It’s winter, it’s cold and windy, and my lips are DRY. I used to get horribly dry, chapped, and even bleeding lips in the winter. But, after much trial and error, this isn’t a problem for me anymore. You have to be super picky and selective to find the perfect chapstick for your lip troubles. But, lucky you, I have done the research for you, and I have a good list of recommendations that I can fully endorse. Additionally, all of the products on this list are cruelty free! Hopefully, one of these works for you, so you can have soft, nourished, and hydrated lips all winter long!
Softlips: I have been using Softlips since my speech and debate days. You really don’t want to be worrying about dry, cracked lips when you’ve got to perform. Softlips was a LIFESAVER and I seriously cannot go anywhere without one. Softlips provide you with a light, moisturizing, slightly tingly feel to your lips. They have lots of great scents and are easy to find on shelves at your local grocery store checkout line. You will need to reapply throughout the day, but they’re so lightweight and smell so good, that it’s not a huge burden. My favorite scent is watermelon; the scent floods me with memories since I’ve been using it for so long. If I had one lip balm for the rest of my life, it would be Softlips.
Burt’s Bees: Burt’s Bees can be hit or miss for me. However, the balm that works the best for me from this brand is the plain, nonscented balm. It’s a no-nonsense lip balm that’s soothing and gets the job done. You may like the scented Burt’s Bees, but in my opinion, they’re not the best for soothing and healing dry lips. I find the scented ones to be a bit irritating and drying. I tend to use the scented Burt’s Bees balms in the spring and summer. But the plain, nonscented balm is perfect for your winter lip maintenance.
Glossier: While Glossier as a trending brand seems to be on a downward swing, I still love their balms. I think I love them so much because I was wearing it during my first kiss, but they are really nourishing. They aren’t the most hydrating, so in my experience, Glossier balms are better for cracked lips than dry lips. However, Glossier’s balms are one of the best options for when you want some tint, but still a nourishing product. Another thing I relaly like baout Glossier is that their scents are great without being irritating or overwhelming. It probably isn’t the best choice for severe cases of cracked or dry lips, but for everyday maintenance and tint, it’s a good product, and I always have one in my bag. (DISCLAIMER: Glossier recently reformulated their Balm dotcoms, and I haven’t tried the new, revamped product yet.)
Now, on top of these products that I recommend, there are several that I do not recommend. Eos used to be super popular, but I found it very waxy and drying. Carmex is a medicated lip balm, but it made my lips peel and inflamed. When in doubt, Vaseline makes some really awesome, low cost lip balms, in tubes or in tubs. I wouldn’t recommend using straight Vaseline, but I would lean towards a Vaseline product specifically formulated for lips.
I hope that this can serve as a resource for you to explore lip products, and to find one that you love. But, keep in mind, that what works for me may not work for you, so don’t limit yourself to my recommendations. And as always, if you have a severe case of chapped, dry, or bleeding lips, it may be worth visiting a doctor. Anyways, hopefully these products work for you as well as they do for me, and inspire you on a quest for the best lip balm for you!