Lip Balm Battles

With winter on its way, dried, chapped lips are inevitable. Lip balms are a great way to keep your lips moist and beautiful during the harsh winter months. However, there are many misconceptions about lip balms that should be cleared up before the weather turns cold.

Here are a few tips when deciding which brands to use, and some pointers for which ones to stay away from. When reaching for your favorite lip balm, first check the ingredients.

Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol

Stay away from lip balms that alcohol. It causes lips to become dry, which will lead to over application without the conditioning results. Isn’t that exactly the opposite of why you’re applying it?

Surprise! ChapStick brand uses a substantial amount of alcohol. Not the best choice for keeping your lips protected this winter.

The sun’s still shining

Check for SPF. It may seem like Happy Valley is a little gloomier in the winter, but don’t be fooled. The sun might not look as strong, but harmful UV rays are still present. SPF will add an extra layer of protection and lock in moisture. Quite helpful.

Paraben… what?

Lip balms should be paraben-free. Parabens are man made chemicals that are used as preservatives – you don’t need them. Studies have shown that parabens may be linked to cancer, so keep them away from your lips, please.

The safest choices

If you just threw out your favorite lip balm, have no fear; there are plenty of great options. Try the all-natural brands: EOS lip balm balls, BabyBear lip balm, Tarte lip products or Burt’s Bees.

Getting Girly

If you want to add some color and shine to your lips this winter as well, Burt’s Bees offer tinted lip balms and lip shimmers that will provide the same level of protection as well as fabulous color. Sophomore Kate Sawchuk says that her go-to lip balm is always Burt’s Bees.

“I use the tinted kind so I don’t have to use lip sticks, it adds really nice color. I also enjoy the tingling feeling from the natural ingredients,” she says.

Tarte lip products also offer a line of lip tints and glosses, which provide moisturizing protection as well as shine.

Photo by Fuli Wang

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.