Zeroing in on the Perfect Lip Balm

They are small and pretty and come in cute little sticks, tubs or tubes. They are ubiquitous and you can pick one up just about anywhere. They are usually inexpensive and you have one in each handbag and desk drawer at work. But are you doing your lips a disservice by not thinking about what suits them best? Lip balms can be your best and most useful friend but make sure you are using the one that is made for your lips. There are so many varieties out there that you may be tempted to try a new one each time you visit the supermarket. But hold on! Read though our handy list of things to look out for when choosing your next lip balm. You could be saving your lips from a lot of pain!

Do you really need lip balm? Why?

So first things first. Do you have dry and chapped lips, especially in cold season? Are you out in the sun a lot? Regularly use lipsticks and lip glosses so the skin on the lips is beginning to look dull and pale? You need lip balm! The skin on the lips is ultra-sensitive and don’t forget they are taking the brunt of all our eating and drinking, whether hot, cold or in between! Everyone gets dry or chapped skin every now and then. But if you want to make sure you don’t get painful cracks or inflammation, you really need to protect and nourish your lips. And your lips need sun protection as much as any other part of your facial skin.

Here’s what to look out for

To provide the hydration and protection that you crave for your lips, look out for balms that contain ingredients like natural beeswax, almond oil, honey, shea butter or kokum butter. They nourish, protect and hydrate the lips. Vert’s Rose Infused Lip Balm for instance, contains coconut oil in addition to the above to protect your lips while also infusing your senses with the subtle aroma of roses. If you have dry skin, you could perhaps exfoliate it first with a Vanilla Crème Lip Scrub with its luscious blend of vanilla and brown sugar to achieve smooth and supple results. Or tempt your senses with the heady citrus notes of fresh oranges on your lips with the Orange Kokum Delight Lip Balm For some deep nourishment with a hint of chocolate you could try the Vit E Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.

When choosing a lip balm, keep in mind the nature of your lips to decide which ingredients will work best for you.

Here’s what to avoid

Lip balms are the most likely of all products we use on our bodies to be ingested – and that too in considerable quantities. It naturally follows that it is best to avoid lip balms with chemicals in them because you don’t want to sacrifice your health to the cause of looking good and you needn’t!

If you are using a medicated lip balm to treat inflammation or sores, discontinue use as soon as the symptoms subside because they dry out the skin and are not meant for moisturization or protection. Also, lip balms with ingredients like menthol, camphor and alum that create a tingling sensation when you wear them are also extremely drying and are not good for long term use. Low quality petroleum or mineral oils that are used as the moisturising base of lip balms can also be harmful to the skin.

A simple rule of thumb to follow would be that if you cannot understand the names of the ingredients, it is best to avoid the product because wholesome nourishing lip balms will list natural ingredients that you are already familiar with. When you can find lip balms with natural and organic ingredients that not only protect your lips and make them look spectacular but are also great to smell and taste, why settle for anything less?