Shop. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. SPF is also key, even in winter. The One Lip Balm You Should Stop Buying From The Drugstore - SheFinds Thats why most products combine humectants with occlusives to make sure that moisture doesnt escape into the air. If your dryness isn't responding to a change in lip balm and you still have painful dryness after a week, you might want to see a dermatologist. Without an occlusive to seal it in, this moisture can evaporate . (See: Why You Should Be Using Lip Oil Instead of Lip Balm). While an emollient will provide some occlusive effects, the primary function is to help soften the skin. Exfoliative Cheilitis: What It Is, How to Treat It and More Humectants alone may actually add to dryness because they can draw water from deeper layers of the skin. Other occlusive ingredients include shea and cocoa seed butter. In personal care products, they help hydrate the skin, hair, or nails. Shea butter and squalane reinforce hydration for a smooth, nourished poutall while excluding parabens, silicones, and iffy chemicals. It also has some unique moisturizing properties as it is both occlusive and humectant. A dermatologist can determine whether you have any allergies or underlying medical conditions that cause dry lips and recommend the best lip balm for your specific skin type. Moringa-based formula which feeds your skin antioxidants, instantly hydrates, and protects your lips. It really is a wonder ingredient for hydration and healing alike. Some humectants for skin work as exfoliators that remove dead skin cells and debris first, leaving you with a smoother complexion and allowing for cell turnover. 15 Best Lip Masks for Dry Lips 2023 - Lip Mask Reviews - Best Products Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. But if you're in an arid environment or spend a lot of time indoors exposed to AC or heaters, then they'll actually pull it from the deeper layers of the skin, making the skin overall more dehydrated. Difference Between Humectant, Emollient, Occlusive It also contains several emollients, like squalane and caprylic/capric triglyceride from coconut, as well as a couple occlusives like dimethicone to lock in moisture. According to her, there are three elements needed to make a lip balm work. No one likes dry skin and hair. What Is the Humectant in Moisturizers? - Verywell Health Made with shea butter, rosehip oil, and other botanical butter, this lip balm is worth the price tag. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9 Best Lip Balms With SPF of 2022, According To A Dermatologist The final outcome is a balm that nourishes with every swipe and leaves you satisfied throughout the day. A great approach is to look for products that combine all three of these in one formula. Bland, in the beauty balm world means, essentially, boring: no scent, no tint, and fewer ingredients. However, for a lip balm to truly hydrate, you'll need humectants and occlusives (ingredients that prevent water loss via a physical barrier) like beeswax (shield lips of dry air, wind, and cold), petrolatum (reduces . In addition to clear, it also comes in two tinted shades that add a pretty lovely blush to all skin tones. "You want to be sure [lip balms] don't have fragrances, menthol, camphor, or salicylic acid. Ingredients overview. Along with drawing in water, AHAs help the body get rid of dead skin cells. coconut oil; . We avoid using tertiary references. "These ingredients pull moisture . Occlusive Moisturizers: Occlusives form a physical barrier on the skin to prevent water loss. Adding emollients to the formula creates a smooth surface. Vaseline is an occlusive emollient thanks to its main ingredient: petrolatum. It's formulated with Cocoa Butter, Coconut & Sweet Almond oils, that are . Examples include: petroleum jelly. The exfoliant here comes courtesy of sugar crystals, a favorite option of Dr. Maiman due to the natural humectant properties in sugar. Beeswax is an effective Occlusive that comes from bee honeycomb and is often used in lip balms and creams that require a thicker consistency to keep them from separating. Common occlusive ingredients include petrolatum, silicones, waxes (like carnauba or beeswax), and most oils and butters, Neuser says. If air humidity is higher than 70%, they also draw water from the surrounding environment to the skin. This clear, nonsticky balm has sea moss to hydrate, as well as aloe stem cells to . To get to the bottom of what makes a good lip product, Dr. Chang broke it down in an easy manner. Indeed, it's becoming known as a petroleum jelly dupe because of the similarities: Petrolatum is a mix of mineral oil and paraffin waxes, making the texture remarkably similar. Here are a few of our favorites: If you're a regular ingredient list reader, you may notice a very popular type of occlusive is missing from the list: mineral oils, petroleum jelly, and petrochemicals. Overall, the best facial moisturizer is Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer, a lightweight antioxidant-rich formula that delivers multi-level hydration, thanks to a proprietary active complex of three natural bio-ferments. Our top choice for the best chapped lip treatment is the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm, which is effective, budget-friendly, and contains moisturizing ingredients, as well as SPF. Hyaluronic acid is a moisturizing all-star, so it makes sense that it's featured front and center in this cult-favorite lip balm which also features vitamin E. In combination, these two ingredients attract much-needed moisture and lock it in without feeling goopy or sticky on your lips. Another popular group of ingredients for moisturizing the skin and hair are emollients and occlusives. "These ingredients pull moisture out of the skin, especially in a dry environment, and then the water evaporates away." She spends most of her days diving into the latest wellness trends, writing and editing stories about health conditions, testing skincare products, and trying to understand the next greatest internet obsession. If you're using a product and you feel like it's not getting better, you should generally consider switching to something more bland." Some emollients may contain . This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. However, most silicones do not allow water to pass through, which is an ideal quality for preventing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) a leading cause of dehydrated skin. 'Tis the season for chapped, dry lips. Look for a lip balm that contains a mixture of humectant and occlusive ingredients not humectants on their own. It's also a great option if you want a little scent without any potentially irritating chemicals (the scent here comes from rose oil) according to reviews. The 16 Best SPF Lip Balms 2022 for Protected Lips - Allure These ingredients pull moisture out of the skin, especially in a dry environment, and then the water evaporates away. Confusing, considering we regularly apply these ingredients to our faceto keep it well-hydrated. That doesnt mean you should avoid humectants in your lip balmsjust look for those ingredients alongside the occlusive agents. In hair care, humectants perform a similar function. Now that you know the difference between humectant, emollient, and occlusive moisturizers, you can probably see that there are advantages and disadvantages with each type. The study involved 62 participants. Other humectants in personal care products include: When choosing skin care and hair care products, take your time. Uses for beeswax beyond lip balm from skin-care experts - Well+Good Some also have other benefits. Why Your Lip Balm Addiction Could Be Doing More Harm Than Good - How T Try applying humectant-rich, water-based toners, essences, and serums and then sealing them in a few drops of facial oil. The 9 Best Chapped Lip Treatments of 2023 - Real Simple Of them, 12 had no skin conditions, and 50 had hyperkeratosis, or thickened skin, on the feet. They're commonly used for a few reasons: They're inexpensive, lend products a smooth sensorial experience, and are molecularly large so they sit on the skin, acting as an occlusive. "Unlike the rest of our skin, lips don't have sweat glands, so they're not able to produce their own sweat and oil," says Nkem Ugonabo, M.D., NYC-based board-certified dermatologist at Union Derm. Credit: Aquaphor. Basically, an emollient is a film forming substance that makes the skin feel and look smooth. Humectants are substances that attract water. For a moisturizing, slightly glossy finish, Dr. Gohara recommends this UV Lip Color Splash. broad spectrum SPF 30 lip balm immediately relieves dryness and helps protect your lips against UVA and UVB rays. Lip Liner. Emollients come in the form of creams, gels, lotions and ointments and work to help the skin feel more comfortable and less itchy. RRP: $16/20. However, one drawback with humectant products is that they can sometimes pull too much moisture from the lower layers of skin when the air in your surrounding environment is very dry. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may. Natural emollient ingredients include: Shea butter; Mango butter; Cocoa butter; Coconut oil; Raspberry seed oil; Humectant ingredients attract and hold . "Licking your lips can actually make them drier," explains Dr. Ugonabo. Formulyst Super Hyaluronic Water Moisturizer She has been a writer and editor in the beauty and fashion industry for more than six years, sharing her expansive knowledge on skincare, hair care, makeup, fashion, and more. "It works to prevent already dehydrated, chapped lips hold onto water," shares Dr. Maiman. People can find them in a wide range of personal care products. We know what youre probably thinking, Thats good to know, but whats the difference? In Summary. Without an occlusive to seal it in, this moisture can evaporate and leave your skin drier than before. A humectant is a hygroscopic substance that has a molecular structure with several hydrophilic (water loving) groups, such as hydroxyl groups (OH) and/or amine groups (NH2). Lanolips has given me lips that don't peel, chap, crack, and bleed, writes one satisfied customer. In summary. Also, please don't peel off any flaking lip skin, since this habit is also damaging to sensitive lip skin. 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