Experiencing any chapped skin is something I really suffer from especially during the winter (because you can also get it in the summertime with sun exposure!), but my lips takes the cake, and SO painful too. People always tell me “Oh you must have the softest hands ever because of all the oils you use” but actually it’s the opposite. With my work as an RMT, I’m frequently washing my hands (like non-stop) and quite frankly I hate moisturizing (I do it if I REALLY have to). I’m not joking when I say I have some childhood trauma from when my mom would hold me by the back of my head and rub in Nivea all over my face while I’m partially suffocating as she says “You NEED to protect your skin from the cold and wind!”.
Mom I believe you 100%, but even now at 28 I’m gasping for air when I have to rub in anything on my face. She only did what was best so I can’t blame her for that!
I have sensitive skin as well so when we have our lovely -10C weather with a hint of 20km/h windchill, my cheeks and hands take a beating. My hands will even bleed a bit from any cracking and the texture of the skin becomes rough until I wear gloves as a preventative measure, and moisturize (ugh).
I’ve used countless products to not only moisturize, but to have protection as well while the damaged skin regenerates. To really help cheeks or hands, I honestly use lip balm (I usually avoid any with essential oils because I don’t want to feel the sensation of spearmint gum on these areas of my body aside from lips).
Lip balms have improved so much over the years, from flavoured Lip Smackers to tinted Burt’s Bees. But there are still ingredients you should avoid, and even popular companies continue to use them for their individual properties.
Parabens are a huge culprit in the majority of skin care products as it’s a preservative, and helps prevent the growth of bacteria and mould. The most common parabens to watch out for on labels are butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben. Because products with these parabens can last years on our vanities, imagine what happens in your body when they penetrate your skin. Although it’s never been proven that parabens directly cause cancer, but there has been a study that traces of five parabens were found in breast tissue tumors, and another study (see source below) had shown that paraben molecules had a higher detection in the endometrial carcinoma tissue samples provided.
Petrolatum AKA petroleum jelly or mineral oil is another ingredient commonly used. Because the production process often requires synthetic chemicals, the chances of it being contaminated by these toxins are very high.
BHA is another preservative ingredient shown to have carcinogenic effects to test animals, making it risky to put on your own body. It’s relative, BHT, is another no-no ingredient that’s often used even in more ‘healthier’ products.
Ultimately, you decide what you want to put on or in your body, but try to educate yourself first!
Below I have a great simple recipe for a basic lip balm;
1 tbsp beeswax
1 tbsp shea butter
1 tbsp organic coconut oil
15 drops your favourite essential oil (peppermint is always a hit)
1. Mix all ingredients (except for the essential oils) in a heat safe bowl, in a double broiler method on medium/low.
2. Once melted, take it off the heat, mix in your essential oils, and pour into your desired container (aluminum tin, cardboard lip balm tubes etc).
3. Let it solidify at room temperature, and it’s done. Really.
If you’d like, you can do a lip scrub (honestly just some sugar and olive oil) prior to applying your lip balm to really buff off any dry skin lingering.
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