With colder climes fast-approaching and the promise of chapped lips impending, lip balm has never been more of a handbag - or man-bag - necessity.

However, your moistened, plumped-up pout might come at a poisonous price, new research has revealed.

A major French consumer group has issued a warning against 10 different brands of balm, which they found contained toxic ingredients.

UFC Que-choisir found that almost half of the 21 balms they tested contained harmful and potentially carcinogenic substances.

Products from leading cosmetic brands such as Carmex, Garnier and La Roche Posay were included in those condemned.

Some of the balms contained an “extremely undesirable” amount of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons, commonly referred to as Mosh, which can inflame the lymph nodes and liver when ingested, reports The Local.

Testers also looked into which lip balms might be the safest on offer and found that Lidl’s “Cien” lip balm – at just 75 cents (66p) cut the moisturising mustard.

A surprisingly contentious issue, it's not the first grilling that lip balm brands have been subjected to.

In 2016, celebrity-favoured balm brand EOS was sued with consumers claiming that the product caused rashes, blistering, bleeding and loss of pigmentation.

The lawsuit was settled 15 days later, with EOS affirming the quality of their products and offering compensation to those who had been negatively affected by their balms.

See the below list for the specific lip balms that UFC have advised avoiding:

Macadamia lip balm from Yves Rocher

Trésors de miel nourishing lip balm from Garnier Ultra Doux

Original classic care from Labello

Classic moisturising lip balm from Carmex

Nultric transforming balm for dry lips from La Roche Posay

Homéostick from Boiron

Cold cream nourishing balm from Avène

Nutrition balm for dry lips from Le Petit Marseillais

Hydrating lip balm from Aptonia

Hydrating lip balm from Uriage