Natural Lip Balm
Did you know that a woman will eat approximately five pounds of lipstick and lip balm over the course of her life? It will obviously differ from person to person, but that’s a lot of stuff with questionable ingredients! Therefore, it’s super important that you look for the best organic lip balm.
But what exactly is the best organic lip balm? That’s what I hope to teach you by the end of this guide! You want a natural lip balm made with ingredients from the Earth that are designed to nourish that delicate skin. Most traditional lip balms are filled with unhealthy ingredients, and it’s not pretty.
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What Lip Balms are Bad?
Pretty much any lip balm with an intense and hard-to-pronounce ingredient list. The best organic lip balm won’t have a super long list, because lips only need simple ingredients to stay nourished and hydrated.
In fact, some ingredients found in lip balms actually make your chapped lips worse! That’s consumerism for you. The makers of lip balms want you to keep buying their products, so they design the ingredients to make you develop a kind of dependence on them. When in reality, they’re the ones responsible for your dry lips.
Some of the most popular ingredients in lip balms to stay away from include:
- Petroleum—A refined version of gasoline that is very filtered down for beauty products. The filtering process itself has no regulations and is often very harsh, which means that it’s all too common to find chemicals like carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) in this stuff.
- Phenol, menthol, and camphor—These are typically found in vapor rub or heavy-duty minty-smelling lip balms. Phenol and menthol actually dry out your lips while giving them a slight tingly feeling. And camphor has been known to cause seizures if ingested! (source)
- Fragrance or flavor—One of the most disliked ingredients in my book! Fragrance is a loophole for companies to hide what makes their products smell so good. Or in the case of lip balms, it can also go for taste. That tiny word “fragrance” is a cover-up for hundreds of questionable ingredients that companies don’t have to disclose to anyone!
- Salicylic acid—I used this stuff in my face wash as a teenager before I started my clean beauty journey! The point of it was to dry out my face and any acne (horrible idea, by the way). You don’t want that on your lips! They need constant, gentle moisture instead.
- Parabens—Found in pretty much any beauty product, parabens are a preservative that mimics estrogen when it enters your bloodstream. As you can imagine, this can lead to a variety of illnesses as a result of hormonal imbalance. You can find parabens as a really long word with paraben at the end, like Isobutylparaben.
- Oxybenzone (if it has SPF)—You may or may not have heard about this controversial ingredient in sunscreens that also mimics estrogen in the body and destroys coral reefs. You can also find this in any lip balm that contains SPF, so be careful!
If you find any of these ingredients (or a variation that sounds similar to these ingredients) in your current lip balms, throw them out! I’m sure you’d rather not dry out your lips or throw your hormones out of whack. You’ve got enough to worry about right now.
What is the Most Effective Lip Balm?
Your lips don’t need all that extra crap to stay hydrated and healthy! They really need two, three, maybe four ingredients to live their best life. Most of the best organic lip balm options will have more than that, but most homemade lip balms are only a few nourishing ingredients.
A truly effective lip balm will consist of oils and butters made from natural ingredients. It also needs to create a thin layer to act as a kind of buffer between the balm and the outside world. This will help the lip balm stay on for longer and provide more moisture. I even use the same philosophy in my DIY lotion recipe.
That’s all you truly need! It’s just a few moisturizing ingredients that are naturally derived, along with a barrier to lock that goodness in all day long. So what exactly do these ingredients look like?
The Best Natural Lip Balm Ingredients
Like I said before, the best organic lip balm options are usually made of oils, butters, and any natural sunscreen ingredients if it has some SPF. All of these ingredients are super simple to obtain in an ethical way! The most common lip balm ingredients include:
- Avocado oil
- Jojoba oil
- Hemp seed oil
- Olive oil
- Vitamin E oil or tocopherol
- Cocoa butter
- Shea butter
- Beeswax
- Various essential oils
As you can see, this list isn’t rocket science! All of these ingredients are nourishing and extremely good for the skin. And since the skin of your lips is so delicate, you need to give them the best!
The oils and butters are pretty self-explanatory, because they provide the nourishment and moisture. Beeswax, on the other hand, is usually responsible for providing that moisture barrier. It’s ultimately what give lip balm its hard yet malleable texture, so it doesn’t fall apart and separate.
Essential oils also offer some great benefits in addition to smell. Lavender is great for soothing dry and irritated lips, while eucalyptus can help clear sinuses. However, some people might have a sensitivity to certain essential oils, so make sure you test it before you buy!
Which Lip Balm is the Safest?
Any lip balm that highlights the ingredients mentioned above should be totally safe! I have my top three favorite organic lip balm brands down below with a little something for everyone. There are tons more options out there, but these are the most accessible and clean brands I personally love.
Plus, it takes me well over a year to go through a tube of lip balm, so I thought it would be better not to overwhelm you with a bunch of choices. Let’s get into it!
Badger: The Best Organic Lip Balm with SPF
Badger is one of the best brands for natural salves and lotions! So it comes as no surprise that they also make a Clear Zinc Oxide Sunscreen Lip Balm. Zinc oxide is perfect for natural sunscreen because it properly blocks all dangerous UVA and UVB rays without having that annoying white cast left behind.
All sunscreens by Badger are made with similar ingredients, and they’ve gotten me through the past summer just fine! I know that it can be a little worrisome trying a natural sunblock, because there’s the possibility that it won’t work as well as regular sunblock. Not to mention you might be walking around looking like you’re covered in white frosting.
Despite all these worries, I can confidently say that Badger doesn’t do any of these things! This organic lip balm with SPF keeps my lips moisturized and comfy all day long, and they don’t look like I just ate a powdered doughnut. And I’m happy to mention that my lips no longer blister when I’m out in the sun for long periods of time.
Badger also makes some great natural lip balm without SPF! You can usually find them in some fun flavors (naturally made and fully disclosed, I might add!), like this tangerine one here. And you’re very likely to find even more options at any “natural” section of a grocery store.
Osmia Lip Doctor: The Best Unscented Lip Balm
If you want to support a small business that’s dedicated to bringing you American-made skin care, you should totally look into Osmia! They’re actually located here in Colorado, which makes me super-duper happy to support them and spread the word!
The Lip Doctor by Osmia is a great option for those who want an unscented yet highly effective lip balm for damaged or perpetually dry lips. It’s made with avocado oil, cocoa butter, and Argan oil for a fantastic blend of rejuvenation and moisture.
Yes, it’s the priciest lip balm on this list, but you certainly get what you pay for! It’s much bigger than your typical lip balm, which I appreciate, and it’s one of the most effective lip balms I’ve ever tried!
I’ve had dry, peeling lips for as long as I can remember, and this actually keeps my lips smooth and healthy, even during the cold, dry winter months here in Colorado. It’s truly a product that’s made by Colorado people for Colorado people!
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Peppermint Lip Balm: Most Accessible Bargain Lip Balm
This is my personal favorite lip balm for multiple reasons! One: It’s made with all-natural fair-trade ingredients just like the rest of Dr. Bronner’s products. Two: It’s incredibly moisturizing and actually improves the health of my lips over time. And Three: You can find it just about anywhere there’s lip balm!
I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s in my home and beauty products for several years and love it! They’re primarily known for their amazing castile soap, but they also make products like lip balm. My favorite is their peppermint lip balm because it soothes and cools my constantly inflamed lips without burning my eyes like previous lip balms have done.
Not only is this organic lip balm effective, but it also comes at a very affordable price! You can usually find them for about $3, which I think is very reasonable. It just goes to show that the simpler you keep an organic lip balm, the better it will be at delivering good results.
What is the Best Organic Lip Balm? Some Final Thoughts
No matter what lip balm you decide to try, just remember to pick one that has a super simple ingredient list! Your lips may be chapped all the time, but they only need a few ingredients to heal.
Since I live in a dry climate and are prone to chapped lips no matter what I do, finding the best organic lip balm is essential for me. If I use any of these lips balms diligently enough, my lips heal up in no time!
There are waaay more organic lip balm options out there, but these are the best and easiest ones to get started with. Go ahead and check out The Detox Market for more options. Or you can check out The Choosy Chick for more Badger products.
What organic lip balm is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
