We often use very different skin care products during the different seasons of the year. During the sunny months, sunscreen is an absolute daily must, many of us also have lip balm ready in the attempt to stave off dry, cracked lips contributed to by the harsh weather. But is that wise? Can you actually become addicted to that creamy lip balm of yours?
Lip balm certainly is a product to think twice about. Not only because you apply it several times a day and the skin of your lips is thinner than the skin on the rest of your body which increases it's absorption potential. Also because many of the ingredients in lip balm irritate the skin of the lips and around the mouth, which can actually be detrimental to your desire to prevent & stop dry, flaked & cracked lips!
How can you prevent this?
Look for a lip balm with not too many ingredients, and go for a balm with a formulation that is based on:
+ vegetable oils such as almond, jojoba oil or Shea butter,
+ plant waxes such as Candelilla wax
+ and a fatty substance such as Theobroma cacao seed butter, which protects and soothes your skin.
Cocos nucifera or coconut oil is also a fantastic ingredient because it attracts moisture into your lips and doesn’t leave a layer of fat on your lips.
Do not lubricate your lips more than 3-4 times a day. You also want your body to be able to do its job. The cells, and therefore the skin on your lips renew itself and as a result you sometimes have flakes on your lips, which is annoying…. YES we know that. You can assist in the renewal process by using a gentle natural lip exfoliant or by gently brushing a soft cloth with some coconut oil over your lips.
Which ingredients should you avoid?
Whenever you buy a new lip balm avoid ingredients such as: Fragrances, perfumes and aromas. Peppermint oil, camphor and menthol. Dyes, methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl parabens, quarternium-15 and alcohol.
A common, well-known ingredient in lip balm is petrolatum, petroleum or PEG's. These toxic ingredients are a stable in the well known & used Vaseline, as well as many other mainstream lip balms. Petrolatum comes from the petrochemical industry and is an inexpensive and therefore widely used ingredient in the beauty industry. Petrolatum temporarily softens your lips but forms a layer of fat on your lips and therefore disrupts the skin's moisturizing ability and dries out your lips long term.
Do not buy JUST ANY lip balm that’s lying at the checkout of your commercial drug store. Always read the ingredients listed. When it looks like a foreign language e.g. numbers and letters... Leave the balm behind...
Lip balm that is safe and nourishing:
Hurraw! Lip Balm. With 100% pure, raw, organic ingredients. These balms are cold-pressed, vegan and available in different flavours: mandarin & chamomile SPF 15, coconut, chocolate, grapefruit or cherry. Pressed into a convenient shape to carry in your purse or pocket.
Are you looking for a fancy lip balm/ lipstick? The Wild Pansy Tinted Lipbar by Ere Perez is your new best friend. The combination of Wild Pansy extract, Shea Butter, Argan oil and Squalane make this Lipbar the ultimate vegan treat for your lips a combination of balm and lipstick. This product protects and nourishes the lips with a subtle hint of colour.
If your lips are in serious need of some revitalisation then you can't go past the Biologi BL - Nourish Lip Serum. Made from 100% active Red Blood Finger Lime, a native Australian desert fruit, this lip serum is packed with phytonutrients that work to reduce redness, calm inflammation to give you the softest and healthiest lips you ever had. Apply morning & night, as you would your face serum.
Explore the diverse range of natural Lip Balm in the Nourished collection.
