Looking down at many small green leafed plants growing on the ground. — The E.U. bans over 1,300 ingredients from being used in cosmetics while the U.S. only bans 11.

We know you don't want to be putting toxic chemicals or harmful things on your body. Who would? And, especially not your lips.

It's something you don't think about until you have to or it's too late.

Obviously, you don't have to worry about harmful ingredients in our All Day Lip Balm as we make it with natural and organic ingredients.

But not everyone cares like we do.

What's wild is the different standards around the world for what can or can't go into cosmetic products like lip balm. And, surprisingly the U.S. has the least stringent policies, while the E.U. has the strictest regulations.

If you can believe it, the U.S. only bans 11 ingredients, while the E.U.'s list includes over 1,300 that can't be used in cosmetics.

Here's the E.U.'s List of Banned Cosmetic Ingredients, which is sometimes hard to find but is an easy way to check if you should be worried about an ingredient or not.

The list is the result of the REACH regulation, which stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals. The REACH regulation was put into place to protect human health and the environment from harmful chemicals.

Needless to say, we follow the E.U.'s list and make sure we don't use any of the listed ingredients.

So, while you're probably running to check all of your other cosmetics to see if there's anything in them you shouldn't be using, here are five of the best natural ingredients you should be looking for in your cosmetics and lip balms that are safe to use and help keep your lips looking and feeling healthy.

Vitamin E.

Vitamin E, or Tocopherol, which is what you'll probably see on an ingredients label, is often touted as a miracle vitamin. Vitamin E helps to protect the lips from damage caused by U.V. radiation, preventing premature aging and keeping the lips hydrated. In addition, Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to soothe chapped or irritated lips. For these reasons, Vitamin E is an essential ingredient in many lip balms and treatments.

Aloe.

Aloe is a succulent plant often used to soothe burns and other skin irritations. However, aloe can also be beneficial for the lips. Aloe helps to lock in moisture and protect the delicate skin from environmental damage when applied to the lips. Vitamin E, found in aloe, can also help heal chapped lips and prevent future damage. Also, aloe has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce swelling and redness. As a result, aloe is an effective natural treatment for dry, chapped lips.

Shea Butter.

Shea butter is ideal for lip balm because it melts at body temperature and provides long-lasting hydration. It's also non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog pores and is gentle on the skin. In addition to its emollient properties, shea butter is also rich in vitamins A and E, which can help to heal rough and dry lips.

Sunflower Oil.

Closeup of a yellow sunflower against a white background. — Sunflower oil enhances the body’s natural oils.

Sunflower oil is a great natural moisturizer and won't leave your lips feeling greasy or oily. Instead, it's absorbed and keeps your lips smooth and hydrated. Sunflower oil is also rich in vitamins A, D, and E, which are essential for healthy skin. Along with the vitamins, the fatty acids in sunflower oil help protect the lips from environmental damage.

And Sunflower Oil isn't the only natural oil that's good for your lips. Other natural oils like Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, and Hemp Seed Oils all have amazing benefits for your lips and skin.

Honey.

When applied topically, honey helps lock in moisture and repair damaged skin cells. In addition, honey contains powerful antioxidants that help protect the lips from environmental damage. And because honey is a natural humectant, it attracts and retains moisture, giving the lips a plump, hydrated look. So if you're looking for a way to get softer, smoother lips, look for lip balms with honey in them! And, of course, Beeswax has many of the same protective and healing benefits that honey does.

11 toxic ingredients allowed in the U.S.

And, if you're curious, here are 11 toxic ingredients banned in the E.U. but not in the U.S. that you want to avoid: Formaldehyde, Petroleum, Parabens, Triclosan, Hydroquinone, P-Phenylenediamine, Quaternium-15, Talc, Fragrances, Titanium, and Avobenzone.

While it might seem weird that Frangrance is included here, it’s a loophole that companies use to sneak harmful ingredients into their products by labeling them a “fragrance.” The labeling regulations allow pretty much anything to be allowed as a fragrance. So while the U.S. allows them, the E.U. has banned them altogether.

What you can do?

While we shouldn’t wait for the regulations to change in the U.S., you can learn about what's good for you and what's best to avoid.

To do that you can review the E.U.'s list of banned cosmetic substances to see if you recognize anything. And you should also start reading labels of the things you put on your body to see if there are things that don't look like they should be there.

While this isn't technical advice, a rule of thumb we like is to use products made with ingredients we can pronounce. And luckily, most natural ingredients are things that are easy to say. Not only that, but they're usually what's best for your body anyway. So if you use a natural and organic product you likely don't have anything to worry about.

Five natural ingredients for your lips.