Lip Service

Whoever can tell me what is the Mother of All Lip Balms, I will reward you handsomely. Every winter I spend countless dollars on various products, and I still end up with dry lips. I've heard that there are in fact ingredients in some of these lip balms that make your lips dry, so you'll use more! If that's true, I have lost what little remaining faith I had in Big Business. But it could be true: I recently bought a Blistex product, and my lips were never so dry as they were in between applications of this stuff—which was promptly tossed into the Lip Balm Burial Ground. I've tried the cheap crap and the pricey formulations, and nothing does the trick. I've had pretty good results with Burt's Bees stick, but even that has been underperforming for me lately. So, any hot tips from my chapped-lipped blog audience?

Comments

[James]

I like the Burt's Bees, but for unscientific reasons. I like the peppermint feeling/flavor.

[scott]

I have always believed that anything that tingles, is minty or is otherwise "medicated" will make your lips drier with repeated use. I try to stick with plain ChapStick.

[steve]

I know that many balms include Camphor - which will dry. Growing up in Minnesota, I had chronic chapped lips.

Best solutions I've found are Kiehl's (though a little greasy) and a brand from Whole Foods that has vitamin C (though it does occasionally give me a little pimple on my lip!).

Honestly, non-medicated chapstick (the blue tube) seems to still stand out. AND, the price is right.

[Tonya]

I know a lot of people swear by Carmex.

[Kirsty]

Not sure if you have Virgin cosmetics in the US, but I use Virgin Vie 'Guardian Angel'. It has a lovely clove-like smell. Pricey, but you use so little the jar will last you forever.

[Margaret]

I use good old petroleum jelly. (Vaseline)

[Ocean]

I have always found the medicated blistex
tube worked very well for me.
Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer, SPF15 is good
one.

[nancy]

I vote for Kiehl's lip balm or Aquafor.

[pam]

Right now, I'm happy with Chap Stick Lip Moisturizer with SPF 15 protection. Previously, I had good results with Carmex, though it comes in a jar and I dislike getting goo under my fingernails.

[jo]

I have tried them all, trust me. i talk for a living and my lips get dry, dry, dry. I found the Dr. Hauschka lip balm is the best I have found. Not cheap $17.00 I think, but it works, doesn't feel like it is just sitting on top of my lips, tastes neutral so you can drink a coffee or tea and you don't feel like your drinking a peppermint stick.
Try it.
http://www.drhauschka.com/holistic-products/face-care/lips/details.aspx?id=40&product=Lip+Care+Stick+-+For+all+skin+conditions

[Lisa]

The nurses at school recommend Aquaphor which is a good skin cream and can also be used on the lips.

[scott]

I was told by my dermatologist once explicitly not to use Carmex for dry lips, that it hurts instead of helps. I'm operating (possibly wrongly) on that same principle when I avoid any and all clove/mint/tinlgly/medicated stuff for dry lips. YMMV.

[Jennifer]

Badger Cream. My partner is a lip balm addict and swears by her Badger Cream. She prefers the tin to the stick. Tangerine Breeze - we usually purchase it at our local Whole Foods. I found a site here (http://www.pcfallon.com/Badgerlipbalm.asp).

[Jennifer]

Okay. The site (or more likely, my link) isn't working. Just Google Badger Balm.

[Judy]

http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=5671

Smith's ROSEBUD LIP BALM. Not too expensive but a bit hard to find....but you can get it/order it from Sephora. It is great. Also comes in mint and stawberry, which I've never tried. I always thought Carmex was great, and that the trick was putting it on at night before going to bed.

[Lynn]

I second the Dr. Hauschka recommendation. My kids will only use this because everything else "stings".

[Dawney Spencer]

The only thing I've found that works for my problem is Avon's Dew Kiss. I buy 20 or 30 tubes at a time, when they are on sale. It's the one in the pink tube.