There’s a lot to love about every season. But one thing we don’t like is when the weather is dry, windy, or cold and leaves our lips cracked and painful.
If any season is particularly harsh on your lips, winter is the worst of the four. Gary Goldenberg, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, explains that the lack of moisture in the environment during the winter is the reason your skin and lips get so dry in cold weather, and cranking the heat indoors can make it even worse. But all seasons can be rough on the lips.
There are a few ways to help prevent and treat your lips. For example, you can help your lips by staying hydrated, sleeping with a humidifier, not licking your lips, and exfoliating with a natural, sugar-based lip scrub.
Another important step is finding hydrating lip balms with natural ingredients. Here’s what to look for when you’re searching for lip balms that are honest. Yes, honest lip balms.
Tips for Choosing Honest Lip Balms
When selecting lip balms, know what to look for and what to avoid.
- Find lip products that have nourishing ingredients. Beeswax, shea butter, moringa oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and grapeseed oil are all ideal.
- When picking out lipstick, choose ones that are hydrating and creamy. Save matte lipsticks and lip powders for spring and summer weather. In the winter, creamy lipsticks with moisturizing ingredients are your best bet.
- Avoid lip balms flavored with mint, menthol, or cinnamon as these can irritate or dry out the lips.
- Avoid lip balms with artificial colors, dyes, and waxes as they can cause irritation.
- Avoid lip plumpers. These often contain irritants or chemicals derived from cinnamon or cayenne pepper meant to cause swelling that can damage healthy tissue and lead to constantly chapped lips and permanent skin damage.
- Only use medicated lip products for cold sores or fever blisters.
When you’re looking for the best honest lip balms for healthier lips this winter, start with products from Badger, Crazy Rumors, and Jane Iredale.
Badger
From lip balms to beard cream, Badger has a wide variety of honest personal care products. Badger is a small, family-owned business, and every Badger product is made with the best ingredients, including organic plant extracts and soothing and nourishing oils, butters, and beeswax. If you’re looking for honest lip balm products, try their Clear Zinc SPF 15 Lip Balm (unscented.) It’s 97% organic, water resistant for 40 minutes, and has a moisturizing base of beeswax, shea and cocoa butter, and extra virgin olive oil.
Crazy Rumors
Crazy Rumors is the fun-filled, all-natural lip balm for little girls and women alike. These lip balms are made with certified organic ingredients, including moisturizing shea butter and soothing jojoba oil. Crazy Rumors has all the fun of flavorful lip balm and lip gloss with none of the synthetic ingredients and artificial flavors. Try the delicious HibisKiss Hibiscus Flavored Lip Color Tropical with a splash of all-natural lip coloring. Or if you prefer something more subtle, check out their Au Naturale Lip Balm with Shea Butter.
Jane Iredale
Jane Iredale is a comprehensive line of mineral cosmetics with the utmost integrity. They are also one of the most popular natural makeup lines available on the market. When you’re looking for honest lip balms for healthier lips, try LipDrink Lip Balm SPF 15. It’s a hydrating lip balm that works to nourish and protect lips, and it comes in one of five soft wash colors. It uses carrot seed oil to smooth and soften lips, and avocado oil to moisturize. It’s also rich in antioxidants like coffee seed extract, blackberry extract, green tea extract, and tocopherols. If you’re looking to add more color to your gloss, try their Lip Fixation Lip Stain/Gloss. The duel-ended lip stain and gloss provides hydration, shine, and a long-lasting rose-pink color.