When I was a wee-one, the scent of cherry flavored Chapstick was so enticing…I ate it.
Fueled by high hopes, my tiny fingers twisted-up the tube in anticipation of a juicy, sweet treat.
Instead, I got a mouthful of wax that not only tasted terrible, it was full of ingredients that belong on the Do-Not-Eat list.
Surprisingly, that bite — as nasty as it was– did little to dissuade me from my future of puckering up to questionable products.
My go-to lip balm continued to be Chapstick for years –it even found its way onto my kids mouths. (I hope they never ate that crap!)
When I made the switch into tinted lips, Fresh Sugar Berry seemed to be The One for me. With a rich hue and the right bit of beeswax — I thought this product was the solution to accentuated lips and a moist kiss. Though it did do that, it contained a bunch of gross chemicals which placed it in the red zone on the cosmetic database.
But back to another issue — dry, cracked lips. Now that it’s cold outside, my kids walk around with a red ring around their mouths…their lips are constantly chapped! After years of Chapstick with no real improvement, (Benzoyl Alchol — an ingredient in Chapstick — actually causes lips to dry even more) we’ve moved onto Burt’s Bee. GL loves the Pomegranate. 
Burt’s Bees also makes a good tinted lip balm 
I’ve also tried Aromo Radiance Skincare’s passionfruit lip gloss tint. Just a couple coats add a pretty, long-lasting sheen, and the ingredient list is so simple to read (and pronounce), it adds a smile to my face.
What’s your go-to lip balm?
facebook: facebook.com/elyshalenkin
twitter: @elyshalenkin
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Again I have to say that my own homemade lip balm is my favorite 🙂 I start with unprocessed beeswax, melted, and then I add just a dash of water. Mix until it’s pretty thick and add several drops of peppermint essential oil. I LOVE peppermint. It’s so cooling and healing. My lips tend to get very dry and cracked in the winter since we have a wood burner and live in northern Indiana where it’s pretty cold. When I started making my own balm with peppermint oil, my lips have been much better! Of course, we’ve also learned to hydrate the air in our home better, which helps a lot. But I do love my own “chapstick.”
Susie, it seems like lip balm could be a good place to start in the DIY department. I would never have thought to add peppermint, a cooling agent, but then again my knowledge of essential oils is somewhat limited. In fact, that must be a huge part of creating your own products — understanding the healing properties of each oil. Thanks for your comment — I love learning about this stuff from you in Northern Indiana!!
Well, for a million years it has been Chapstick. Even though I hate change your blog has opened my mind a number of times to new horizons. So I have decided to try the two brands you mentioned (Burt’s Bees and Aroma Radiance). I had a feeling that Chapstick might have the rebound effect but I kept using it anyway. Thank you, Elysha, for more mind opening!
wonderful accessories
to smiling 🙂
GGW, the Burt’s Bees is like Chapstick, so you may not notice a big change. The ARS has a different container — which you may or may not like. I’m just taking small steps…it’s really the only way I could make these changes.
Indeed it is! Thank you, SmileCalm. So lovely to have you here.
Luckily, lipbalM is the easiest thing to do in a healthy way – easy to make, but easy to buy as well. I like anything with pawpaw, especially for the kids who have a tendency to lick their lips when they get dry (noooo!). At the moment I am using MooGoo Cowlick lip balm 🙂
It is really not hard at all. You can probably pick up beeswax beads at a health food store near you. They’re easy to melt and work with. Happy discovering!
I love Burt’s Bees! It has always been my go to as well. I recently made my own lip balm and we are working on perfecting the recipe! I used a base of olive oil, shea butter and beeswax 🙂
Susie, it sounds like it could be a fun project to do with the kids. Thank you!
Sara, my kids lick their lips constantly hence the red ring around their mouths. They had their school pictures taken today so this red ring (that they now have) will be memorialized! They’re just not very diligent about applying lip balm.
Melissa, Do you add color to your lip balm recipes? I’m loving the tinted Burt’s Bees…it comes in pretty shades and works really well at moisturizing. It’s a really good alternative to lipstick (which apparently is filled with chemicals –> I’ll post on that one soon.)