Cold weather and central heating create more than their fair share of skincare issues, including the unshakeable irritation of dry and sore, chapped lips. With over 60% of women claiming to regularly use a lip balm we knew we weren’t alone in this feeling. Beauty Expert caught up with natural, British skincare brand, Balance Me to find out how to treat this problem. Established 10 years ago by British sisters, Rebecca and Clare Hopkins, this beauty brand has gone from kitchen table enterprise to award-winning skincare superstar with their science-led, natural products. The brand claims to solve skincare concerns without creating others – so if anyone can get to the bottom of chapped lip misery, it’s got to be them!
The Truth about Petroleum Jelly
“Have you ever wondered why you are ‘addicted’ to your little round pot of balm?” asks Co-founder, Rebecca Hopkins? “It might be less to do with the fact that you have really dry lips and more that your lip balm is actually making the problem worse.”
Petroleum jelly was discovered over 150 years ago and is a by-product of the oil industry. It is a mixture of waxes and mineral oils and was originally used to heal wounded or burnt skin. There is a lot of debate in the industry about petroleum and whether it is a ‘wonder product’ or something that should be avoided.
Rebecca explains “It works by forming a seal over the skin, preventing moisture loss. The good side of this is that it maintains hydration in the skin and it provides a feeling of instant relief to skin - which can feel very welcomed on chapped lips and sore skin. As soon as it wears off though, you feel like you need to re-apply to maintain that feeling of comfort.”
“The downside is that this ‘seal’ formed over the skin can disrupt the body’s ability to eliminate dirt and toxins that would normally be able to be able to pass freely through our pores. Our main gripe with petroleum-based formulations is that they don’t actually contain any ingredients that provide nourishment to help the skin to repair and hydrate itself. So you are never really treating the cause of your dry lips – only the symptoms, and in turn becoming increasingly dependent on your lip balm!
Balance Me Lip Quench Balm
Co-founder Rebecca would always recommend a natural lip balm with oils or butters that provide essential hydration. The lips don’t have any sebaceous glands (responsible for keeping the skin moisturised) so will always struggle to keep hydrated - drinking plenty of water will also help. Their new Balance Me Lip Quench Balm is made with Shea, Cocoa and Mango butters to replenish and comfort, plus Spearmint Oil to give a zingy fresh feeling.”
The Beauty Expert verdict…. Not all lip balms are created equal!
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