Is Bag Balm Natural or Safe?

On a Facebook page today someone asked how natural Bag Balm is.  Even if you don't use Bag Balm you are probably familiar with it's trademark green tin.

Here's my response to the question of how natural it is:

Bag Balm is petroleum based and also has lanolin which is often contaminated with pesticide dips used on sheep. It's active ingredient is 8-Hydroxyquinoline which the MSDS sheet says is harmful and not safe for skin contact. So it's not a natural product and not really safe, either. There are definitely safer products out there.

8-Hydroxyquinoline is extracted from coal tar.  It's safety on products intended to be left on the skin isn't well known.  In Canada it has been restricted or banned for use in cosmetics.  Coal tar is a carcinogen and is photosenstive.  It has a hazard rating of 10 on the Skin Deep database!  It has been banned or restricted in use in cosmetics in Europe and Canada.  It is a suspected environmental toxin This ingredient has no business being in personal care products, especially those that remain on the skin.

Petroluem jelly is a petroleum based product that coats the skin preventing it from breathing or releasing toxins.  It is also photosensitive, meaning it causes sun damage.  It interferes with the body's own abilty to moisturize therefore leading to dry skin and chapping...the 2 conditions Bag Balm is supposed to protect against.

Lanolin is a relatively natural ingredient that comes from the wool of sheep.  However, sheep are often dipped in organophosphates that can contaminate the lanolin and cause sensitivity and allergic reactions in some people.  Many of these chemicals used in dips are neurotoxins.  Some companies do purify their lanolin to remove as much contamination as they can, but many do not.

Bag Balm has a large and devoted following, however I would be concerned about using it and I certainly would never use it on babies or children.