Hello darlings,
I wanted to chat about lip balms and chapsticks and the importance of keeping your lips hydrated, especially during the winter season, today.
Let's get into it!
A little background on lip balms:
Lip Balms were first marketed in the 1880s by Charles Browne Fleet! It's origins were traced back to earwax... (thank god that isn't true anymore!)
Lip balms, also known as lip salves are applied to the lips to moisturize and relieve chapped, dry lips. They usually contain bees wax or carnauba wax, camphor, lanolin or petrolatum. This gives them their consistency and helps prevent moisture loss. "The primary purpose of lip balm is to provide an occlusive layer on the lip surface to seal moisture in lips and protect them from external exposure. Dry air, cold temperatures, and wind all have a drying effect on skin by drawing moisture away from the body. Lips are particularly vulnerable because the skin is so thin, and thus they are often the first to present signs of dryness." Flavors, scents, colors, SPF and medications are added benefits.
First off, Finding the right chapstick for you:
- There are 848,482,980 different chapsticks out there, but which ones actually work? They aren't all the same I say? That's right they aren't. Many brands and types of chapsticks put alcohol in their products as a beneficial strategy for themselves. Alcohol dries your lips even more, causing you to use more product and hence making you buy MORE of it, since you are using so much!! BEWARE! Read the label to make sure there is no alcohol in it, look out for "phenol" that is used in lots of different brands.
I used to think all chapsticks were the same and I didn't want to bother with the more expensive stuff, cause its just chapstick right? Wrong, chapstick is more importanat than lipstick or lipgloss, without it, your lips would be cracked, dried out and dehydrated, making your lipstick look horrible. So definitely choose a great chapstick and spend the money! Chapstick is important! Keeping your lips healthy and hydrated is key. So go for the natural chapsticks that are sure to give you great hydration.
The important aspects:
- Not only are moisture and hydration super important for your lips, but preventing them from sunburn is just as or even MORE important! Many people don't think much about SPF in chapsticks but they should start. The skin our lips are made of is super sensitive, so the slightest bit of sun exposure can burn them and cause long term effects. we do notttt want that! Especially if you suffer from cold sores, you know that sunlight causes flares, so always always make sure to keep those lips protected. We always say that winter dries out the lips, but the summer months burn them, make sure the skin stays healthy and safe by assuring your chapstick contains SPF. There are a range of SPF that are found in chapsticks; starting from SPF 5- SPF 20 (hard to find). Always try to get a higher SPF!
Here is a list of my favorite chapsticks:
1. Burt's Bees: Burt's Bees is SUCH a good brand, so natural and good for you and made with real bees wax to lock in moisture. After reading that Burt's Bees is among the top chapsticks that are all natural and ecofriendly, I decided to give them a try and my lips thanked me. I have never had such smooth, moisturized lips until I tried Burt's Bees. Their chapsticks are my go to, I have a few and I toss them in my bag, on my vanity, anywhere! Just because I always reach for it. I've expanded to some of their other products too, and once again, amazing! The only negative I have to say about Burt's Bees is that their chapsticks do not contain SPF. And SPF is an immensely important factor. I try not to wear Burt's Bees chapsticks when I know I'll be outside for a long period of time.
You can find Burt's Bees chapsticks at your local drugstore and they can also be found at Ulta and any beauty supply store and also at Whole Foods Market. The price varies from $2.49-$3.49 depending where you purchase from. They come in a variety of scents and flavors, the original bee's wax one contains a bit of peppermint oil to provide a refreshing tingle. All of them are 100% natural.
2. Blistex DCT Daily Conditioning Treatment: This chapstick in particular is my favorite from the Blistex line, specifically because it has SPF 20. Not too many chapsticks have an SPF this high so this one is great! This chapstick is in a little pot and has the texture of Vaseline but slightly thinner. I love using this especially in the summer because of its high SPF, but it is a great year-round lip moisturizer. It truly is a conditioning treatment because it stays on your lips all day! I like to put it on before I go to bed to hydrate my lips as I sleep, and when I wake up in the morning I still feel it on my lips, I LOVE that! It really penetrates deep into the skin and you feel that it's hydrating. When I feel that my lips are extra dry or I have that burning sensation, I slap this on and my lips instantly feel better, like I said, it's really conditioning! This is a little harder to find, I always have trouble finding it! I search all over for it, apparently my local pharmacies don't carry it, but Duane Reade and Walgreens do along with Harmon's Beauty! (and it's cheaper there ;)) I have to admit that this is my favorite chapstick and I find myself reaching for this one over my Burt's Bees one. As I said, the SPF factor is soooo important to me! The Blistex DCT Daily Conditioning Treatment retails for about $2.00 and contains Aloe and cocoa butter, as well as vitamins A & E.
3. Blistex Moisture Melt: This is another goodie by Blistex! It comes in a squeezy tube and has a gel formula with little "moisture beads" in it. It also has a good SPF content in it, SPF 15 and this chapstick also stays on for a whiiiiile! I don't use this as much as the other two but I don't know why, I think it may be because of the little beads that are blue and just look weird if you're wearing it out because sometimes they smudge and you have blue spots on your lips LOL I don't know. But those beads are made of shea butter and aloe, which are so good for you! I like to use this also when I feel like my lips are really cracked and before going to bed. It doesn't last as long as the DCT, but you definitely wear it for a long time because of the gel formula. Only thing about this chapstick is that you cannot wear it under your lipstick because of that gel formula, it is too thick so you would have to take it off before applying lipstick, and also the moisture beads don't allow for an even application either. Nonetheless, a great chapstick that hydrates! You can find this at your local pharmacies and beauty supply stores! Retails for about $2.00 as well. 
I always like to put some chapstick on before doing my makeup to let it sink into my lips so when the time comes to put my lipstick on, my lips and nice and smooth and well moisturized, which helps the lipstick glide on! It also counters the drying out of the lipstick. You feel the difference when you put lipstick on without chapstick first than when you use chapstick first! Burt's Bees and DCT are great to wear under your lipstick, but Moisture Melt is not.
I know many people swear by EOS ad have the whole collection because they're cute, but some of their products have phenol in them, I used to have the orange one and used it for a while until I read the ingredients and saw phenol, threw it out and immediately made the switch to the others!
Remember ladies AND gents! It is very important to keep your lips safe, hydrated and healthy! Don't be stingy on chapstick and don't forget to apply often and as much as you need! You can never use too much :) And watch out for "bad" chapsticks that only try to take your money and dry out your lips! Be curious and read the ingredients label, get to know what you're working with and what you put on/in your body! :)
