It’s time for a massive lip balm review. I have lip balm lying around at various places at home and work. It was surprisingly easy to corral all of them. Lip balm is an essential – especially during the dry, winter weather and when traveling – and it’s painful to be without it. And now I tend to stock up since the mister frequently loses or forgets his. This review is split into two parts: part 1 (non-tinted) and part 2 (tinted).
Part 1: Non-Tinted Lip Balms
(L to R)
- Elizabeth Arden ‘Eight Hour® Cream’ Lip Protection Stick ($21) – I got this in an Eight Hour set many years ago. Compared to the other lip balms in this list, this is the softest, glossiest, and a little vaseline-like. It is very moisturizing and also has SPF 15. One downside is that the texture gets melted when it’s hot outside.
- Dermophil (Original) (under $10) – I’ve blogged about this French pharmacy find before. It moisturizes the most out of all of these lip balms so raises the bar for the others. A little bit goes a long way and if you put on too much, there will be a white cast as this is a thick lip balm. During the winter, if my lips are really chapped, I will smear a thick layer of this before bed. I’ve also dabbed some below my nose during a particularly dry airplane ride. I bought this in Paris at City Pharma. There are bins of lip balms near the checkout counters. If you go to a smaller pharmacy, they keep these behind the counter, so show a photo of it if you do not speak French. There’s also a SPF version which had a tarty candy smell and wasn’t as moisturizing. I’m not sure where that one went. I want to say it was around 5e.
- Amilab (under $10) – This one is made by Merck and also a French pharmacy find. It has a creamsicle scent which I don’t care for. It does its job and moisturizes but I probably won’t buy it again, given the other options, and because I don’t care for the scent.
- Yu-Be Lip Balm ($5) – This Japanese lip balm was a gift from a friend. I ended up liking it a lot more than I expected. It currently is my end-of-routine lip balm and sits in the bathroom drawer. It boasts an all-natural formula and has a mentholated smell/feel. Mentholatum was a familiar childhood smell so I love this one. If I were to run out, I might buy it again.
- L’Occitane Shea Butter Lip Balm ($8) – I grabbed this at JFK right before a flight. It’s a nice, moisturizing lip balm. It’s a bit thick, but no white cast.
- Embryolisse Lip Repair Stick ($12) – I like the lotion from this brand and I also really like their lip balm, though it is harder to find in the US. It has a slippery/shiny moisturizing feel and would rank it under the Dermophil, but for daytime use. I currently carry this in my purse.
- Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick ($9) – I grabbed this from Paris, but this brand is easy to access in the US. I think there are better reviews for the pot version of this lip product, however, I find the stick more hygienic. Similar comments as the L’Occitane, but it’s made with honey and yellow. I keep it at work. It’s nice to have, but not a fave.
Conclusion: I like the Dermophil, Embryolisse, and Yu-Be the most. The latter two are good for everyday and Dermophil is a good for heavy-duty, harsh weather.
Sidenotes:
- I need to find and review the Homeoplasmine lip balm. I know many of you are fans of homeoplasmine ointment.
- I grabbed a bunch of lip balms at City Pharma. Price-wise I would definitely recommend stocking up on French products at City Pharma as the prices there were better than the random pharmacy, and if you buy enough, you can claim a tax refund. But, as an alternative, Amazon isn’t a bad option, especially if it’s on Prime (free shipping if you subscribe, or hit a threshold). I read somewhere that in order to qualify for Prime, sellers have to jump through hoops, so it would be very unlikely that they would have bad stock.
- My office lip balm used to be an eos one. I had thrown it out before the news came out – I didn’t find it that effective and never had side effects. I wouldn’t purchase it again.
What’s your favorite lip balm?
Continue on to Part 2: Tinted Lip Balms
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