HealthNews Dozen: 12 Lip Balms with Best UVA Protection

Most people take for granted that lip balm works. Often, the brand and type is chosen primarily on the basis of texture, ease of application, and even flavor, though sometimes SPF (sun protection factor) comes into play. While protecting one’s lips from chapping should be important, UVA protection should also be taken under consideration when buying lip balm, since lips receive as much sun as the rest of the face.

A little known fact about sunscreen products, including lip balm, is that it is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), though the subject has been proposed and reportedly under consideration since 1978. So, while the government refuses to regulate companies that make such consumer products, there are advocacy groups that study said products and release statistics so the public can be aware.

One of those groups is the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a research organization founded in 1993 that employs a team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers, and computer programmers to study products. EWG often conducts its own laboratory tests and researches government data and scientific studies to put together consumer advocacy projects. Subsequently, the group then uses those studies to lobby Congress for policies that will better protect consumers.

One of the 2009 EWG studies pertained to sunscreens, and one category of that research was dedicated to lip balm. With the prevalence of skin cancer rising and lip cancer being one form of the disease that receives little attention, the group decided to compare lip balms on the market for their effectiveness against UVA rays and the ingredients contained in the balms that could be harmful if (and when) ingested. Of the 190 products researched, two-fifths offered sub-par—poor by the standards of the researchers—UVA protection.

According to the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute, most lip cancer will develop on the bottom lip, which gets the most sun exposure, but people who use lip balm or colored lipstick at least twice per day can cut that cancer risk in half. But the level of SPF should matter in lip balm choices as well, as that adds additional protection from the sun’s harmful rays. But product facts and warnings are too wordy to fit on a small tube or container of balm, which is why the FDA claims it cannot implement standards to be displayed on the products.

When the EWG ranked 190 lip balms, it took into consideration the level of SPF and the products’ ingredients that can be harmful if swallowed, even in small doses over a lengthy period of time. They then ranked each product from safest to most dangerous, the latter of which should be avoided altogether. The numerical key put rankings from 0 to 2 as recommended products, 3 to 6 to be used with caution, and 7 to 10 to avoid. In our list of 12, the first three products garnered a #1, the best of those tested. Items 4-8 had a #2 rating, while 9-12 had a #3 rating.

The top twelve contain products that are not typically found in drug store chains but can be found online and through higher end department stores. Though the prices may be a bit higher than more commonly known brands like ChapStick, the protection is leaps and bounds above those more commonly found products.

Speaking of Chapstick, the lowest four products of the 190 ranked contained the ChapStick name, all with SPF levels of only 4 and with fragrances that are made by including ingredients that can be dangerous if ingested over a period of time.

The same importance that is placed on sunscreen purchases and facial products with SPF protection should be applied to lip balm. Protection from the sun and the environment are crucial, and in a time when many forms of cancer cannot be prevented, skin and lip cancer can be…by putting a little extra care into researching the products used on them.