During these winter months, women sport the infamous kneehigh boots and leggings, paired with the cutest winter coats and scarfs. They wear their hair in curls, and their curls wear bows. Of course, no one would expect anything less from the women of South Florida. After all, fashion is what we do best. But there is still one dilemma every diva faces, and that’s the burden of chapped lips. We bear the winter weather all snuggled and warm only to fi nd that our lip balm has left us chapped and exposed. And what do we do? We reapply that pout killer for the 10th time since we left the house, which was ten minutes ago. Shame on you. Don’t you know that our lips are vulnerable? They have fewer layers of skin than the rest of our body, so they need a little extra TLC (tender, loving care). But how do you tell the Lip Smackers from the CoverGirls? By simply checking what they’re made of.
Glycerin, mineral oil and aloe are known for holding in moisture. Yu-Be Lip Therapy is a glycerinbased product that also contains vitamin E, a vitamin that can help heal and moisturize chapped lips. This balm is perfect for those on a budget and can be purchased at Sephora for $5.
Another Sephora beauty is Dior Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm. This balm plumps lips as it hydrates. It contains SPF 10 and provides the pleasant smell of roses. Sold for $27, it’s the ideal everyday balm. Carmex is a brand that creates a variety of lip balms. Their Ultra Hydrating Moisture Plus Lip Balm contains both aloe and vitamin E. With SPF 15, this balm also offers sun protection for your lips. This can be purchased for $2.48 at Walmart.
For those who want instantly softer lips, beeswax, lanolin and shea butter are the key ingredients for your go-to balms. Carmex’s Soothing lip balm contains lanolin and beeswax as well as mineral oil, making it a must-have for women everywhere. It’s one of my personal favorites as it moisturizes and provides a little shine for a gloss fi nish. It can be found at Target for $3.
If you’d rather stick to Sephora products, Lavanila is “The Healthy Lip Screen” and contains shea butter for $16. It includes zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for long-lasting moisture. It also has SPF 30 for sun protection.
If you’d like to add some color to the mix, simply apply the color over your lip balm. If doing this, I suggest not using the Carmex Soothing Lip Balm, given its glossy texture. We may no longer carry Lip Smackers in our pocket, but we can still have those baby smooth lips. After all, the winter months are the best time to cuddle.
Hannah Gaylord is a sophomore majoring in journalism with a passion for lookin’ good and helping others to do the same.