Lipstick Iced Iris vs Locked Kiss Ink: which is safer?

Burt's Bees Lipstick Iced Iris is the clear pick. MAC Locked Kiss Ink carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.

Our pick

Burt's Bees Lipstick Iced Iris

Burt's Bees

Lipstick Iced Iris

PFAS grade

Excellent 75/100

Overall grade

Good 63/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

wax, oils, pigments (standard lip color base)

Confidence

78%

PossibleFragrance allergens and essential oils

PossibleFormaldehyde releasers and preservatives

PossibleRancidity and microbial growth in wax-oil base

MAC Locked Kiss Ink

MAC

Locked Kiss Ink

PFAS grade

Poor 30/100

Overall grade

Bad 18/100

Verdict

Skip

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

silicone-based liquid ink, waterproof coating

Confidence

45%

PossibleHeavy metals in synthetic colorants

PossibleFragrance allergens

Possible1,4-dioxane as a trace contaminant

Where these two actually differ

  • We flag Fragrance allergens and essential oils, Formaldehyde releasers and preservatives and Rancidity and microbial growth in wax-oil base on the Burt's Bees and not on the MAC.
  • We flag Heavy metals in synthetic colorants, Fragrance allergens and 1,4-dioxane as a trace contaminant on the MAC and not on the Burt's Bees.
  • The Burt's Bees is wax, oils, pigments (standard lip color base) where the MAC is silicone-based liquid ink, waterproof coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
  • The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Burt's Bees is the one to buy.
  • We are less certain about the MAC grade, at 45% confidence against 78%, because it discloses less.

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

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