Avoid these preservatives in cosmetics and lip balms: Formaldehyde; Formaldehyde-releasing agents like Diazolidinyl urea and Quaternium-15 (Q-15); Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate; Methyldibromo glutaronitrile; Isothiazolinones including Methylisothiazolinone; and antioxidants like Propyl gallate and Butylhydroxytoluene (BHT)