As such a vulnerable part of our face, our lips can really suffer in harsh environments like freezing cold winds or bright sunshine. The resulting dry, chapped feeling is not only uncomfortable and distracting - but it can quickly become painful if our lips crack and bleed.

So, why does lip care often get neglected in our skincare routines? Most of us swipe on a lip balm and hope for the best, but it turns out the wrong products could be doing far more harm than good. Caring for your lips the right way is actually surprisingly easy, all it takes is a carefully selected lip balm that works for you, and some knowledge of how the skin on your lips functions. But first, you need to know what ingredients and habits to avoid…

Lip Balm Addiction

Although lip balms often provide immediate relief, it turns out that some harmful ingredients may actually have a drying effect on the lips. This starts a vicious cycle that can quickly become mildly addicting.

If you’re a regular lip balm user, you might know the dry, thirsty feeling I’m talking about. No matter how much balm you apply, the lips never feel satisfied, so you reach for the lip balm and start the cycle all over again. There are a few factors/ingredients that can lead to ‘lip balm addiction’…. 

Irritants

Firstly, there are potential irritants included in many lip balm recipes, such as fragrances, preservatives and other added ingredients that can lead to a loss of hydration on the lips. Joshua Zeichner, a New York-based dermatologist suggests avoiding balms that contain fragrance, camphor, menthol, or salicylic acid, which can irritate the fragile skin on and around the lips. You should also avoid flavoured lip balms as they can encourage you to lick your lips which only dries them out further.

Unbalanced Humectants vs. Occlusives

Secondly, you need to be careful of lip balm recipes that include humectant ingredients WITHOUT the presence of occlusive ingredients. Some humectants, such as glycerine or hyaluronic acid, pull moisture out of the lips leaving the skin dehydrated and sore. This is because humectants work like a magnet and draw water out of whatever is nearby. However, we’re not saying that humectants are bad. When used correctly, humectants can be very moisturising. The trick is to pair a humectant ingredient such as Castor Oil, with an occlusive ingredient, such as Shea Butter.  

This is because the occlusive ingredient creates a protective barrier that seals the moisture in, helping the lips to stay hydrated all day. Dermatologist Leslie Baumann MD explains it simply ‘Humectants hold on to water, and occlusives keep it from evaporating,’. The perfect lip balm finds the right balance of ingredients that will hold on to moisture in order to hydrate the lips but will also create a protective seal to prevent moisture evaporation.

Lazy Lips

And finally, over-use! No matter how good your lip balm is, if you’re applying it too often it will end up doing more harm than good. This is because the lips become reliant on the product and lose the ability to moisturise themselves. Dermatologists call this ‘lazy lips’ – and, unfortunately, the only way to combat it is to slowly wean yourself off of the product your lips have become dependent on. Sorry! We know that that’s a painful process – but we do have some tips and tricks to make it a little easier.

How To Care For Lips with Natural Alternatives

Armed with the knowledge of what isn’t good for the delicate skin on our lips – we can now look at the methods and effective natural alternatives to actually nourish and care for the lips.

Step 1 - Healing, Natural Ingredients

The first step is to heal any cracks or splits. Partly because this will ease any discomfort but also because when our lips are dry & damaged, they are no longer protected from the elements. By healing the skin, the lips are able to return to a natural rhythm where they are better able to hydrate and support themselves.

Herbs & Botanicals

We use certain herbs, plants & botanicals in our lip treatments that have been used to aid with wound healing and skin regeneration for centuries. Many of which have stood the test of time and are now scientifically proven to benefit the skin.

Calendula – Calendula is commonly used to speed tissue healing after burns or injuries. It actually encourages cellular regeneration which enables the skin to heal itself. The flower is an excellent healer for chapped, dry lips because it is rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that seals cracks between the cells in the outer layer of the skin. It is also rich in antioxidants known as carotenoids which reduce inflammation, aiding the skins reparative process.

Comfrey – Comfrey has similar healing properties as Calendula – with the added benefit of Allatonin, a substance that stimulates cell regrowth. It is also an emollient, meaning it helps soften and moisturise dry, rough skin on the lips. And Comfrey contains important minerals that are essential to the skins natural healing process.

Chickweed – Chickweed, also known as starweed, stitchwort, or scarwort, is demulcent meaning it relieves irritation and inflammation. As a nutrient-rich herb, containing Vitamin A, B & C, Chickweed helps the body assimilate trace minerals and vitamins to create overall vitality at a cellular level. In layman’s terms, Chickweed nourishes the health of the lips to help them heal and soften.

Rosemary – Rosemary is what is known as a warm herb, meaning it stimulates, motivates and warms bodily systems. It boosts circulation, which not only helps the lips look plumper, but can speed the healing process as blood rushes to the area carrying white blood cells, oxygen and all the ingredients needed to soothe wounds.