Ideal lips are soft, with no cuticles, marks or cracks. Perfect and full, they do not know dryness or dehydration lines. However, most people need help in the form of a lip balm to achieve this enviable result. It should not surprise you: the labial mucous membranes are devoid of sebaceous glands, therefore they are less protected from sudden changes in temperature, wind and minor traumas. That’s why choosing a specific product for this delicate area is a gesture that can transform your mouth for the better, avoiding many minor annoyances as well as preventing the formation of micro-wrinkles which, in the long run, make the application of lipstick less precise.
“THE lip balmswhich were once called lip balms because they were based on this ingredient, create a protective film based on ingredients of vegetable origin (such as cocoa butter) or synthetic ones (petrolatum, paraffin) to limit maximum water dispersion and create a protective film thanks to waxes, natural and otherwise, “he explains Umberto Borellinicosmetologist and lecturer at various universities.
The offer is wide: sticks, jars, tubes, as well as the range of prices. What is best for you? We evaluated 14 formulas, choosing 4. Find out why we preferred them.
The formula
«Lip balms end up being, in part, ingested. It is a fact not to be forgotten when choosing one. For everyday use it is preferable to choose products whose ingredients are as naturally derived as possible and, why not, edible: cocoa butter, but also shea or cupuaçu butter, olive, avocado or coconut oil play a emollient and hydro-restorative action. If then in the formula there are waxes of natural origin such as that of bees and, for vegans, candelilla, carnauba and oat extract, an effective protective film is created that retains water and therefore avoids dryness and skin. Antioxidant agents such as vitamin E or Cbut also specific anti-aging actives, such as peptides, or soothing ones, such as calendula extract », says the cosmetologist.
This choice is destined to raise the price of lip balm because they are precious ingredients and undoubtedly more expensive than synthetic ones, but it is worth it in terms of results (the dermal affinity of butters and oils makes the product a little greasy, but nutritious). Often, then, the slight aroma of natural ingredients is less cloying than some artificially added “flavors” and you never tire of wearing them on your lips, as often happens with stynthetic aromas.
“Instead, it is better to reserve very film-forming formulas based on petrolatum (paraffinum liquidum, mineral oil), synthetic waxes, also derived from hydrocarbons (microcrystalline wax, synthetic wax), for extreme situations such as high mountains or the tropical sun. and sunscreens, avoiding in any case ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, which is harmless on the skin, but which is better not to be ingested “, emphasizes Borellini.
Proof
We applied the balms to the “naked” lips in the morning. So we observed over the hours duration of hydration, comfort, any taste and perfume. We also considered the practicality of the packaging and the clarity of the labels, as well as price in relation to quality. In one case we had to discard a conditioner due to its excessive cost.
Advice
“The lip balm accompanies you from morning to night in different ways: at the beginning of the day, on bare lips or under lipstick, to maintain hydration and thus prolong the duration of the color, several times during the day to protect them, and in the evening , as a nourishing gesture before bedtime and finding silky lips the next day. The stick and the tube are more practical and can be carried in your pocket; the formula in the jar, denser and fuller, is suitable for evening applications and is spread with the fingertip (but remember to wash your hands before dipping your finger in the product, to contaminate it as little as possible and thus prolong its life) “, he concludes the cosmetologist Umberto Borellini.
