Check your bag, pockets, and dressing table! Did you find a little wax tube? Or just have a quick scan around the house, and we’re definitely sure you’ll notice a Lip Balm lying somewhere by the corner.

Do you remember doing any research before buying that balm? The majority of folks just generally get the first product they find the most popular in the Lip care market, club it with their skincare routine, and think their Lips are good to go. 

There’s more to a Lip Balm than just coating dry and chapped lips from the outside, But let us first understand- What exactly is that lip balm, why, and how it came into existence?

What is a Lip Balm?

A lip balm is generally a wax-based lip cream primarily intended to protect lips from any external exposure and provide hydration to dry and chappy lips.

It can have added benefits like lip healing, lip hyper-pigmentation reduction, lip protection from the sun, making dark lips pink, plump, light, etc. depending upon the ingredients and the type of lip balm used.

How the Lip Balm came into Existence?

It's a No-Brainer that the Lip skin is far thinner and more sensitive than the rest of our facial or body skin, hence it requires additional and advanced care. So who discovered this need? 

It is believed that Lip Balm got its roots back in 40 B.C when people used to apply beeswax, animal fat, and natural olive oil as cosmetic products, Thanks to Cleopatra and the Egyptians!

Later around the 1800s, A woman wrote a book in which an article mentioned using ‘earwax’ for Dry and Chapped Lips treatment! Yes exactly! Earwax! No kidding!!

Then after a while, people got to know the benefits of Beeswax.

Brands started coming up with different and innovative ideas with better and more intelligent ingredient combinations. 

Thereafter, petroleum jelly, tinted lip balm, and all other diversifications came into the market, and this segment started expanding its horizons.

Gradually people got to know what else Lip Balm can do more than just making dark lips pink, How Lip balm is not just for women but necessary for men’s lips as well.

Today, the lip care market revolves around actives and organic lip ingredients with a sustainable touch for gender-neutral lip needs.

Uses of a Lip Balm

Apart from its major benefit that is adding a protective layer to the lips a good Lip Balm-

• Relieves dark, dry, and chapped lips
• Makes lip skin soft and smooth
• Plumps lips 
• Helps in reviving their natural pink color
• Can work as a substitute for a lip gloss
• Moisturizes and Nurtures lips
• Provides a tint to the lips
• Can help in treating Smoker’s lips or Melanosis
• Protects lips from sun exposure 
• Helps in improving lip texture 
• Regenerates, rejuvenates & brightens lips
• Helps in making the lip foundation strong

How to use a Lip Balm?

The conventional way of applying a lip balm begins with just grabbing the balm stick and applying it rigorously all over the lips every now and then!

The suggested way to apply a lip balm is to wash your lips with a lip wash daily, gently exfoliate them to remove dead lip skin every third day of the week with a lip scrub, and then apply the lip balm, this makes dark lips pink and plumps their texture.

After doing so, the lip balm will be applied on a clean and fresh lip base that is not flaky, and it will be able to penetrate better into the lip skin after exfoliation.

After washing, you can apply lip balm as and when your lip skin feels dry daily, just be sure of its ingredients and read the leaflet or the description carefully to avoid any lip allergy.

Is there any such thing as ‘Over-application’?

Although, Most Lip Balms are used thrice or four times a day after showers, meals, and before sleeping But if you constantly apply more lip balm to your lips after a certain point, the chances are likely that you may begin licking your lips much more frequently. This is more definite if you use a strong-flavored lip balm and if it tastes heavenly.

The issue arrives when your saliva gradually dries out the skin of your lips and removes the lip balm layer when you lick the balm. So there it begins a never-ending round and round cycle where you have to apply more lip balm to even out the dry lip skin, You will be creating the same problem for yourself that you bought the lip balm for in the very first place that is - Dry Lips!

So, What to do now?

Everything is better when done within limits, be it skincare or lip care. You have to start creating a boundary for yourself where-in whenever you see a pattern building up, you have to either give it a break, find a remedy to stop, or make yourself strong enough to fight the urge to lick your lips.

After all, Einstien said ‘Genius is about knowing when to stop!’

Ingredients to watch out for! 

This can be the trickiest part, We know the consumer has started to get aware of the ingredients and chemical composition but still, some of the medical jargons are not easily understood by everyone, Hence We tried to make it a bit easier for you, Here are some of the ingredients that you MUST and must avoid to cause any damage to your lips and the ingredients that are beneficial-

First comes the notorious Camphor, which dries skin out. Avoid Eucalyptus, Lanolin, Menthol, Fragrance-based products, Artificial flavors, Octinoxate or oxybenzone, Phenol (or phenyl), Propyl gallate, Parabens, etc.

Watch out for them and avoid them as much as you can. Check the composition and quantity of chemicals. Go for organic flavors and fragrances which do not dry out the lip skin.

Now, Which ingredients are good for your Lips?

The Butter babies- Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter, Wheatgerm Oil, Glycerin, Mineral oil, Aloe, Lactic acid, Beeswax, and Vitamin E are tremendous at locking the moisture and providing hydration to the lips. Coconut Oil, Vegan Wax, Food Certified Flavours, Sulphur-less Sugar, Seed Wax, and Flower Wax can do wonders for your Lips.

Search for products that contain the goodness of these!

How to choose the perfect Lip Balm to make your ‘Lips Bomb”?

So, How do you go about finding the best lip balm for dry lips? For your lips?

Do you go around asking people what they use and then start the trial-and-error method? No! Absolutely NO! This would ruin your lips and can even make them far more pigmented.

The key here to understand first and foremost is- Your Lip needs!

You have to identify, do they need moisturization, healing, lightening, nourishment, etc., and then search for your preferred traits in a balm before adding it to your basket. Before applying them in a coin size amount do a patch test with a small quantity.

ALANNA’s Product Recommendations

Who does not like Chocolate? If you're having a bad day, a mood off, or even a boring one, chocolate can surely make it easier! Now imagine carrying that chocolate all over your lips! The aroma, the goodness, Oh God! Delicious!

ALANNA’S Chocolate Lip Balm is enriched with pure roasted ghana cocoa which deeply moisturizes the lips, naturally protects them from severe pollution, and keeps lips hydrated for long hours.

The Vitamin C booster, the natural lightening agent- Lemon

ALANNA’S Lemon Lip Balm helps lighten, brighten, and remove harsh pigmentation from dark lips. It shields your lips from harsh pollution as well.

AH! These delicious lip-smacking flavors! These lip balms make the lip skin soft, plump and smooth with consistent usage. ALANNA’S Lip Care Regimen is made with organic and skin-safe ingredients which are tried and tested for every skin type and cure any and every lip care concern!

To make the lip balm do its charm and work much much effectively you can also try out ALANNA'S World's First Lip Wash to cleanse lips, beet and berry scrub to mildly exfoliate them, and then apply the lip balm!

Conclusion 

Additional the choices, additional is the chaos! Today, with massive brands, unlimited diversifications, and substitutes, choosing one particular product can be considerably more challenging than identifying its need.

So briefly, here stand certain things you need to look at before trying out a lip balm-

It’s ingredients, the application guidelines, and your lip needs, and then match it with what the lip balm claims to do to your lips, read the reviews, and get to know about the brand. Do not just always go for the big players in the market, give a try to sustainable, result-oriented new lip care brands and lastly, always follow a regime! Do not use a product twice or thrice to determine its efficiency and effectiveness...

Begin the balm search with curiosity and enthusiasm and when you find your Lip match have a tat bit of patience with consistency throughout the Lip care journey for the ultimate results!