Breathe Some Life Into Your Lips With Natural Lip Balms
If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then consider your mouth the front door. Your smile is a huge expression of who you are, and in addition to maintaining white, clean, healthy-looking teeth, it's definitely worth your while to take care of your lips by regularly using a natural lip balm.
The Lowdown on Your Lips
Your lips are a highly sensitive and delicate part of your skin--and so deserve special care and attention. This is partly because, unlike skin elsewhere on your body, your lips contain neither hair nor sweat glands, which means they lack the innate, protective natural oils from your body.
The skin on your lips is also very thin and has an insane amount of sensory nerve endings (this probably explains why, in addition to helping you eat and speak, the lips are classically recognized as a symbol of sensuality and considered one of your body's prime erogenous zones).
In your day-to-day life, it can be almost impossible to avoid exposure to elements that can be harsh on your lips, including:
- Cold, dry, windy weather
- UVA and UVB radiation from the sun
- Cuts and cold sores
- Hot food and beverages
Like other parts of your body, your lips are also sensitive to what goes in your body as much as to what goes on your body. If you're not drinking enough water, for instance, your lips are more likely to feel chapped, especially if the weather outside is frightful. Plus, many of the foods we eat--especially highly processed and sugary carbohydrates--tend to set off a lot of inflammation within our system, which can exacerbate skin conditions.
You may even be the type of person who has the habit of frequently licking or biting your lips, either because of distraction, concentration, or because they constantly feel dry. Ironically enough, licking your lips can actually dry them out even more.
For these and other reasons, a moisturizing lip balm is one of the best tools to add to your skin and beauty routine. And because it is so easy to slip in your purse or pocket, it doesn't usually take very long before your moisturizing balm can help you kiss your chapped lips goodbye.
Read My Lips--Better Yet, Read My Ingredients
Like most skin care products, you get what you pay for when it comes to moisturizing lip balms. That said, even the brands made with the highest-quality ingredients are generally pretty inexpensive, and a little bit of product definitely goes a long way.
Unfortunately, many readily available lip balms can do more harm than good. Some major lip balm brands contain synthetic chemicals, preservatives, and other compounds that can--believe it or not--dry out your skin. This can set you off on a vicious cycle: you apply the lip balm, but your lips start to feel dry and chapped after a little while, so you put on more lip balm, and soon enough your lips start to feel dry again... (You get the idea.)
Fortunately, there are quality choices available virtually anywhere for those lip-lovers among us. Selections range from fruity to floral, flavorful to fragrance-free, and high-end to inexpensive. No matter what your personal preference, these days it's relatively easy to find a high quality balm to protect and soothe your lips.
Why All the Chatter About Natural Lip Balm?
For all the delicate nature of human lips, it actually doesn't take that many ingredients to keep our puckers supple and soft. In fact, a lot of the time it's the fewer ingredients the better--at least when it comes to healing and hydrating your perfect pout. To find the best lip balm that will keep your lips feeling totally kissable and extra luscious, look for products that contain natural and pure ingredients that you can actually read, including:
- Jojoba oil
- Coconut oil
- Natural beeswax
- Sunflower seed oil
- Essential oils
- Pure plant extracts
The best balms are packed with some of nature's purest ingredients, and contain antioxidants and nourishing vitamins that can help heal and protect your skin.
So whether you're headed out to the beach, hitting the slopes, getting ready for a date, or about to engage in an epic lip-sync battle, remember to pack a high-quality natural lip balm with you. Your mouth will definitely thank you.