All Paths Lead to Wonderland

Photo from Reviews.com

I’m personally not the biggest fan of New Year’s resolutions, but one resolution I will make again and again throughout the year is for better self-care. And honestly, it’s a tough one to keep! In my college career, I’m reaching that point of maximum busyness, minimal sleep, and occasionally a greater intake of coffee than water (I’m trying to be better, I promise!), making skincare is one of those areas I really need to make a stronger habit of looking after. And this is especially true as temperatures are low (though that might only last a month or so more here in Texas!)

When Reviews.com contacted me asking me to share their guide to lip balm, I knew it would be a great resource for both myself and all of you throughout the chilliest months of the year! Their entire rating system is based on whether the lip balms actually work (so do they make your lips more hydrated) and whether they had the ability to protect from wind, and most importantly, sun exposure. In particular, I love how they completely breakdown their evaluation and give you criteria for how they picked the best of the best. Additionally, I have super sensitive skin, and so I appreciate their attention to allergens and ingredients that actually do more harm than good!

In fact, as part of their in-depth review of popular lip balms, the Reviews.com team found a long list of ingredients that were common in many of the products even though are common allergens and irritants to avoid:

Allergens

Vitamin E: Throughout the beauty industry, Vitamin E is thought of as a high-quality moisturizer and is often used in a wide variety of products. As it turns out, some studies actually report that Vitamin E increasingly causes contact dermatitis on sensitive skin.

Fragrance and Dye: It can be quite difficult to get your hands on a beauty product that doesn’t contain fragrance and dye, and not all of them are necessarily harmful. However, for those with sensitive skin, it may be a wise choice to avoid these all together so as to not open the door for a reaction.

Beeswax: Beeswax is another ingredient that is quite common in many beauty products, and is often thought to be a great moisturizer. And while beeswax isn’t an allergen to all skin, some of its components can cause significant reactions.

Lanolin: This moisturizing alcohol is a derivative of wool that we often see in many ingredient lists. Lanolin allergies are fairly uncommon, however, for those who have a hard time finding products that work for their skin, it’s one to keep an eye out for.

Irritants

Camphor/Menthol/Phenol: These ingredients give the cool, tingling feeling that we often associate with minty or “repairing” lip balms. In fact, many people tend to think that this sensation means that the product is super effective. The ingredients responsible for this feeling are actually typically used in exfoliating, like cosmetic chemical peels. And while exfoliating is great for a lot of instances of dry skin, the lips are highly sensitive and need repair, not to be stripped away. What’s more, these ingredients can cause burning on broken skin and may also cause light sensitivity.

So as you can see, finding the best lip balm for you is a combination of research and personal preference. I know that I will keep an eye on these ingredients in the future to help me find something that keeps my skin its happiest!

To see the full article and for further information, read more here: https://www.reviews.com/lip-balm/

I wish you luck in all your resolutions and hope that this info was helpful to you in your beauty product selections! Happy New Year!

Stay lovely,

Corin