Lip balm traditionally gets a bad rap. It conjures up childhood memories of mom plastering your lips with a medicinal tasting wax before you’re shooed out the door into the blistering winter weather. But lip balm has evolved over the decades into a useful accessory to keep your lips soft year-round. So don’t forget to pick a brand and apply it soothingly before heading out into the heat, the cold, salt water or even pool water. Here are four brands that have earned our respect.
Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
Burt’s Bees has so many loyal customers for many reasons, but we’re pretty sure the balm’s 100 percent natural ingredients is a big attraction. Burt’s uses responsibly sourced butters, oils and waxes in its products. But the not-so-secret ingredient is beeswax, a natural emulsifier that binds the butters and oil. (It also adds that wonderful scent).
Rocky Mountain Canadian Made Scents
How can you resist lip balm with Canadian flavors? (The maple one was an obvious one!) These balms are made with natural ingredients including shea butter, beeswax, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, coconut oil and more. The balm is manufactured in Canada in small batches to ensure quality and attention to detail.
Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm Sticks
Longtime chapped lip sufferers swear by Nivea’s balm. Aloe Vera and pure water are the key ingredients here, providing a non-greasy and smooth application. Use it year-round to give your lips comfortable protection.
EOS Strawberry Sorbet Lip Balm
We could talk about the sustainably sourced ingredients, but Eos is probably best known for its unique container and dazzling array of flavors. Strawberry sorbet obviously caught our eye first, but longtime fans of the brand also swear by other flavors, including pomegranate raspberry, vanilla bean, sweet mint, wild berry and tropical mango. (If you’re a purist, there’s a “pure and free” option as well – and each balm is also available in stick form.)
