Be careful with propolis in lip balms

Lip balm makes lips swell

In winter or when you spend a long time indoors with an air conditioner on, your lips can become dry and chapped. However, if you apply lip balm to prevent dryness, your lips may become swollen and chapped. Some people have reported that this makes the problem worse.

There are actually many reasons why moisturizing lip balms can cause dry lips. In this article, we will explain one of these reasons: the ingredient called "propolis."

Related article on lip balm: Will organic lip balm cause my lips to dry out?

What is propolis?

Propolis is a glue-like substance that bees produce when building their hives. It is made from partially digested resin extracted from the buds and bark of various trees mixed with beeswax.
It has strong antibacterial properties, which helps prevent viruses and other foreign invaders from entering the hive.

Another characteristic is that the raw materials that make up propolis vary depending on the region, such as in Europe where it is mainly made from poplar buds. However, all propolis is a complex mixture of the following substances.

• Balsam (tree secretion)
• resin
• Wax
• Essential oils
• pollen
• Cinnamyl alcohol
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Flavonoids
• mineral

Propolis is an ingredient used in foods and supplements, and is also often used in cosmetics as a moisturizing and beauty ingredient.

Allergic reaction to propolis

Propolis is a naturally derived cosmetic ingredient. Looking at the above, it seems to contain many "good" substances. Many people may see this and think, "I can expect some good effects!"

However, propolis is actually a component that poses a high risk of allergies.

In European studies, the positive rate of allergies in patch tests ranged from 1.2 to 6.6%. In Finland, the positive rate increased from 0.5% in 1995-1997 to 1.4% in a 2000-2002 survey.

Another study of children found that the positive rate rose from 2% to 13.7% between 1995 and 2002, with 75% of the children who tested positive having used cosmetics or medicines advertised as "natural."

Natural allergens contained in propolis

Propolis contains various sensitizing substances, that is, substances that cause allergies.

The biggest allergen is caffeic acid . It is also called caffeic acid, caffeic acid, or coffee acid and is used as a cosmetic ingredient. Caffeic acid contains several allergens, including:

• 3-Methyl-2-butenyl caffeate
• Phenylethyl Caffeate
• Benzyl Salicylate
• Benzyl cinnamate
• Methyl cinnamate
• Ferulic Acid
• Tectocrysin

Caffeic acid has a safety rating of "3" from the EWG . In addition to the risk of promoting percutaneous absorption, it has also been shown to be a risk of carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. It is also an ingredient that cannot be used in EWG certified cosmetics.

In addition, due to the cinnamic acid and cinnamyl alcohol contained in propolis, there is a possibility of allergic (cross) reactions to the following ingredients.

• Synthetic fragrances ( mixtures of fragrances that are a blend of multiple substances)
• Carnauba Wax
• Beeswax (a reaction is rare but possible if propolis is mixed into the beeswax)

What happens if you have an allergy to propolis?

If you develop an allergic reaction to propolis in lip balm or cosmetics, you may be wondering what symptoms you will experience. Symptoms that have been reported so far include the following:

• itch
• I feel hot
• Aching pain
• Swelling of the lips or tongue
• eczema
• Peeling
• Turns red
• Bumps appear
• hives

If you develop a propolis allergy, you will experience an allergic reaction within a few hours to a few days. It may take 10 to 15 days for the first reaction to appear. Therefore, you should wait about two weeks after first use to see if the lip balm or cosmetics are suitable for you.

What should I do if I have an allergy?

If you experience symptoms that seem to be allergic, stop using the cosmetics or lip balm that you suspect. In most cases, the symptoms will gradually go away once you stop using them.

However, if the symptoms do not improve or disappear completely, please visit a dermatologist. If possible, we recommend that you request a patch test to identify the allergen.