How To Choose The Best Natural Lip Balm from Chagrin Valley
Do You Know What’s in Your Lip Balm?
The first lip balm was made in the early 1880s by Dr. Charles Fleet, a physician from Lynchburg, Virginia. It resembled a small wickless candle wrapped in tin foil. His lip balm did not sell very well and in 1912 Fleet sold his recipe in for five dollars.
His recipe eventually became "Chapstick" a multi-million dollar company!
Today lip balm is probably the most universal body care item used.
While it may be more convenient (and sometimes cheaper) to buy your lip balm in the checkout line, please check out the ingredients?
The ingredients will vary from items like organic beeswax and plant oils to low-quality petroleum and mineral oils. The ingredients should not be some sort of coded mystery.
Can you read all of the ingredients? Do you know what they are without an internet search? If not, it might be time for you to find a natural alternative for your lip care.
Commercial lip balms often include petroleum-derived ingredients such as mineral oil, petrolatum, and paraffin.
One other consideration is that since lip balms are applied on the lips, you will ingest the ingredients in lip balms. So be sure to choose a lip balm with ingredients that you don't mind eating!
Despite the promises of miracle lip repair, many lip balms can actually damage thin lip skin and make dry lips even drier.
The skin on our lips is very thin and extra sensitive and puts up with a lot of wear and tear through eating, drinking, breathing, talking, kissing, etc. This skin does not produce melanin and does not contain sebaceous glands or sweat glands to protect against environmental assaults such as cold, heat, wind, or even acidic or spicy foods.
While it's normal for lips to get chapped, lips require special attention to prevent cracks and inflammation that can lead to infections and painful sores.
Dry lips can result from not drinking enough water, living in a dry climate, winter dry skin, licking your lips, the accumulation of dry skin, as well as from an allergic reaction to one or more ingredients.
Since the lips are so unique when compared to the skin on the rest of the body, our lips need a some extra TLC to keep them looking and feeling healthy.
Lips want gentle, natural ingredients that condition and soften. Look for natural moisturizing lip balms, that will penetrate and heal the skin—not simply coat the skin’s surface.
The moisturizing oils and butters in our creamy, organic natural lip balms penetrate deep into the skin cells. Each recipe is made using natural ingredients recognized for their soothing, moisturizing, and healing qualities.
So, the next time you are looking for a lip balm,
we have some ingredients you should look for—and a few to avoid.
Lip Balm Ingredients To Look For
- Organic ingredients
- Beeswax helps provide a natural barrier to lock in moisture and also attracts moisture from the atmosphere to your lips
- Natural plant oils and butters (shea and cocoa) that soften, condition, moisturize, protect, and are easily absorbed
Lip Balm Ingredients To Avoid
There are many lip balm ingredients that can actually cause fry lips! For example, phenols, added to help treat cracked lips due to a bacterial infection as well as camphor, salicylic acid, alum, and menthol can all dry your lips if used for an extended period of time.
- Artificial fragrances may cause lip irritation
- Artificial colors in tinted balms may cause lip irritation
- Alcohol may cause dryness
- Salicylic acid
- Camphor and menthol may cause dryness and irritation
- Petrolatum (petroleum jelly) is petroleum-based and comes from crude oil. It sits on top of lips and actually suffocates the skin by preventing oxygen absorption
- Mineral oil has the same problem as petrolatum—it doesn’t let your lips breathe
- Parabens and other synthetic preservatives have been shown to cause hormone disruption in animals
Insider Tip: Apply Lip Balm At Night Before Going To Bed
At night many people sleep with their mouths open, causing their lips to dry out. We’ve found that if you apply lip balm before going to sleep you’ll wake up with softer, moisturized lips. Give it a try—especially in the winter.
Which Chagrin Valley Natural Lip Balm Is Right For You?
Here are some common conditions we were asked about, along with products that may be a good place for you to start.
But remember—just because a product is listed for a specific condition doesn’t mean it is the one for you. Take note of how your skin responds to the different ingredients to find out which are best for your unique skin type.
Also, your skin's needs will often change with the seasons! Your favorite summer lip balm may not be your favorite winter lip balm.
An alternative to lip-gloss or everyday lip balm
My absolute favorite "glossy" lip butter is our Honey Butter Lip Balm. I conducted a small (totally unscientific survey) of friends, family, and customers and discovered that you really need to find your own favorite. The following list includes the top five responses.
- Honey Butter Lip Balm
- Coconut Cream Lip Balm
- Vanilla Bean Lip Balm
- Creamy Shea Lip Balm (Vegan)
- Aloe Butter Doublemint
Sun-Damaged or Dry Lips
One of our favorites for a bit of lip TLC for sunny days and dry lips is our vegan buttery Creamy Shea lip balm made with moisturizing Virgin Shea butter, Babassu Oil and Jojoba Oil to help calm irritated skin and soothe lips.
- Avocado Cream Lavender Lip Balm Vegan (Also a great stress reliever--place a dab under your nose)
- Aloe Butter Natural Lip Balm
- Creamy Shea Lip Balm (Vegan)
Chapped & Minor Inflammation
One of our favorites for irritated lips is our Vanilla Bean lip balm. Nourishing oils and butters are infused with loads of organic vanilla beans. Vanilla adds more than just a luscious scent. The major constituent of vanilla beans, vanillin, is a powerful antioxidant that helps skin repair cell damage.
Badly Chapped, Irritated Lips in Need of Healing
My absolute favorite healing lip butter is our Healing Herbs Lip Balm. It is natural lip balm made with healing oils like Sea Buckthorn and soothing botanicals like Calendula. Within minutes bring the soothing qualities of our organic healing herbal infusion directly to your lips.
Worried About Cold Sores?
Studies have shown that lemongrass and tea tree essential oils may be helpful in treating cold sores, provide soothing relief and help protect lips. Organic extra virgin hemp seed oil provides soothing relief and naturally seals in moisture.
Do You Like Flavors?
No synthetic fragrance oils here!
- Mocha Java Lip Balm (Natural flavors using real organic Chocolate and Coffee Beans)
- Vanilla Bean Lip Balm (Natural vanilla flavor using real organic Vanilla Beans)
- Coconut Cream Lip Balm (Natural coconut flavor using organic Virgin Coconut Oil)
- Avocado Cream Lavender (Organic Lavender and Ylang Ylang essential oils)
- Aloe Doublemint Lip Balm (Organic Peppermint, Spearmint, and Eucalyptus essential oils)
- Hempseed Lemongrass (Organic Lemongrass essential oil)
- Pumpkin Spice Lip Balm (Seasonal--Natural flavor using our blend of organic Pumpkin Pie Spices)
Remember that lips want gentle, natural moisturizing ingredients that condition and soften--ingredients that will penetrate and heal the skin—not simply coat the skin’s surface.
The moisturizing oils and butters in our creamy, organic natural lip balms penetrate deep into the skin cells. Each recipe is made using natural ingredients recognized for their soothing, moisturizing, and healing qualities.
What’s Your Favorite Natural Lip Balm?
What Tips Do You Have That Help Keep Lips From Drying Out?
Let Us Know In The Comments Below.
