Kiss Dry Lips Buh-Bye

Woah, how is it that January is almost over?? I feel like we were just celebrating New Year’s Eve yesterday and now I’m already decorating for Valentine’s Day! I’ve even been through my first box of Sweethearts. Hey, I know they’re chalky and weird but I love them anyway! They remind me of a sweet memory I have of going to the little market around the corner from my childhood home with my Dad. We’d often go to the market for a quick treat after a swim at the local neighborhood pool. I loved to get a roll of colorful Necco wafers. I always got the multiflavored roll (and threw away the black licorice ones!) and he always got the chocolate roll. 🤎

January also means we’re definitely smack dab in the middle of winter weather which, for many of us, means extra dry skin and lips. If you’ve been reading here a while, you already know I have super dry skin and thus always keep a spare lotion and lip balm in nearly every room of my house. I’ve previously discussed and shared my favorite lotions and hand creams here but thought now was the perfect time to chat about moisturizing lip balms.

Below are several moisturizing lip balms I’ve tried and tested over the course of the winter and here are my honest thoughts on how well they worked. Without further ado, let’s pucker up! 👄

TokyoMilk Sugared Mint Lip Scrub

First things first: let’s get started with a fresh, clean palette. Give your dry lips a refresh with a good sugar scrub. There’s lots of good ones out there but my go-to is TokyoMilk’s Sugared Mint Lip Scrub. The beauty of this scrub is that it’s a 2-in-1: the balm is built-in so you don’t need two separate products. The way I like to use this scrub is to put a small amount on my finger and rub into my lips (over the sink, it’s a little messy), scrubbing away dry skin. I then rinse off the residue sugar with water and pat my lips dry with a clean washcloth or facial tissue.

Another option is to make your own scrub with ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry. I love Jonathan Van Ness’s recipe shown here. (P.S. how excited are we for the premier of his very own show, Getting Curious, TONIGHT?? I can’t wait!!)

Editor’s note: this product has been discontinued and is rather tricky to find now. I’ve listed a link that may still have it and a few alternative products that are similar and also great.

Find it here (maybe?):

TokyoMilk Sugared Mint Lip Scrub (at Touch of Class)

Similar: Poppy & Pout 100% Natural Lip Scrub in several different scents (at Poppy & Pout’s Amazon store)

Similar: Fresh Sugar Lip Polish (at Fresh)

Blue Heron Botanicals Lip Balm

• Available Scents: Pacific Peppermint (vegan), Ruby Red Grapefruit (tinted with plant pigmented color, formula will not melt in your pocket), Cali Orange (USDA certified organic, non-melty), Lavender Lemon (naturally anti-viral against cold sores), Pacific Mint (spearmint, USDA certified organic, non-melty), Coastal Berry (vegan, red raspberry, spf 28+)
• Key Ingredients: shea butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, aromatherapy oil
• Special features: zero waste & plastic free, home compostable/recyclable, 100% PCW recycled paper tube, 40% more product than a standard lip balm tube, woman-owned business, 1 for 1 program: every product purchase saves a baby sea turtle 🐢
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Pleasant, has the traditional beeswax (‘Chapstick-like’) feel.
• Overall assessment: Feels lightly cool and minty on my lips, immediately helps smooth out the chapped feel. Lasts well for at least a couple of hours, including through drinking beverages and eating a meal while wearing. I also love the compact size of this one, it fits perfectly in my smallest shoulder bags and zipper wallets.
• Anything Else to Note?: Squeeze from the bottom to get more product (versus twisting).

Find it here:

Blue Heron Botanicals Lip Therapy (at Blue Heron)

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm

• Available Scents: All-Weather SPF 15, Berry Agua Fresca, Chai Tea (seasonal), Coconut & Pear, Cooling Eucalyptus, Cucumber Mint, Dragonfruit Lemon, Ginger Lime, Hemp, Hibiscus (tinted balm), Honey, Lemon, Mango, Marula Melt, Matcha & Honey, Medicated, Men’s Cooling, Mint Cocoa (seasonal), Original Beeswax, Passion Fruit, Peony Lip Shimmer, Peppermint (seasonal), Pink Grapefruit, Pomegranate, Pumpkin Spice (seasonal), Rescue Elderberry, Salted Caramel (seasonal), Strawberry, Sun Care (tinted balm SPF 30), Sweet Mandarin, Tropical Pineapple, Ultra Conditioning, Unscented, Vanilla Bean, Vanilla Clove, Vanilla Maple (seasonal), Watermelon, Wild Cherry
• Key Ingredients: beeswax, vitamin E, peppermint oil, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil
• Special features: responsibly-sourced beeswax, formulated without parabens, phthalates, petroleum, or SLS, TerraCycle mail back program offered to recycle packaging
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Pleasant, has the traditional beeswax feel.
• Overall assessment: Tried and true product that always works reliably, lasts at least 3 hours even while drinking and eating. I think this remains my fave of the bunch.
• Anything Else to Note?: Convenient and easy to find; almost every drug store and grocery store carries it, super affordable price point, comes in convenient multi-packs.

Find it here:

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm – all available varieties (at Burt’s Bees)

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm variety pack (at Burt’s Bees’ Amazon store)

Oh! And Burt’s also makes a Conditioning Lip Scrub! (at Burt’s Bees’ Amazon store)

Glossier Balm DotCom Universal Skin Salve

• Available Scents: Berry (tinted), Birthday (subtle sparkle), Cherry (tinted), Coconut (untinted), Cookie Butter (limited edition, tinted), Mango (tinted), Mint (cooling, untinted), Original (fragrance-free, untinted, doubles as a skin salve), Rose (tinted)
• Key Ingredients: castor oil, beeswax, lanolin, cupuacu fruit extract, rice bran & rosemary leaf extracts
• Special features: also softens cuticles, cruelty-free/never tested on animals, smells AMAZING, all products come with a cute sticker and a pink zippered pouch (optional – if you’re trying to cut back on packaging or clutter, just tell them no thanks)
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Similar feel to Vaseline,’slippy and slidey.’ Doesn’t really penetrate into the lips and soften them quite as much as the chapstick-feeling ones, in my personal opinion. That being said, I still like this product a lot (but for a dry/cold/wintry day, I’m more apt to grab for one of the minty ‘waxier’ balms).
• Overall assessment: So fun to use and smells delicious! Trendy, fun, young, hip, ‘shelfie’ darling, lasts at least 3 hours even through eating and drinking.
• Anything Else to Note?: Not recommended for wearing under a mask, it gets EVERYWHERE and makes any lint from a cloth mask stick to your lips. For best application, squeeze balm onto finger and apply from there as the applicator itself is a bit rough on the lips. Also need to really give it a good, hard squeeze to initially get product to come out of tube. I thought mine was sealed and/or broken when I first got it, lol

Find it here:

Glossier Balm DotCom Universal Skin Salve (at Glossier)

Glossier Balm DotCom Universal Skin Salve (at Amazon)

Herbacin Kamille Lip Balm

• Available Scents: Chamomile, Citrus, Mint
• Key Ingredients: vegetable waxes, natural beeswax, chamomile flower extract
• Special features: free of preservatives, free of chemical antioxidants, made with plant-based materials from organic farming, suitable for sensitive lips & dermatologically approved
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Pleasant, has the traditional beeswax feel.
• Overall assessment: Has a nice, light, minty feel, lasts at least 2 hours.
• Anything Else to Note?: Make sure to dial balm all the way back down before putting lid back on to avoid a mess.

Find it here:

Herbacin Kamille Lip Balm (at Amazon)

Herbacin Kamille Lip Balm (at Herbacin)

Poppy & Pout Lip Balm

• Available Scents: Blood Orange, Cinnamint, Island Coconut, Lemon Bloom, Marshmallow Creme, Orange Blossom, Pink Grapefruit, Pomegranate Peach, Sweet Mint, Wild Honey (all scents are untinted)
• Key Ingredients: beeswax, organic coconut oil, sunflower oil, essential oils, vitamin E
• Special features: subscription service available that saves at least $1.00 off each purchase, eco-friendly recyclable cardboard tube packaging, 100% natural, double the amount of balm compared to most, made by hand in Idaho, cruelty-free/never tested on animals
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Pleasant, has the traditional beeswax feel.
• Overall assessment: ADORABLE packaging and smells SO delicious! Lasts the average 2-3+ hours that the others do. If you’re bored with a basic mint balm, this is a great brand to explore.
• Anything Else to Note?: Push balm up from the bottom to get more product (versus twisting).

Find it here:

Poppy & Pout Lip Balm (at Poppy & Pout’s Amazon store)

SKIN SAP/ENS (Skin Sapiens) Lip Balm

• Available Scents: only available in original unscented
• Key Ingredients: 10 fruit & seed oils including olive and avocado, calendula
• Special features: vegan, sustainable & recyclable packaging, 100% natural origin, cruelty-free/never tested on animals, suitable for sensitive lips & dermatologically tested, 1% of every purchase donated to Earth-friendly charities
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Similar feel to Glossier’s Balm Dotcom with the ‘slippy and slidey’ feel.
• Overall assessment: Works well and very long-lasting, got 4 hours wear from it.
• Anything Else to Note?: You have to press a little hard to get product out, it’s on the thicker side. Though it is non-scented, it initially smells kind of like clay when first applied, not my fave scent. But thankfully, that clay scent will dissipate as you wear it and it does fade completely to have no scent at all.

Find it here:

Skin Sapiens – entire line (at Skin Sapien’s Amazon store)

Skin Sapiens Lip Balm (at Skin Sapiens)

Smith’s Rosebud Perfume Company Salves & Balms

• Available Scents: Menthol/Eucalyptus Balm, Minted Rose Lip Balm, Rose & Mandarin Lip Balm, Rosebud Salve, Strawberry Lip Balm, Tropical Ambrosia Lip Balm
• Key Ingredients: cotton seed oil, essential oils, botanicals
• Special features: tried and true classic products, company has been around since 1895, multipurpose salve soothes both dry lips and skin, gorgeous vintage packaging
• How does the product feel on my lips?: Similar feel to Glossier’s Balm Dotcom & Skin Sapiens with the ‘slippy and slidey’ feel.
• Overall assessment: These classic products work and smell great. They’re been around for over 100 years for a reason. And the gorgeous antique-look packaging instantly elevates the style of any boudoir.
• Anything Else to Note?: Visit Rosebud’s own website to read up on the interesting history of the time-honored company.

Find it here:

Smith’s Rosebud Products (at Anthropologie)

Smith’s Rosebud & Eucalyptus Balm in tin packaging (at Amazon)

I hope this will be a helpful guide for you to find the perfect moisturizing lip balm match for you! Please let me know in the comments what your favorite lip balm is. If you’ve discovered something new today that you’re now excited to try out, please let me know about that, too! 💋💄😘

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