Top Tips to Buying Good Lip Balm
Lip Balm is the foundation of good lip skin health. It's usually the first lip product that we tend to pick out for ourselves as a child and is the most consistant item that we always keep close by and handy. Knowing that this item is something that we all have, male and female, you may want some good insight into finding the best on the market! Keep reading for some quick tips to keep in mind when making new purchases:
- Avoid ingredients like phenol, menthol and salicylic acid. It has been said that applying lip balm causes the body to stop generating natural moisture around the lips. That is just a myth. But it is true that some lip balms — typically those containing ingredients like phenol, menthol and salicylic acid — make the lips drier. “You have to apply more, and it becomes a vicious cycle,” well-renownded Dermatologist Dr. Piliang says. “Sometimes these cause a tingling feeling when you apply them. They either cause irritation or remove outer layers of the skin. They’re an exfoliant. Then you have less protection, and you’re more susceptible to environmental factors, so you have to apply more product. Avoid lip balms that contain those ingredients.”
- Limit your use of lip balms containing scents or added flavoring. “The chemicals in scents and added flavorings can irritate your skin or cause allergies,” Dr. Piliang says. “They dry out the skin and then it can feel more chapped.”
- Look for simple, petroleum-based jelly products. “These keep the lips moist and prevent future chapping, instead of causing it,” she says.
- Find lip balm that is at least SPF 15. Use sunscreen on your lips when you’re at the pool or beach. Lip skin is still skin and sun rays can be harmful with over-exposure. Believe it or not, there have been cases of skin cancer on the lips
