Safe Use

Last updated November 11, 2026

MOUE balms, scrub and mask are cosmetics, for use on the lips only. A few plain rules come with them, and this page brings them together, product by product. Please read it, and the label of your jar, before you use any of them. The label printed on the jar is the reference: if it ever says something different from this page, follow the more cautious of the two and tell us.

Our products are cosmetics, not medicines. If you have a skin condition, an allergy, or a sore or broken area on your lips, ask your doctor before use.

For every MOUE product

• For use on the lips only.
• Contains bee products (beeswax and propolis; honey in the scrub): do not use it if you are allergic to bees, bee products, honey, pollen or balsam of Peru. Propolis is a known contact allergen.
• If your skin is sensitive, patch test first: a little on the inside of your wrist, then wait a day.
• Stop using it and ask a doctor if redness, itching, swelling or a rash appears.
• Not on broken or irritated skin.
• Use the spatula or a clean fingertip, and close the jar after each use.
• Keep the jar and the spatula away from young children: they are small parts.
• The flavors are for taste on the lips: do not eat it.
• Store below 86°F (30°C), away from direct sunlight and heat, with the jar closed. The balm softens in the heat.
• Do not use it if it smells or looks different from when you opened it.
• Report a reaction to us at contact@mouebalm.com, and to the FDA through MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088.

If a child swallows a product or the spatula, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if the child is choking or has trouble breathing. See If a child swallows a product.

Bee products and propolis: who should not use MOUE

Every MOUE product contains bee products: propolis in all ten, beeswax in the balms and the mask, honey in the scrub. Do not use them if you are allergic to bees, bee products, honey, pollen or balsam of Peru.

• Propolis is a sticky amber-brown resin gathered from tree buds. It is a known contact allergen: it can cause redness, itching, swelling or a rash where it touches the skin, sometimes only after a few uses.
• Balsam of Peru is a resin used in some fragrances, flavors and skin products. People who react to it often react to propolis too. If a doctor has ever told you that you are allergic to balsam of Peru, do not use MOUE.
• Bee stings, honey and pollen: if you have ever had a reaction to a bee sting, to honey, to pollen or to a product with propolis or beeswax, do not use MOUE without asking your doctor first.
• A severe allergy: if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction, ask your doctor before you use any new lip product, ours included.
• Pregnant or nursing: if you are pregnant or nursing and have any doubt about an ingredient, ask your doctor before use.

How to patch test

1. With the spatula or a clean fingertip, put a little of the product on the inside of your wrist.
2. Leave it on, and do not wash the spot for a full day.
3. If redness, itching, swelling or a rash appears, wash it off with water and do not use the product.
4. If your skin stays calm, use the product as described on the jar, a little at first.

A patch test lowers the chance of a reaction on your lips, but it cannot rule out every reaction, and a reaction to propolis can appear only after a few uses. Stay attentive the first few times you use a product, and stop at the first sign of a reaction.

The lip balms

Honey, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cherry Tinted, Watermelon, Coconut, Mint and Blueberry Lip Balm.

• Directions: open the jar. Scoop a little balm with the spatula or a clean fingertip. Dab it onto your lips and smooth it out. Close the jar right after use.
• All the rules under For every MOUE product apply to each balm.
• Keep the balm off your eyes. If some gets into an eye, rinse it with plenty of lukewarm water, and see a doctor if discomfort continues.

Cherry, Watermelon and Blueberry: tint and color additives

• The sheer tint of Cherry Tinted Balm, Watermelon Lip Balm and Blueberry Lip Balm comes from color additives: if you avoid any color additive, ask us for the full ingredient list before you order.
• A second layer gives more color. If your lips react, stop using it, even if the reaction is mild.

Mint Lip Balm: menthol

• Menthol gives this balm a cool tingle: if it stings or burns, wipe it off and stop using it.
• Keep it away from your eyes. Wipe your fingertip after you apply it, before you touch your eyes.
• The cool tingle fades after a few minutes. If it does not, or if your lips feel sore, wipe it off and rinse with water.

Coconut Lip Balm

• Coconut flavor: if you need to avoid coconut, e-mail us before you order and we will tell you what the full ingredient list says.

Honey Lip Scrub

• Directions: scoop a little scrub with the spatula. Rub it gently over your lips in small circles. Wipe it away with a soft damp cloth, or rinse with warm water. Follow with a lip balm. Use it once or twice a week.
• Contains honey: do not use it if you are allergic to honey or pollen.
• Do not use it on broken, cracked or irritated skin, or on a cold sore.
• Rub gently and briefly, never hard, and wipe it all away.
• Once or twice a week is enough; not every day.
• Keep water out of the jar, and close it right after use.
• Honey must never be given to a baby under one year old. Keep the scrub well out of reach of babies and young children.

Overnight Lip Mask

• Directions: at bedtime, scoop a little mask with the spatula. Smooth a thin layer over your lips. Leave it on overnight. In the morning, wipe away what is left. Close the jar right after use.
• Contains aloe vera: do not use it if you are allergic to aloe.
• Scented with lavender and chamomile: chamomile belongs to the daisy family, so if you are allergic to ragweed, daisies, chamomile or lavender, ask us for the full ingredient list before you order.
• Use a thin layer, and keep it away from your eyes.

Hygiene

• Use the spatula or a clean fingertip, never a finger that has just touched something else.
• Never put the spatula in your mouth. Wipe it clean after use and keep it with the jar.
• Close the jar after each use, so nothing gets in.
• Do not share a jar, even with someone close to you.
• Do not use a jar on a cold sore. If you used a jar while you had a cold sore, keep that jar for yourself.
• Do not add water or anything else to a jar.

Storage and heat

• Store below 86°F (30°C), away from direct sunlight and heat, with the jar closed.
• The balm softens in the heat: in a hot car, on a sunny windowsill, near a radiator or in a pocket on a hot day. If a jar has gone soft, close it and let it rest in a cool place before you use it again.
• Keep each product in its own jar, with its label, so the directions, the warnings and the batch code stay with it.
• The period after opening will be printed on the jar, as a small open-jar symbol followed by a number of months. Use the product within that period after you first open it.
• Do not use it if it smells or looks different from when you opened it.

Children and pets

• Our shop sells to adults. Keep every jar closed and out of reach of children, ideally up high in a closed cupboard or a bag they cannot open.
• The jar, its cap and the spatula are small parts that a young child could put in the mouth or swallow. Keep them away from young children, and never leave an open jar or the spatula where a child can reach it.
• The flavors smell sweet, like candy. Never call a MOUE product candy, never eat it, and never use it in front of a young child as if it were a food.
• The scrub contains honey, which must never be given to a baby under one year old.
• Keep jars away from pets too. If a pet swallows a product or the spatula, call your veterinarian.

If a child swallows a product

1. Take the jar away, and wipe out anything left in the child's mouth with a soft cloth.
2. If the child is choking, has trouble breathing or cannot speak, call 911 right away.
3. Otherwise, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away, even if the child seems fine. Experts answer day and night, at no cost, and tell you what to do. You can also get help online at poison.org.
4. Keep the jar with you when you call: the label tells them what is inside.

Do the same if a child swallows the spatula or the cap, or if an adult swallows a large amount of a product.

Reporting a reaction

If redness, itching, swelling, a rash or any other reaction appears, stop using the product, wipe it off and rinse with water, and ask a doctor. In an emergency, such as trouble breathing or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, call 911.

Tell us: e-mail contact@mouebalm.com with "Safety" in the subject line. Please include the product, the batch code printed on the jar if there is one, your order number if you have it, what happened and when, how you used the product, and how you are now. Send only what is needed: you do not need to send a photo of yourself. We reply within 2 business days, and faster when we can.

What we do with it: as the responsible person for MOUE products, Rusy Pao LLC records every reaction report it receives, looks into the batch with the maker, and passes serious ones to the FDA, as the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 requires. How we handle what you tell us is explained in the Consumer health data section of our Privacy Policy.

Tell the FDA: you can also report a reaction to a cosmetic directly to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, through MedWatch, its safety information and adverse event reporting program, online or by phone at 1-800-FDA-1088, or call the FDA consumer complaint coordinator for your state, listed on fda.gov. Your doctor can report it too.

A damaged or tampered jar

• Do not use a product if its seal is broken or missing, if the jar is cracked or leaking, if it arrived melted, or if anything about it looks wrong, for example a label that does not match the product.
• Keep it closed and out of reach of children, take a photo of the jar, its cap and seal, its label and the packaging, and e-mail it to us with "Safety" in the subject line and your order number. The product is replaced or refunded, and there is nothing to mail back. See Damaged, leaking or wrong items.
• If you think a product has been tampered with on purpose, do not use it and do not throw it away. Tell us, and report it to your local police and to the FDA through MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088.
• If a jar breaks, keep children and pets away, pick up the pieces with care and wipe up the balm.

Recalls and safety notices

If we ever need to recall a product or share a safety notice, we will e-mail everyone who bought it, using the e-mail address given with the order. We will also post a notice on this page and on the product page, explaining clearly what to do and how we will put it right. Recalls of cosmetics in the United States are also published by the FDA at fda.gov.

Throwing a product away

To throw away a product you no longer use, or one past its period after opening, close the jar, put it in a closed bag and put it in your household trash, out of reach of children and pets. Do not rinse the balm down the sink.

Questions

We cannot give medical advice, and we cannot tell you whether a product suits you: please ask your doctor or pharmacist, and bring them the label. For a question about a label or an ingredient, e-mail us at contact@mouebalm.com. We reply within 2 business days. The key ingredients and the allergens of each product are on our Ingredients & Prop 65 page.