[Show Table Of Contents]
Your Lips Need to Stay Moisturized!
Remedies for unhealthy lips
The importance of vitamins
Treat the whole body - inside and out
Vitamins A, B and C
Other vitamins and minerals essential for lip health
Lip Vitamins Lip Balm
Additional benefits of Lip Balms
Which lip balm is best for you?
Tinted lip balms
Lip balm containers
Lip balm addiction
Lip balm questions answered
Best lip balms for dry or chapped lips
What is the best lip balm for children?
What is the best lip balm for eczema?
What is the best lip balm for chapped lips?
What is the best lip balm to use?
What is the best moisturizing lip balm?
Best lip balm to buy in drugstores?
What lip balm really works?
What is the best lip balm for removing fine lines and wrinkles?
Which lip balm has the best flavor?
Which is the best lip balm for really dry lips?
Lip balm for men
Natural lip balms
Make your own lip balm
Lip balm reviews
Your Lips Need to Stay Moisturized!
As the lips do not have their own oil glands, they cannot self-moisturize. It’s therefore important to give them a helping hand by adding a layer of wax or oil-based substance to keep moisture and softness locked-in.
Lifeless, unhealthy looking lips?
Just like any part of the body, the lips have their own ways of showing when they’re not in the best of health. Symptoms may include dry, chapped or cracked lips, the treatment of which has already been covered in another post.
Or it could be that the lips have lost their colour, going from a healthy pink/red to a pale, washed out lifeless shade which shows they’re in need of a boost.
Remedies for unhealthy lips
Whatever the reason for lips being in less than tip-top condition, there are many solutions to remedy them. These can include topical lotions and creams, of which there are many reviews across the site, or they could be in the form of vitamins, specially formulated for the lips as well as the skin in general.
The importance of vitamins
Vitamins are available for every conceivable health issue and deficiency. Of course they shouldn’t be used in place of a healthy, balanced diet, but they can be extremely effective in ‘topping up’ a particular vitamin or mineral which may be lacking in the day to day diet and when it is just not possible to get the 100% recommended daily allowance.
And if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you could be missing out on essential elements such as iron, which is typically found at high concentrations in red meat. Don’t worry though, it just means you need to pay extra attention to adding leafy greens, whole-grain cereals, brown bread and rice and egg yolks to replace this element.
Treat the whole body – inside and out
To prevent cracking and chapping of lips, its important to protect the lips’ surface with a rich cream which guards against harsh elements. But once you have applied it, it’s important to looks at what’s going inside your body too.
Vitamins A, B and C are essential key vitamins in maintaining good health overall so ensure you have plenty of these in your diet. They will help to ward off these unsightly lip symptoms.
Vitamins A, B and C
These are the easy vitamins to remember because they are found in a whole host of foods you would naturally consume, such as fresh fruit and vegetables. But remember the other important vitamins and minerals which will ensure your lips remain in great health and look in excellent condition year-round. (read our guide on vitamin b12 here)
Other vitamins and minerals essential for lip health
Zinc is helpful in the healing process, so if you lips have already suffered from dryness and a diet deficient in an essential element, this is ideal to help speed up the healing process. Applying it topically in the form of zinc oxide ointment which you can do when you go to sleep at night is great for added protection and to quicken the healing process all the more.
Aloe, or often also known as Aloe Vera, is an extremely soothing ingredient for the lips and skin alike. Sun or wind-burnt lips will benefit from its soothing properties when applied direct.
Vitamin E is essential to preserve and protect the natural oils in your lips – remember the lips are made up of a thin layer of skin which can loose moisture rapidly when this vitamin is deficient or when they are exposed to the elements. As well as using this vitamin in tablet form, many lip products contain vitamin E as an element which means it can be applied topically. You may notice that vitamin E is present in so many skin care products – it’s because it’s an excellent antioxidant which fights against skin cell damage caused by free radicals.
B Vitamins. These are also essential to preserve the lips’ natural fatty acids. If you notice the corners of your lips or mouth are cracking, this vitamin will quickly heal them and prevent further cracking and discomfort.
Nutritional tips for lips from around the home
Some other nutritional tips which will ensure healthy, happy lips include:
The inclusion of flaxseed in the diet which also contains essential fatty acids
Olive oil, which can be applied directly on the lips as a balm but also be added to salad dressings or in cooking, or even drunk neat. This is an excellent natural moisturiser and is what’s known as ‘good fat’ – so don’t worry about including too much of this in your diet.
Honey is another natural ingredient which helps moisturize the lips when applied directly – set rather than runny is probably the best option as it is easiest to apply.
Avocado is another great natural moisturizer, which, when soft and ripe is easy to spread onto lips and provides a host of essential vitamins and nutrients as well as natural oils to keep the lips, and body in general, healthy
Vitamin E gel capsules can be taken as a supplement and also applied topically by cracking open a capsule and applying the gel direct to dry lips. This is an intensive treatment which will have dry lips soft in no time.
Lip Vitamins Lip Balm
As well as watching what you eat and ensuring you maintain a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle by following some of the above tips, you can also make use of one of the many specially formulated vitamin-rich products for lips on the market.
A particular favorite is Lip Vitamins lip balm which is a botanically-enriched balm infused with a range of lip friendly vitamins to keep lips in optimum health.
Additional benefits of Lip Balms
Lip balms are available from the very basic – those which contain the key ingredient of beeswax or carnauba wax, paraffin, or petrolatum. To differentiate themselves among a crowded market place, many varieties now contain dyes, flavors and fragrance.
Others will have medicinal properties including menthol, while others will offer added benefits such as a sun protection factor to protect from exposure during hot weather or perhaps time on the ski slopes.
Which lip balm is best for you?
It’s easy to be confused about which lip balm is best for you as there are now so many choices on the market, each claiming to be the best for dry, chapped, sun-sensitive, mature, men’s and children’s lips.
A lip balm’s main purpose is to seal in moisture and add an extra layer of protection to the surface of the lips so it can be protected from the elements, come winter or summer.
Tinted lip balms
And if you want a hint of colour with your lip balm, the new breed of tinted lip balms offer an option in between a moisturizing chap stick and a lipstick.
These come in all colors, from a hint of red which makes lips appear ‘bitten’ and natural, but striking, to softer pink and peach shades for that barely-there look.
Lip balm containers
Lip balms now come in all shapes and sizes, smells and textures. You may prefer to apply yours in a lipstick style tube, or there are the little pots which can be applied with a finger tip. Compact, squeezy-style containers are another option, so there’s something to suit all preferences.
As well as lip balms offering super-moisturization, or protection from the sun thanks to additional SPF properties, there are those which promise to help lips maintain a youthful appearance, thanks to fine line minimisers. Others claim to plump lips as well as moisturize them.
Lip balm addiction
Since lip balms have become more advanced and started to incorporate ever more imaginative and elaborate colors, flavors and perfumes, it’s easy to see how people can become addicted to using them.
There have been (unfounded) claims of certain brands adding ground-up glass to their products, necessitating the need to constantly reapply to soothe and comfort the over-sensitised lip.
However, lip balm application, in moderation, can help keep lips young and supple. By keeping lips moisturized and protected, fine lines and ageing can be stalled and problems such as cold-sores and chronic chapping can be kept at bay.
Lip balm questions answered
This question is asked so often and the answer will be different according to the specific needs of the consumer. What’s the best lip balm for cracked or chronically dry lips? How about the best option for a ski trip or when sun bathing? I want a lip balm that isn’t too greasy or one that has a natural scent. Or a lip balm that smells of fruit salad or chocolate cake. There’s so much choice that there’s probably a lip balm on the market to meet every conceivable need.
Best lip balms for dry or chapped lips
Because the skin on the surface of the lips is so thin, it needs extra protection.
Often the first part of the face to feel the effects of over exposure to hot or cold temperatures, a wax or jelly-based balm is ideal for that all-important prevention of moisture loss, so lips can feel comfortable and remain healthy looking and in tip-top condition. if you have really cracked lips, read this post: What is the best lip balm for severely chapped lips?
What is the best lip balm for children?
One of the best lip balms for children is one that is natural and contains few or no synthetic ingredients. Something with an added sunscreen is best for children who are active and spend much time out of doors, either on the beach or in the garden or park.
What is the best lip balm for eczema?
Eczema sufferers need a lip balm which is as natural as possible and doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals or ingredients which will irritate or damage the sensitive skin area further. Sufferers need to find a product which is very nourishing and moisturizing so it really tackles the root cause as well as just the surface.
What is the best lip balm for chapped lips?
Chapped lips are those which are extremely dry, flaky, often cracked and even bleeding and serious treatment is needed to restore the lip’s moisture levels, treat the deeply dry lip surface area and provide long lasting nourishment and protection. An added SPF is essential for chapped lips which are often exposed to harsh elements.
What is the best lip balm to use?
Everyone wants to find that one lip balm which is perfect for treating lips on a daily basis, providing moisture and protection whatever the weather. A lip balm which isn’t too greasy, has great packaging, smells and tastes good and really works to nourish the sensitive lip area is a must-have for men and women alike.
What is the best moisturizing lip balm?
Lips need added moisture as they have no oil glands of their own, so they need a helping hand with a slick of softening, moisturizing lip balm which keeps moisture locked in day and night. Something which slicks on the lips smoothly and stays put when lips are exposed to drying damaging elements will keep them in a healthy condition.
Best lip balm to buy in drugstores?
Drug store favourite lip balms are ultra convenient, great value and can be such as effective as more expensive brands of balm. If you need an everyday lip balm which you can store in your handbag, car’s glove compartment or desk draw you want something which comes in under $5 or so but which will work well to keep lips soft and healthy.
What lip balm really works?
A lip balm that really works is surely the beauty product lovers’ Holy Grail. Something which moisturizes and protects, something which glides on smoothly and which doesn’t need too frequently applying, and perhaps something which offers that little extra, like an SPF or medicinal properties.
What is the best lip balm for removing fine lines and wrinkles?
The thin skin of the lips is especially susceptible to ageing, not to mention the area around the mouth, both around the edges of lips and the upper lip itself. Keeping this area of the face moisturized and protected is key to preventing premature ageing and fine lines from appearing before their time.
Which lip balm has the best flavor?
Lip balms have become a seriously delicious treat for the lips, leaving them ultra kissable and lick-able. Lip balm producers are coming up with more elaborate tastes and flavours to keep users hooked. Beware that lip balm has become addictive so use sparingly if you don’t want lips to end up dryer and more chapped!
Which is the best lip balm for really dry lips?
Lips get dry for all kinds of reasons: exposure to harsh sun, wind, time in cold climates and also time inside thanks to the drying effects of air conditioning. A lip balm which seals in moisture to prevent lips from drying further and one which nourishes at the same time, is essential to keep more serious chapped lip conditions at bay.
Lip balm for men
Lip balms are no longer just a beauty must-have of women’s make-up bags. Increasingly men are using lip balm to keep their lips soft and crack-free. In the city and country alike, men need the same, if not more, protection from exposure to the elements.
This new breed of lip balm for the modern man may hold off on the perfumes and flavors, and tone down the packaging so it appeals more to the rugged man, but they are just as effective and work hard to keep men’s lips in a healthy, attractive condition.
Natural lip balms
With the average consumer now becoming increasingly aware of what goes into the products they put on their face and bodies, lip balm manufacturers are offering more natural, organic alternatives to appeal to the more eco-conscious consumer.
These will go easy or synthetic colors, preservatives and ingredients, instead opting for natural components such as beeswax, and natural colorants, doing away with the toxic elements to provide a gentler alternative.
Make your own lip balm
One way to ensure the most natural product for your lips is to make your own lip balm. It’s an easy process, in fact you can do it in your very own kitchen, with little need to purchase expensive equipment or ingredients.
The key components are a wax such as beeswax and oil such as almond or olive. You can add a natural flavor such as honey if you want to make it taste even better. Essential oils can add additional beneficial properties too. Think about lavender, peppermint or chamomile for a soothing effect. And adding a vitamin such as vitamin E will also have the added benefit of keeping the lips nourished.
Once you have your key ingredients, you can cook them up in a saucepan, and then leave the mixture to cool in your chosen container; perhaps a little pot or lipstick-style tube.
Labelling your creation will help you remember what ingredients you used and when you made the batch. Home-made lip balms make a great gift for friends and family for birthdays and a stocking filling at Christmas time.
Lip balm reviews
To help navigate the lip balm market minefield, we will provide reviews of the best products available today.
These include firm favourite old timers such as Chapstick and Carmex, to luxury alternatives from La Mer and Clinique. Each lip balm has something to offer the dry or chapped lip, the aging lip or the lip which needs a boost of color to face the day with. Click here to read the latest Lip balm Reviews.
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