What you may not know is lingering in your favourite lippy love
How would we live without that magic potion that keeps our mouths moist and plump that is the beauty staple of lip balm? Every time you apply a bit it feels like a little bit of heaven as it soaks into this often neglected part of your face. The downside of this product is that typically they are sold in teeny plastic tubes that often end up in landfills and are rarely able to be recycled.
In fact, lip cosmetics are some of the worst offenders when it comes to producing waste that will take decades to break down as leftover debris prevents it from being eligible for recycling. There are products out there though that can tick the boxes of keeping your pucker sorted while not hurting Mother Nature. Let’s do a deep dive on how to save your super dry lips.
Know what’s good, bad and ugly about your lip balm
Before considering its packaging let’s think about what may be inside of the product. When it comes to chemicals, there are often lots of ingredients that would make the eco and health conscious cringe. These synthetics are the icky things that can be lurking in your favourite go-to:
Phenol, menthol and salicylic acid – Common additions to lip balm these three can actually make your lips dryer defeating the purpose of your efforts so be sure to check the label.
Petrolatum – The inclusion of this sinister addition can legit suffocate your skin due to its chemical make-up and the oxygen barrier that it can create.
Parabens – Parabens are known to be endocrine disruptors (e.g. they may mess with your hormones). This is due to their potential to mimic estrogen.
Fragrances – Depending on the chemical make-up certain francenges meant to make things smell divine can cause serious allergic reactions in users so proceed with caution.
Looking to natural alternatives
The truth of the matter is that many luxe brands and those sold in big box stores, pharmacies or chemists often contain suspect ingredients meant to moisturise and also preserve the shelf life of the balm. With close scrutiny you will realise these are not things you would want on your skin. The following natural components can get the job done without the nasty stuff you want to avoid.
Coconut Oil – Naturally occurring lauric acid aids the healing process for chapped lips.
Candelilla wax – This is a much better additive than its chemical counterparts that prevents melting which is obviously necessary if you want your balm to stay intact over time.
Jojoba oil, avocado, almond oil, sunflower oil or hemp seed oil – These oils are what you need to naturally rejuvenate your lips with an influx of natural moisture.
Shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax and mango butter – These all have properties that will keep your lips feeling good without nasty extras.
These are all common things you will find inside naturally based balm that will give you the results you want without all the nasty extras!
Looking at packaging
So, what’s the best way to package these products? Those in the top-tier of the sustainability category are typically made out of recycled cardboard, paper, or biodegradable plastic and dyed with natural pigments to ensure minimal impact. As for packaging, there should be plenty of options that are 100% plastic-free. Packaging will vary from product-to-product but a good rule of thumb is that your selection should be either recyclable, compostable and/or biodegradable. Here are some brands we adore that we will certainly pucker up for.
- Elate Cosmetics Better Balm Lip Conditioner
- Ethique lip balms
- Dirty Hippie Cosmetics’ Zero Waste Lip Balm
- Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
- L’Occitane En Provance – Mini Pure Shea Butter
- Its Organic Darling Bee Fresh Lip Balm
- Brooklyn Made Natural
Make your own!
For those who really want to go the extra mile in the name of healthy dewey lips you can easily make your own homemade lip balm. It requires only a few ingredients and is a pretty fun undertaking. Plus, you can select the ingredients only you want for a bespoke approach that you can decide upon. Even for the most skeptical DIY’ers – we encourage you to give it a go! Heck, make it a fantastic girl’s night in with your friends or kids. A simple Google search will give you tons of recipes to choose from and great tips and tricks to get fabulous results.