathe. Read about it here:

     http://www.redapplelipstick.com/rallye-balm-gluten-free-lip-balm.html

     I am so excited to have finally found a product that I think will work! The creator of Red Apple Lipstick, Jay Harper, explains why traditional lip balms DON’T work and why Rallye Balm is so different.

     I’m also going to order some of their beautiful lipsticks; I don’t think any of them contain beeswax but am going to check to be sure. They have an amazing guarantee — they will refund or exchange any product for 6 months after purchase, so there is no risk (it’s hard to choose lipstick colors online).

     Thought others of you out there might want to check it out too.

     Lisa in Austin

     • Lisa, I’m so glad you’ve finally found a new line of lip products that work for you, and thank you for sharing with us. I’m sure a lot of people who are sensitive to beeswax will find it helpful.

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