Pamper Your Lips!

My lips are pretty much the most prominent feature on my face. I don't really wear eye make up or blush, but I almost always have on foundation and lip color. We've had a very dry winter here. My old practice was to slather on Carmex every night before going to bed, like it was going out of style. But I noticed that during the day my lips were always getting dried out. Between the Carmex and the lip gloss/lip colors I was using, I wasn't helping much with the actual moisture of my lips.

Here is a pic of my current lip arsenal:



Sorry it's kinda blurry. My camera phone is not the greatest! I'll talk about each product below:

MYCHELLE LOVE YOUR LIPS

• castor oil: Barrier agent against harsh climate, soothing. From the castor bean.
  
• beeswax: Purified wax from the honey comb of bees. Thickening agent with emollient properties.
  
• coconut oil: Moisturizer.
  
• grape seed oil: Counter-irritant with soothing anti-bacterial properties.
  
• organic melissa: Soothing, anti-viral. From the mint family.
  
• ginkgo: Antioxidant.
  
• passionflower: Antioxidant, soothing.
  
• rosehips: Soothing, astringent, high Vitamin C content, from the rose bush.
  
• shea butter: A moisturizing, soothing emollient fat (from the karite nut tree) with cellular renewal properties.
  
• kokum butter: Emollient, stabilizer, from kernels of Garcinia Indica tree in India.
  
• aloe vera: Hydrating, softening, healing emollient with anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
  
• organic green tea extract: Powerful antioxidant, bacteriostatic (an agent that causes inhibition of the growth of bacteria without destructuction), soothing, nutritional qualities and increases the effect of sunscreens. Also prevents irritation of the skin caused by glycolic acid.
  
• D-alpha tocopherol: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, free radical scavenger, photo-protectant, and moisturizer as well as a preservative due to its ability to protect against oxidation.
  
• L-lysine: Amino acid helps prevent and heal fever blisters.
  
• L-ascorbic acid: Powerful antioxidant, the chirally correct form of Vitamin C that assists in the production of collagen.
  
• propolis: Protective barrier, anti-inflammatory, stimulates cell renewal, boosts immune system, made by bees.
  
• natural flavor blends: Delicious aroma and flavors.
  stevia leaf extract: Natural, non-caloric sweetener. From the chrysanthemum family.
  

(Ingredients list/breakdown from MyChelle's website here.)

Review: So, while I was in Atlanta I stopped by my favorite wallet-drainer, Whole Paycheck - a.k.a. Whole Foods. I saw this over by the lip balms and decided to try it. As you can see above, it's full of so many yummy, yummy ingredients. MyChelle Dermaceuticals' website boasts that her products are "always free of phthalates, parabens, propylene glycol, ureas, EDTA, fragrances, encapsulated nano particles, and artificial colors." 2 thumbs up!

I like this. It glides on smooth. It's a pretty big tube (the purple and yellow one). I don't know how I feel about $11.99 for the price. I'll let you know when I get to the end of the tube. I usually put this on at night before I hit the sack. Or any time during the day if I feel like my lips need a moisture boost.


BURT'S BEES BEESWAX LIP BALM

• beeswax
  
• cocos nucifera (coconut) oil
  
• helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil
  
• mentha piperita (peppermint) oil
  
• lanolin
  
• tocopherol
  
• rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract
  
• glycine soja (soybean) oil
  
• canola oil
  

Review: I purchased this to replace the Carmex I had previously been using. Similar in consistency to Carmex, I like the tingle I get from the peppermint oil. Natural ingredients, although not vegan due to the beeswax and lanolin. This is a good night time balm as well. It absolutely keeps my lips soft/moist. I will rotate between this and MyChelle at night.


KUUMBA MADE LIP SHIMMERS (Colors: Tierra and Sedona)

• Organic Castor Oil
  
• Wild Harvested Candelilla Wax
  
• Natural Iron Oxide and Mica (minerals)
  
• Wild Havested GMO Free Vitamin E
  
• Certified Organic Avocado OIl
  
• Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil
  
• Certified Organic Lemon Myrtle
  

Review: I just bought these two last night from Healthy Home Market. They were $2.99 each and definitely worth the price. The color is very light. I have on the Sedona in my photo montage from yesterday's blog. Today I have on Tierra and it goes very well with my complexion. Very neutral. There is truly a hint of shimmer. Pics don't really catpure it - it looks best in person.

My lips feel so soft and moisturized right now. These are definitely going to become a staple. You can't beat what you're getting for $2.99. They come in 2 other colors - Dawn and Twilight - those were a little too light for me. Check out their website
here.


KISS MY FACE SOS (SHEER ORGANIC SHINE)NATURAL MINERAL COLOR - GARNET

• Castor Oil,
  
• Beeswax
  
• Glossamer (canola oil polymer)
  
• Jojoba Oil
  
• Shea Butter
  
• French Vanilla Flavor Oil
  
• Chocolate Flavor Oil
  
• Peppermint Oil
  
• Cocoa Butter
  
• Tocopherol (non GMO)
  
• Mica
  
• Titanium Dioxide
  
• Iron Oxide
  
• Stevia
  

Review: I've been using this for about a month now. While it has other flavor oils, I mostly just smell and taste the peppermint oil (sweetened by the stevia). The color is natural mineral color and shea butter, cocoa butter and jojoba oil are all moisturizing. Kiss My Face products don't contain any parabens, SLS, phthalates, syntehtic colors or synthetic flavors, and they don't test their ingredients on animals.

This is moisturizing...sometimes the oils can separate, so I would suggest sort of squeezing the tube up and down (with the cap on) to get everything mixed together. There are only 6 shades right now. Garnet works best with my complexion. I hope they'll be able to come out with more shades soon. Using natural products can sometimes limit the color combos, though. I'm happy with this. The color is strong, and it's easy to apply. Matter of fact, I have to be careful not to squeeze too much out. I will continue to purchase. Cost: $6.99.

One thing all of these products have in common is that they don't use any harsh/dangerous chemicals. No petroleum, no mineral oil, no parabens...nada. If you are looking for some alternatives to commercial products, I would definitely recommend all 4.

Have you tried any natural lip products that aren't listed here? What were your results. If you try any of these, be sure to come back and leave a note in the comments as to what you thought of them. All of these can be ordered online. You will likely find Burt's Bees and Kiss My Face at your local health food/organic grocery stores, but I think Target also carries some Kiss My Face products. If you're not sure where to go, I recommend a going to the manufacturer's site and using their 'Store Locator' function. Or look up health food stores in your area, and call and see if they carry these products.