Summer Lip Care

Here’s what I’m wondering…since the skin on our lips is so very thin and delicate, how is it that there are so few lip balms, lip glosses, lipsticks, etc. with sufficient sunscreen in them?  Moreover, why do most of them suck?  And since I’ve misplaced my open tin of Rosebud salve (dude I put that stuff on everything), I thought I’d hunt for a new lip balm with sunscreen.

So the list of the many that didn’t make the cut are (although I list the reasons why I didn’t like them, if anyone wants to try, I list the proper names and have pictures of each):

• Nivea Lip Care Sun Protect SPF 30

Verdict: High SPF but chalky, drying, and turned my lips white (so not good). The ingredients indicate that it should be good but totally didn’t deliver.

• Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 SPFs 4, 8, 15

Verdict: Kiehl’s is kinda hyped up.  While I love some of their products, a ton of them are just overrated.  This is one of them.  Insufficient SPF (4 honestly?), entirely made of petrolatum (by-product of gasoline anyone?) and contains parabens

• Burt’s Bees Sun Protecting Lip Balm SPF 8

Verdict:  Almost there but no dice.  Contains titanium oxide which protects your lips immediately but there’s very little to protect with an SPF of 8.  Absolutely love the scent and has very good ingredients without being petrolatum based.  But also turns my lips slightly white

• Sonia Kashuk Hydrating Lip Balm (SPF 14)

Verdict:  Tinted (which I love; I have it in Dainty), non-petrolatum base, but contains methylparaben.  Good for when I want tint but why can’t there be just a good normal lip balm?

Winner: Alba Lipcare Sunblock SPF 25

Verdict: very emollient, both UVA/UVB protection, high SPF, smells delicious, non-petrolatum base, AND it doesn’t turn my lips white.  That’s the most major thing for me; it’s a frequent problem with sunscreen in general.  Finding a satisfying form of sunscreen that you’ll actually use is most of the battle.  In this case, I found my ideal lip balm and it was all by accident.  I kinda stumbled upon it haha

And now I leave you with one last summer image :)

Both photos are my own humble photography.  Please credit if you decide to take them.