IS NATURAL LIP BALM REALLY A BETTER OPTION?
One of the most commonly used beauty products, often reapplied many times per day, is lip balm. It’s not uncommon to hear someone share that they keep their favorite lip balm in many different jacket pockets, purses, backpacks, in the car, the gym bag - you name it, there’s a balm or gloss or two (or three!) tucked away inside.
It got us thinking; for a product you use so close to an important area of your body (the mouth) and on such delicate, sensitive skin (your lips), is it important to consider the type of lip balm you’re using? Is natural lip balm really a better option?
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS TO AVOID IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN NATURAL LIP BALM?
As it turns out, there are a whole host of ingredients you should consider avoiding when it comes to lip balm products. The lips are made up of extremely sensitive and delicate thin layers of skin; they don’t have sebaceous glands and they aren’t able to produce the type of oil they would need to self-moisturize. When you’re selecting a product to support hydration and nourishment for your lips, just say no to the following ingredients:
- Artificial perfumes, fragrances or scented flavors: in the same way artificial fragrances can cause reactions or cause irritation on the skin, they can cause the same troubles when used in lip balm products. Often used to create fun scents or to make lip products taste better, they aren’t good for you in the long run.
- Parabens: Frequently used in beauty products and cosmetic preparations, parabens like methylparaben and butylparaben have consistently been shown to cause adverse reactions and have ill effects on the body. Parabens are potential endocrine disruptors and have no place in cosmetics.
- Petrolatum (petroleum jelly): yes, it can be moisturizing but at the end of the day, it’s made from the same ingredient that fuels cars! (Petrolatum is refined petroleum). Petrolatum can be contaminated during the refining process, and it’s suggested that long term exposure, even to skin, has been linked to cancer. Just say no!
On the other hand, here are three of the ingredients you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for when choosing natural lip balm. These supportive, hydrating ingredients are good for the health of your lips as well as the planet:
- Castor seed oil. Made from castor beans, it has the ability to penetrate deeply into the skin to soothe chapped lips.
- Shea butter. A natural type of fat that comes from the shea tree, it helps your lips hold onto moisture and heals dryness.
- Vitamin E. An antioxidant commonly found in cosmetic products, it can prevent or delay cell damage and helps to deeply moisturize and protect the lips.
LEAN INTO THESE GOOD-FOR-YOU NATURAL LIP BALMS
Here at Saje, we’re proud to offer four different lip balms and lip salves that contain only good for you ingredients that will help to keep your lips soft, hydrated and soothed when chapping or dryness does occur. Explore them below:
Coco Lips: this is our unscented lip balm, made with a deeply nourishing formula of richly moisturizing coconut oil, cocoa butter, known for its ability to aid in repairing damaged skin and beeswax, rich in vitamins and minerals that provides structure to the balm.
Tingle Lips: our Community-favorite natural lip balm contains the same superhero ingredients like coconut oil, beeswax, shea nut butter and cocoa butter, but also contains the cooling, tingling sensation you can only get from 100% pure peppermint essential oil. Try this formula for a refreshing, invigorating experience for the lips.
Lip Nourish: our second lip salve, Lip Nourish is a minty and cooling blend of spearmint, fennel and peppermint essential oils to provide a refreshing tingling sensation, while the base ingredients like shea nut butter, cocoa seed butter, vitamin E and castor oil help keep the lips feeling ultra nourished and protected throughout the day.
With all of our natural lip balm products, apply as often as desired to help ease and relieve dryness, soreness and chapped skin.
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS TO COMPLEMENT NATURAL LIP BALM
If keeping the lips feeling soft, smoothed and protected is top of mind, choosing high quality skin care products is equally as important. When it comes to relieving dryness and helping skin feel supple and moisture-replenished, here are two of our top product picks:
True Dew cleanser: this rich, replenishing cream cleanser can be used day and night to help remove dirt, oil, makeup and other impurities on the skin while helping to keep your face feeling fresh, clean and hydrated. This formula is blended with avocado oil, safflower seed oil and aloe vera to hydrate and roman chamomile, rose geranium and rose flower oil to balance and protect the skin from damage. Massage 1-2 pumps into the face morning and night and rinse well with warm water.
True Dew face oil: our richest, most deeply nourishing face oil is this luxurious blend of antioxidant-rich pomegranate seed oil, blueberry seed oil and sea buckthorn fruit extract alongside essential oils of rose and helichrysum to help improve the appearance of collagen production and greater elasticity in the skin. Smooth 3-5 drops into the skin as the last step in your skin care routine for radiance and glow.
SKIN CARE ACCESSORIES TO COMPLEMENT NATURAL LIP BALM
Our favorite skin care accessory for cleansed, gently exfoliated and overall radiant skin is the Konjac Sponge, in either bamboo charcoal for oily or blemish prone skin or yam extract for normal, dry or mature skin types.
These 100% natural vegetable fibre cleansing sponges help to improve skin’s clarity, balance oil production and improve the overall appearance of the skin. Even better? They’re derived from konjac root fibres and natural, unbleached cotton string so when your sponge has reached the end of its lifespan, you can add it to your compost bin!
LIFESTYLE TIPS FOR INCORPORATING NATURAL LIP BALM INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
Natural lip balm is one of those easy to incorporate products because it’s simple to use, portable and travel friendly, and one of the most used parts on the body (the mouth!) will always let you know when it’s time for an extra dose of moisture. Here are some of our best tips for getting the most out of your natural lip balm:
- Use it generously before bedtime. We like to choose one of the lip salves and apply a thick layer over the lips before we crawl into bed. The lips are at rest, so the salve has the opportunity to sink into the skin throughout the night, which means waking up to a soft, supple feeling.
- Apply before spending time outdoors. Exposure to the elements like sun and wind can cause your lips to become dry or chapped in no time. We like to slather on Lip Protect before, during and after our time spent outdoors to ensure the delicate skin on the lips is protected at all times.
- Store your tubes somewhere safe. For natural lip balms and salves, heat and sunlight can cause melting and softening that can make for an unpleasant application experience. Try to keep your products somewhere relatively cool and out of direct sunlight for an optimal user experience.
Nothing a little lip balm can’t fix.
—Unknown
