Have you ever opened a new lip oil, only to find it tastes like cooking oil instead of the sweet, fruity flavor you expected? This unpleasant experience is often due to rancidity—a natural process where oils break down over time.
Understanding which oils are more prone to rancidity can help you choose lip products that last longer and perform better.
Javen Ford, who also goes by the cosmetic chemist on Instagram posted a reel explaining about the sudden change in the taste of your otherwise flavorful lip oil, he spoke about oxidation and use of various oils that might be causing the rancidity.
Rancidity occurs when oils oxidize, causing changes in taste, smell, and texture. This process can begin during manufacturing or storage. “Even unopened products can go rancid if the oils inside are already near the end of their shelf life,” says Javon Ford.
Certain oils are more prone to oxidation because of their high polyunsaturated fat content. These include sunflower, safflower, almond, apricot kernel, and grapeseed oils. Even if a lip oil has a one-year shelf life, these ingredients can start degrading within three to six months, particularly if they were stored in bulk before being added to the product.
Javon explained:
“When we batch products in the lab and then scale it up for production, the oils are not always brand new. A manufacturer might place a 500-kilogram order for safflower oil, and it might take a year to get through all of that safflower oil…by the time it’s batched and filled in a lip oil, that clock has already started ticking.”
Ford recommends more stable oils that resist oxidation:
“Castor, jojoba, and most other oils or waxes tend to be fine, though, but especially grapeseed, which you want to avoid.”
Antioxidants, like BHT, can slow rancidity, but many clean beauty brands avoid synthetic preservatives. Natural alternatives such as vitamin E (tocopherol) or rosemary extract may help extend shelf life.
Javon said, "An oil rancidity clock starts ticking as soon as that oil hits air, and there’s a lot of air involved in production, as well as just harvesting the oil from the source."
None of the lip products listed below use manufacturing oils that can cause rancidity or oxidation.
Ogee Sculpted Lip Oil – Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Shea Butter
Lake + Main Lip Oil – Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Marula Oil
CALA Lip Oil Trio – Jojoba Oil, Argan Oil, Coconut Oil
DebirYah’s Naturals Honey Lips Herbal Lip Oil – Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, Rose Essential Oil, Organic Honey
Prescott Bath Boutique Lip Balm – Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, Beeswax, Coconut Oil
(Rh/ARC/MSM)