Lip-crack away: Pick of the best natural lip balms
The weather is all over the place at the moment - at the weekend, London was as cold as Siberia, and a week before that many of us burnt in tropical heat. It's not good news for lips, which can respond badly to temperature fluctuations, so we've come up with a few solutions for you.
If you want to keep your lips soft, smooth and crack-free this summer, there's a whole load of fabulous natural products to smear all over them. Here's our top 5 of luscious lip balms that won't give you too much of a chemical smile...
Dr. Hauschka's lip balm is the priciest of our selection at £8.00. But with top-notch ingredients like Anthyllis and Calendula, this comes as no surprise. It's said to be a favourite product of Angelina Jolie, owner of possibly the most famous lips in Hollywood, and you can read about every single ingredient that goes into the lip balm (complete with pictures!) here.
A cheaper option makes use of that ever-versatile hippy ingredient, hemp. Yaoh hemp seed balm is vegan and rich in omega 3 and 6, which the makers say is 'absorbed directly into the skin'. Makes a change from all the nasties that other cosmetics give us! There's also a range of fragrances, including coconut and blueberry. Order online for just £1.95
Next, a new, all-natural variety of our old friend Chapstick. Like a scrumptious, smoothie for lips, it's packed with mouthwatering ingredients like Vitamin E, jojoba, shea butter, and mango butter. Plus it smells of coconuts, which is always a bonus for me. But the best thing about this one is you'll be able to find it in most chemists, so you can easily grab one when you're having an unexpected lip crisis.
But then again, there is always the body shop. Those little tubs of, well, goo have seen many of us through school, first kisses and everything since, and they do keep bringing out delicious new fragrances. The ingredients are all on the website, and the fruit used in the products are imported as part of a community trade project in Ghana. A bit pricier than your average 'balm' at a fiver.
If you're an aloe fan, you need look no further than Optima Aloe Vera lipbalm. While this one does contain parabens (which I know a lot of people are funny about) but if you're willing to live with that it's full of healing ingredients that are great for lips that have already been in the wars (or possibly just come up against too much stubble!) It's also a steal at £3,49
Nanak's lip smoothie is my personal favourite, as it smells amazingly fruity, contains all natural ingredients, and is also an SPF 15 sunscreen. It gently melts in hot weather, but doesn't feel sticky at all. It's widely available in the US and Australia, but I've not seen it so much in the UK.
Finally, this list wouldn't be complete without mention of Burts Bees lip balm. Dedicated to making natural products, Burts Bees are always a safe bet, and when it comes to lips there's plenty to choose from: honey lip balm and beeswax lip balm are both just $3, available in a recycled plastic tube or old-fashioned tin. A new product (at the same price) gives you all the goodness of Burts bees with added Pomegranate. If you live in the UK, you can order Burts balms at Miss Groovy for £2.99
Hemp seed really is the business! Oil, Fibre, protein, essential fats. Yaoh mentioned above also have a hemp milk maker - just put in the seeds - within about 2-3 minutes you have a litre of fresh nutty and very nutritious hemp milk
My toddler loves it !
Tony - FoodsforLife
Posted by: Hemp Seed | August 16, 2007 2:48 PM