By Peter High
Lip care comes in many shapes and colors, but which one is perfect and offers adequate protection for stressed lip has tested eight care products that make the lips soft and give them long life
Our lips are constantly electrified when we speak, smile, nibble on them nervously – and, of course, when we kiss.
In addition, intensive environmental influences put a heavy strain on the delicate skin, which is the thinnest part of the entire body.
For this reason, you should take special care of them and provide them with sufficient care.
This applies both on cold days when the corners of the mouth crack and the lips become dry and chapped and on bright sunshine – the intense UV rays also affect the lips and can cause sunburn.
healthflock tested eight different lip care products and took a close look at their caring effect, as well as their ingredients and how to use them.
Blistex Lip Serum
• Handling: The care stick is quite large compared to classic lipsticks – so not for the trouser pocket, but rather for the well-stocked handbag. The serum can be easily pumped out of the opening with just one hand movement.
Important: pump carefully for the proper dosage. Even a tiny amount is enough to care for the lips.
• Care result: The slightly sweet-smelling serum is white and has the consistency of a moisturizing cream – neither too firm nor too oily. It can be easily distributed on the lips without sticking or weighing it down and leaves a pleasantly soft feeling. The feeling of care lasts for several hours, but the effect in the corners of the mouth wears off quite quickly.
• Ingredients: The Blistex Serum contains avocado, olive oil, and vitamin E.
Our conclusion: The pump dispenser takes some getting used to. The serum is not applied directly to the lips but must always be involved with the finger, and this is impractical on the go – and also very unhygienic since hands should be washed before application.
The care is more reminiscent of a moisturizer than classic lip care. But the caring effect is very pronounced. The promised intensive moisture for the lips is given.
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Eos Crystal Lip Balm Hibiscus Peach
• Handling: The care of eos is a well-rounded thing: the ball-shaped balm is a bit firmer than the other products of this brand. However, the lip balm is difficult to open and close again – some liquid often runs out. Despite its practical size, it is not suitable for the handbag.
• Care result: The eos Crystal Lip Balm not only looks sweet, but it also tastes and smells pleasantly of peach. Its protective film stays on the lips for several hours, and small cracks heal immediately – although it feels a little sticky.
• Ingredients: The care from eos is vegan and free of gluten, mineral oils, and parabens and has not been tested on animals.
Our conclusion: The eos Crystal Lip Balm with a peach flavor has a more pointed shape than the usual eos balls. As a result, only the lips are specifically supplied with the balm, and nothing smears when applied.
The product impresses with its subtle scent and light, nourishing texture. However, the design is rather impractical. Using it on the go is also tricky, as the lip balm leaks and becomes sticky due to the screw cap not closing completely.
Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm
Handling: The lip balm from Nuxe comes in a glass jar. That means: The lotion is applied with the fingers. This can be a slight disadvantage in terms of hygiene on the go. The consistency of the lip balm is a soft honey-wax mixture that spreads wonderfully on the lips – and stays there for a while.
Care result: Compared to other lip care sticks, which are gone after a short time, the balm stays on the lips for a long time. The lip balm is also great for applying to the lips in the evening before going to bed – a dab of cream on the tip of your finger is enough to ensure that the nourishing effect can still be felt the following day.
• Ingredients: The ingredients consist of honey, vegetable oils, and propolis, a rare, valuable element from the beehive. The balm is fragrance-free and contains neither preservatives nor artificial fragrances.
Our conclusion: Compared to other products, the care lasts longer than average so that the lips live on just one pot for a while. Brittle and chapped lips don’t stand a chance with this care from Nuxe and remain soft and tender – even though the product only needs to be applied seldom.
The lip balm smells and tastes neutral, but you can guess a slight honey aftertaste.
bilou Lip Oil Caramel Macaron
• Handling: The lip oil comes in the form of a stick. The oil is integrated as a roller and is easy to apply – like a small “deodorant roller.” Super practical, super hygienic.
• Care result: The roll-up care is very soft and not sticky. The oil smells very intensely sweet and is reminiscent of popcorn. For some, the scent might already be too intense. It also tastes lovely, even a bit artificial – and that’s no coincidence: the synthetic substance sodium saccharin was added to the lip oil for the sweet taste. But the all-clear: the substance does not cause tooth decay or endanger your health. Just a bit of oil is enough to feel a rich, nourishing film on your lips.
• Ingredients: The nourishing lip oil contains argan, avocado, and jojoba oil and is 100 percent vegan. In addition, this lip care is made without animal testing.
Our conclusion: the oil conjures up an excellent gloss on the lips for the first few minutes. A short time after application, the lips become a bit dull and dry, so it is tempting to reach for the lip oil again immediately. However, this feeling passes quickly, and the lips feel supple.
But to keep it that way, you have to use the care stick comparatively often. Unfortunately, this does not heal chapped or chapped lips. The lip oil is made entirely in Germany – below is a German company – the bottle and product packaging are recyclable.
Labello Lips2Kiss Color Lip Balm
• Handling: The care stick is easy to use. The post can easily be turned further out as wear and tear progress. The consistency is very pleasantly creamy – not too soft and not too hard. It is also very comfortable to wear, and despite the color pigments, the texture does not weigh you down.
• Care result: The stick has a caring effect and supples the lips. Although the care is quickly absorbed, the delicate feeling lasts for a long time. The product could counteract dry lips and promptly make them softer again. In addition, the care stick gives the lips a light color. Depending on how strong the nude tone should be, the Labello has to be applied in several layers. In addition to “Rosy Nude,” the Lips2Kiss care stick is available in three other shades.
• Ingredients: The Labello contains natural oils and vitamin E, moisturizing the lips. The care is free of mineral oils, and the skin compatibility has been dermatologically tested.
Our conclusion: Great care fits in every bag and is easy to use. The combination of subtle color and long-lasting care is convenient and pleasant, as many lipsticks dry out the lips quickly and make them chapped.
Only the artificial scent lets the positive result of the label with color pigments fade a little.
Neutrogena Nordic Berry Lip Balm
• Handling: Application is easy because the care stick is applied in the form of a classic lipstick. The consistency is creamy and light. The scent is very subtle and pleasant: a slightly fruity note can be recognized due to the cloudberries it contains.
• Care result: The lip care from Neutrogena is quickly absorbed and leaves no greasy protective film. The texture provides a wonderfully well-groomed, creamed feeling on the lips without being sticky. The great thing is that you rarely have to reach for the pen throughout the day, as the effect lasts long. Lip care reduces chapped lips. They feel soft and cared for after a short time.
• Ingredients: The care stick contains carnauba wax, which is obtained from the carnauba palm leaves. In addition, the care is enriched by cloudberries. Its components ensure that the skin is protected by the fatty acids and moisturized at the same time.
Our conclusion: dry lips tearless and feel well-groomed, no sticky effect. It is also practical that the care does not have to be used every day, as the results last for a long time: even the day after, the lips still feel soft and supple.
Neutrogena also offers the classic version for everyone who likes the Norwegian formula but prefers conventional care sticks without berries. Depending on the pen, these are equipped with sun protection factor 4 or 20.
Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm
• Handling: Due to its shape as a care stick, the lip balm is easy to open and close and very easy to apply. The consistency is relatively firm and slightly sticky – it is reminiscent of the wax from the beehive.
• Care result: The lips become very supple thanks to the Honey Lip Balm. However, the care is wealthy and does not absorb well. This means that the sticky film stays on the lips for a long time – and with it the intense smell and taste of honey.
• Ingredients: The ingredients characterize the product: 100 percent natural and free of chemical additives. Neither parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, or sodium lauryl sulfate, are added to the care stick.
Our conclusion: the smell and taste of honey are very dominant, and the consistency is also strongly reminiscent of the viscous product of busy honey bees. True honey fans are guaranteed to love the care stick.
If you are enthusiastic about the natural ingredients but prefer the more neutral version, you should reach for the classic Burt’s Bees “Beeswax Lip Balm.”
Weleda Skin Food Lip Butter
• Handling: Practical and handy: With a bit of finesse, the lip butter can be squeezed out of the small tube and applied directly to the lips through the rounded opening. The gel-like care product is reminiscent of vaseline and tastes of high-fat cream. However, you quickly make friends with it.
• Care result: The Lip Butter offers fast and nutritious SOS care for rough and chapped lips. It forms an oily protective film that takes a lot of getting used to at first. It would help if you, therefore, were economical with the dosage. Otherwise, the skin around the lips will quickly contact the rich cream and become slightly shiny.
• Ingredients: Valuable plant extracts from pansies, chamomile, rosemary, and calendula, as well as organic sunflower oil and beeswax, form the basis of lip care.
Our conclusion: A small, handy tube with a significant effect: Weleda Skin Food Lip Butter is an excellent immediate aid for parched lips.
It reduces the feeling of tightness and provides the lips with sufficient moisture. However, the protective film that the care leaves behind is unusual because it is very greasy.
Lip care is not just lip care: The tested products differ in the different jars and tubes and their consistency and caring effect.
Both the creamy texture and the rich ingredients of the Nuxe lip balm convinced us, which is why we chose the care in the glass jar as our test winner. Even a tiny amount of the product is enough to protect the lips from cracking. Particularly pleasant: the scent is very subtle and not artificial.
The lip care stick from Neutrogena with Nordic Berry is handy and straightforward – lips can be quickly and efficiently moisturized and optimally protected against all weather conditions, even when you’re out and about. Our second place fits every handbag and trouser pocket and provides optimal lip care for men due to its restrained smell.
Third place goes to Blistex’s lip serum, which is more reminiscent of a moisturizer than a lip care product due to its light consistency. Nevertheless, the texture creates long-lasting protection and is an excellent immediate aid for rough lips.
