Cancer alert on lip balms

Beware the next time you want to moisturize your lips - the Consumer Council has found more than half of the lip balms or salves on sale are likely to contain cancer-causing substances.

The riskiest ones contained up to 4.5 percent of the substances.

Of 45 lip balms tested, 23 were found with mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbon, which contains substances "suspected of being genotoxic and carcinogenic." The riskiest was Vaseline, followed by Kiehl's, with a concentration of 3.7 percent.

Eighty percent of all models also contained mineral oil saturated hydrocarbon - a less-toxic substance that will be absorbed by intestines and produce tumors in the liver, spleen and other organs, including all 11 models claimed to have a sunscreen function.

Five had MOSH content exceeding the industrial limit of 5 percent recommended by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, with a product from Palmers' exceeding 40.8 percent.

Fourteen models failed to meet the safety threshold of 10 percent set by the European Consumer Organisation. QV's lip balm reaches 49.7 percent.

But the council said there are no regulations limiting the amount of MOSH and MOAH by any institutions in the mainland and the European Union for now.

"It is quite difficult for us to benchmark or make reference to set a standard," said chief executive Gilly Wong Fung-han said.

Most of the balms - costing from HK$13 to HK$505 - were found to have unsatisfactory labeling, including some which did not indicate the ingredients contained. Six of them even did not show any manufacturing date, expiry date or use period after opening.

Forty-one of the models were also found with fragrance allergens.

Lip balms from 10 brands - including DHC and L'Occitane - also contained nickel, a heavy metal commonly known for causing skin allergy, dryness, peeling and burning.