The Devil's in the Details: Jack Black Lip Balm Ingredient Snafu

Did anybody see Temptalia's post about Jack Black's lip balm ingredient list - or lack thereof?  It makes for an interesting read and raises some questions regarding the integrity and ethics of companies.  You can also read a response from the co-founder of Jack Black Lip Balm, Emily Dalton.

I bought some Jack Black lip balm about a month ago after reading so many rave reviews.  My balm did have a complete list of ingredients on the tube, and I was surprised to see several ingredients that had not been listed on the Sephora site.  In fact, here is what is listed on Sephora for the Lemon & Chamomile lip balm:

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petrochemicals (emphasis mine)
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

Ingredients are listed as:

-Shea Butter and Avocado Oil: Provide superior conditioning and moisture.
-PARSOL®: Provides protection from long-wavelength UVA rays.
-Octinoxate: Absorbs UVB rays.
-Vitamin E Green Tea and Balm Mint: Act as antioxidants.

Octinoxate 7.5%, Avobenzone 3.0%. Natural Mint, Shea Butter (butyrospermum Parkii Fruit), Avocado (Persea Gratissima) Oil, Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis) Leaf Extract, Tocopeheryl Acetate (vitamin E).

Makes you think you are buying a lip balm based on natural ingredients, doesn't it?   Suffice it to say, I haven't used the Jack Black much since I got it, even though I think it's pretty good for what it is - a petrolatum (aka petroleum jelly) based balm.  I've been trying to find effective natural lip balms that don't contain petrolatum or parabens, however, and had I known Jack Black contained those, I wouldn't have purchased to begin with.  The devil's in the details, as usual.

Here is the complete ingredient list:
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: Octinoxate 7.5%, Avobenzone 3.0%, Petrolatum 40.2%, Lanolin 13.5%. OTHER INGREDIENTS: Avocado (Persea Gratissima) Oil, Beeswax, Butylparaben, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cocoa Butter (Theodroma Cacao), Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Flavor: Fresh Sugar #2 Modified, Isobutylparaben, Isopropylparaben, Kester Wax K-82P (Hydroxy Polyester), Lanolin, Microcrystalline Wax, Ozokerite, Petrolatum, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Shea (Butyrospermum Parkii) Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E).

I have found some good alternatives to petrolatum based lip balms, and I'll be reviewing them this weekend.  One is Korres lip butters, which come in some lovely colors.  The other is a clear stick lip balm from J.R. Watkins, my new favorite overnight conditioning choice. 

Disclosure:  I purchased this.