Is your pawpaw ointment toxic?
Many people use pawpaw ointment thinking they are using a natural product.
Unfortunately, the most popular pawpaw ointment on the market (in the red tube) contains petroleum. They even tell you on their website! They don’t tell you this on the labelling though and it’s very misleading as many people assume it to be a natural product.
Petroleum is a by-product of the oil industry and is in many beauty products. Why? Because it’s cheap. This article (with links to research papers) explains really well why you might want to avoid petroleum in beauty products.
Okay, so what do you use instead?
There are several alternatives out there that do contain the lovely pawpaw and all it’s benefits but do not contain petroleum. Here are my top five.
♥ Suvana Organic Paw Paw and Honey Balm.
♥ Little Innocents Paw Paw Balm
♥Ere Perez Papaya SOS Marmalade
Vapour or chest rub also has petroleum in it!! Find out some better brands here.
I would love to hear your experience with any of these products.
Let us know what you think and which ones you like!
Thanks so much for the info. I know a couple of these ointments but not the others. So often only the main ingredients are listed on the packaging, which leaves me wondering about the other ‘minor’ ingredients and unable to decide whether to buy… Now I can make a more informed choice! Thank you!
Unfortunately, many do not put the ingredients on the label, so you have to hunt down the website or ring the manufacturer! Not easy when you are in store trying to make a purchase!
Hi I am concerned as I just ordered 3 tubes of Suvana Organic Paw Paw & Honey Balm 25g from pharmacy on line . Its a yellow tube but entirely different Logo and front picture that I just realised. any idea? It does not have the sun but a flower.
I’ve tried tried a few paw paw ointments/balms over the years. Healthy Care Paw Paw balm, Natures Care Paw Paw balm, Healthy Care Paw Paw lip balm (these all seem to be the same manufacturer, even though 2 diff brands), Brauers paw paw ointment, & Simmons paw paw salve (and maybe another 1 or 2 that I can’t remember & have thrown away). All of these say they are petrochemical free, & I was able to purchase in my local pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop – this is important to me bc I’m on a limited budget so postage tends to make purchasing online prohibitive for me.
Of these, the best I found for lips are the Healthy Care Lip balm & the Simmons paw paw salve (although apparently this is discontinued, maybe why I can’t find it any more 🙁 ). The natures care balm, healthy care balm & brauers oint all separated, making them difficult to use – brauers was the worst, I ended up throwing it out. As i live in Melbourne, I don’t think weather is an issue, they even do it in winter. This might not be too much of an issue if you’ve got stronger hands than I (I’ve got rheumatoid arthritis, so limited hand strength). Brauers also stung terribly when I put it on cracked skin, esp when I was stuck with only the oily stuff coming out of the tube. Simmons salve was also really good for nappy rash though we never had to use it much, & is safe to use on cloth nappies (won’t ruin them).
thanks Melissa for this great feedback – I checked and the Simmons is discontinued.
There can’t be too many articles on the internet pointing this out Sonia! I always use Lucas Paw Paw as a litmus test for the integrity of health food stores. If they allow this, who knows what else they’re selling.
I’ve had an experience with the Only Papaya. I wasn’t a fan. It made my lips tingly and I didn’t like the taste. I had to go wash it off. I’m not sure it I was reacting to a natural ingredient or otherwise, but like you, I really don’t think you can go past the Suvana. Today, its’ getting rubbed on my nose when I blow my nose. Use it for dry elbows, nappy rash, a night cream for your eyes, all kinds of good stuff!
The Phytocare is the fave of my naturopath, but it has calendula in it, and I find the smell too much for my delicate little nose, but it’s a winner for the right person.
Anything other than Lucas is a step in the right direction.
My dad uses McArthur stuff for bad skin conditions and it’s available in most health food stores too.
thanks for the great feedback Jo – good to know!
OMG what! That seriously sucks! I stopped using vaseline because of your older article. Replaced it with lucas!! I shall be re-replacing. Thanks lovely x
it does suck – you have to really look at everything you buy these days!
Hi, I agree!
I work in a health store.
Until recently, I used the Lucas pawpaw for my family and recommended it to friends. A work colleague told me about the petrochemical ingredients. I use the Phytocare brand now.
I am not quite sure how Lucas pawpaw are able to sell it without stating on the label that it contains petrochemicals. But being a health shop employee I assumed that %99 of our stock was safe and screened by the big bosses.. the exception is the %1: the content of some whey protein/weight-loss products as some brands do contain artificial sweeteners… and no I don’t agree with this. Health shops are supposed to be Healthy!!! I never imagined we would stock anything containing petrochemicals. But once I found out I immediately noticed that yes, the texture of Lucas pawpaw is very much like Vaseline.
I don’t own the company I work for or I wouldn’t stock the Lucas paw paw or the artificially sweetened products.
When customers come in for pawpaw I steer them towards Phytocare papaya or Qsilica pawpaw http://www.qsilica.co.uk/product/22/Paw+Paw+Ointment#.UqPRBSeUGaI Which are both petrochemical free. If I see that they have picked up or are interested in the Lucas brand I always inform them that it contains petrochemicals. Everyone has the right to make an informed choice, and since Lucas pawpaw don’t have all the ingredients listed on their products, I feel it is my duty to inform everyone 🙂
I love this post. I have used the Natural Alternative one for a few years and just yesterday bought the Suvana one. I love both and the Natural Alternative one definitely lasts for a long time, so I suspect the Suvana one will as well. I prefer to find one that has very few to no preservatives and additives. So sourcing things can be difficult sometimes. For me its far more important to know what is in it, rather than a few dot points of what’s not in it. 🙂
thanks for the info on those – I suspected the Natural Alternative one was good as it’s certified organic. Yes, clever marketing can confuse a lot of us that are not scientists!
I just love your posts!! I have now added your site to my favourites as I refer to your work often. Thanks so much, keep up the good work 🙂
thanks Aly 🙂
thanks for this, i had to replace my paw paw (lucas ) because of this, i bought brauer brand and its just not the same, also sidetracking a bit do you happen to have a post like this on body wash/shampoos etc, im not quite there on the no poo and dont have enough kitchen space to be making soaps/body washes…so far the best i have found that is non drying is the moo goo but even then i question the long list of ingredients lol 🙂
The suvana is a great texture – give that one a go! I do have a blog on skin/face wash and I am working on more 🙂 Just go to the natural beauty category.
it is hard to believe. what a disgrace. Thanks for alerting us to this.
Unfortunately petrochemicals are in a lot of beauty products! This is just one we all thought was okay!
Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for this post! I’ve just thrown the Lucas’ paw paw ointment that was in my daughters room out! It didn’t even occur to me to read the ingredients. Something I will be doing from now on! Isn’t it amazing that we put these things on our bodies very single day and onto our children and not even read up on its content! It’s horrifying to think what could be seeping into our skin!
Sophie xo
It’s very scary Sophie! I am so glad I could help. x
OMGosh, only 5mins before I read this I had put Lucas PawPaw on my dry lips. The kids have all got sore lips from the cooler weather too! Looks like I will be chucking out the contents of the large pot I got and replacing it with coconut oil for a while, which I have in abundance in my pantry. Thanx Sonia, it’s great to be informed.
One of your readers was looking for a natural body wash, perhaps she would like to have a look at my website http://www.thelicefairy.com.au and check out the TLC or Call Me Bubbles. They are both wonderful. I have TLC in the large size in our showers and it lasts for ages. x Linzi
uh oh!! Yes, coconut oil is good and non toxic. I just find it doesn’t last long on my lips – I need something thicker 🙂 Thanks for that tip on the body wash too!
Thank YOU Sonia for doing all this research!
It is so frustrating that you can’t just take a natural product at its word, that it IS natural and safe.
I will be changing my brand now – thanks so much XXX
It’s my pleasure. I am on a mission to share everything I learn with you guys!! xxx
Hi there,
I just shared this article as I often do when I read something of interest/importance. I received a message from a friend stating this:
hi Carlie i noticed you posted a web page on paw paw cream… petroleum jelly is sometimes better known because of the brand that bottles it Vaseline…. i just did a MSDS (material safety data sheet) search on it because i remembered looking at it in high school chemistry….. it is totally safe except if you inhale it or eat a whole tub and then you may get diarrhoea from it lubricating your digestive system… hope this clears things up a little bit…
What do you think of this 🙂 ?
Carlie.
Food for thought. The same government who set the standards for these MSDS sheets also arrest people for selling milk that comes straight out of a cow and for selling Hemp Seeds as food (and we’re the only country in the world that can’t sell Hemp Seeds as food).
The same people that allowed us for years and years to spray our carpets, furniture and shoes with Scotchguard, until one day, it was banned.
I personally think that a sluggish and inefficient government system can’t keep up with what’s truly safe & natural and what isn’t.
All you can do is read from multiple sources and make your own mind up. I, personally, don’t like the idea of putting a petroleum based product on my lips.
Thanks Jo! I’m a listener and sharer of all things in the hope that I can make my mind up about the truth having researched and listened open-mindedly to all sides of an issue. What you have said does add to me supporting this particular issue. Would love to know if you have anything else further to add Sonia, as my friend had the best of intentions saying what she said so she isn’t trying to be nasty or deliberately ignorant 🙂
I always run things by the EWG skincare database as well. Have a read here as well. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/704786/PETROLATUM/
I know there has been talk of it linked to cancer so I always just avoid to be on the safe side!
Simmons is discontinued? Nooooooo!!! I guess I’ll be trying some of your other recommendations here. Thanks for the heads up 🙂
From all the feedback I have been getting, everyone seems to like Suvana the best 🙂
Thanks for the information, its a mind field out there!
Finding healthy, natural products that live up to their claims is hard, it is truly scary what passes as healthy & natural in beauty & personal products.
Thanks for the recommendations I will be sure to try them out.
it sure is! we need to share and keep each other in the loop 🙂
If it helps anyone, I’ve already put the McArthur Natural cream through the EWG and most of the ingredients score a zero (as in no toxins) and the highest is a 2, so all very safe. Their shampoo has an ingredient that scores a 3, but again still really low. Great round up and info Sonia. I didn’t know about Lucas having petroleum!
awesome! thanks for that info – the EWG is brilliant!
Do you know which of these paw paw ointments are palm oil free??
Lisa, I am not sure, but if you click on the links it will take you through to more info and the ingredient lists. 🙂
Would this be a good alternative to Vaseline? Thanks.
yes!!!
Thank you! Apologies if its a silly question 🙂
you know what they say…. there are NO silly questions!!!! 🙂
Thanks so much for this post. I don’t know why, but it never occurred to me that paw paw ointment would have petroleum jelly in it. I also never knew there were sooo many different options!
Thanks Kristen! It is one of the most common misconceptions out there!
Thank you so much for raising the awareness! I’m horrified to have learned about Lucas Paw Paw & I’m feeling quite bad about using it on my young toddler as we prefer to use as natural products as much as possible.
Do you or any readers have recommendations on which is best & gentlest for use on littles ones please?
awww don’t feel bad – you can only do better when you know better – personally I think the Suvana is awesome!!
Hi I am concerned as I just ordered 3 tubes of Suvana Organic Paw Paw & Honey Balm 25g from pharmacy on line . Its a yellow tube but entirely different Logo and front picture that I just realised. any idea? It does not have the sun but a flower.
Your blog page has one picture with flower logo and the online-Shop Naturally has the picture with the sun. Did they change their packaging recently? Have you noticed?
Hi Su, I am not too sure – mine is the same as the pic on my blog – but it lasts for ages, so I haven’t bought one recently. They have a Facebook page, so you might be able to check it out there. x
Hi there 🙂 We just haven’t changed the picture. We have fresh stock. We sell hundreds of these. They fly off the shelf. The picture on NNAM is the more recent and what your tube will look like. I’ll have the photo updated for you. Please let me know if you have any more questions.
I heard about Lucas a while ago so stopped using it and bought Suvana recently when my lips got bad (every now and then they get really red and sore and even the skin around them gets all sore and ends up cracking, its awful. Initially I was so happy when I discovered Lucas stopped it in its tracks and cleared it up quickly, but now its no go! And sadly Suvana didn’t work nearly as quickly. I suspect its because there are a lot of other (natural) ingredients in it other than paw paw. I wanted to go on a hunt for paw paw ointment that was largely paw paw but you have done it for me, thank you!
Has anyone tried Natralus?
Let me know how you go. Have you tried coconut oil?
No, not for my lips actually! Next time they break out I will :o(
oops that was meant to be a 🙁
Natralus!!
Have you tried it Miranda? Is that a recommendation?? 🙂
Not happy Jan! My kids even say “Go and get the red cream!” when bumps or scratches etc arise!! I will have to re-train whole family on this one! But would rather have to re-train than use that rubbish anymore!! Thanks for the info, i really appreciate it! 😀
I know it’s kinda annoying, but better to know and swap to a better one! 😉
I’m so glad I came across your site. Thank you so much for all that great information. So many people around me use the Lucas product. I usually check ingredients but for some reason I assumed this was pure paw paw. So disappointed. I am eager to get a hold of one of the pure products now. I will also have to spread the word about the Lucas product. As with food stuff too, it is so wrong that we are bombarded with things that are not healthy or safe for us. I am so over it and angry!
Brilliant!! It is very annoying and they don’t list the ingredients on their pack !! for shame!!
Does anyone know if papaw ointments (those without petroleum products in them) are water soluble? The reason I ask is they would be ideal to use on nappy rash when using washable cloth diapers.
Just wanted to say that as a result of your article I went in search of the best natural pawpaw ointment. I have
used many pawpaw ointments in the past including Lucas Pawpaw and have now settled on the McArthur Natural Products brand. I won’t use anything else as it has helped so much with my skin which is very sensitive and has the highest pawpaw concentration. They list all their ingredients on their bottles and they are all natural – no petrochemicals or parabens. I wanted to share my experience on your site to help others who might be looking for an alternative to Lucas Pawpaw or who are unsure of what brand to try.
Thanks for letting us know Yvonne !! 🙂
Thanks Sonia. I have using Lucas paw paw on my kids. Will throwing that one out and tracking down the alternatives suggested. Cheers
Thanks so much! Have thrown out Lucas brand! I searched their website and didn’t see it had a petrochemical carrier! Also glad to know about McArthur (to use for Radiation therapy burns).I emailed them to ask this but they didn’t reply :(. It’s hard to trust something is really natural when not all ingredients are listed. Was disappointed that recommendations from cancer centre contained parabens. (They were surprised when I pointed this out).
Yes, it is not a very well regulated area of labelling in this country!
An update: I used Vitamin E (from capsules) and pawpaw ointment on my back. Used Castor oil and Zinc on my front (recommended by Radiation Clinic). I think they both got the same greys (50). My back healed several days faster than my front, though it’s all very red and sensitive still (17 days from last Radiation).
I’m so happy I came across this as I buy Lucas for my dad who has skin cancer, I will now stop & get him Suvana instead.
Yep, keep him toxin free as much as you can. xxx
I use lanolin or wool fat on my dry lips, bought from the pharmacy. It’s cheap, a natural product and work well for my dry lips.
I was using Lucas Pawpaw ointment untill the petroleum content was pointed out to me, I found that my lips never really healed while using the Pawpaw ointment they just needed constant “oiling” with the Lucas pawpaw ointment, now I know why!
After I started to use lanolin, an ancient natural moisturising product derived from sheep wool, I only need to apply it daily to maintain soft moist lips.
Ahh! This sucks. I’m allergic and sensitive to lots of stuff, so finding a replacement isn’t going to be fun.
I’m allergic to nuts, so nothing with macadamia or other but oils. And I’ve got an intolerance to honey, so I’d prefer to steer clear of those.
I’m allergic to something (not sure what) in some chapsticks and sunscreens (whatever it is is in blistex). I get a nasty rash around my lips which sometimes scabs (it’s not an STI, I promise you that).
Any recommendations for super sensitive skin? I’d prefer not to get a rash mouth while trailing new products. Thanks!!
Hey Tessa, I would just stick with good old coconut oil! 🙂
Thanks! I’ve never used coconut oil for dry lips before, but I’ll give it a go.
Let me know how you go. I would apply small amounts often. 🙂
Good to know. I love paw paw ointment but had no idea Lucas’s ointment contained petroleum. Very disappointing and quite deceptive too.
I think it should be a law that ALL ingredients must be on the labelling. It’s just not cool.
Hi I have just put Lucas Paw Paw cream in the red tube on my dry lips and they are stinging like crazy any suggestions
Hi Carol, I would wash it off as much as you can with hot water and soap and use something like coconut oil to calm the skin down. x
I am interested in buying the organic pawpaw lip balsam, living in Germany, where can I order it, through you and how is payment possible, would like to pay in advance if ok, will order a few tubes