Not all of us are gifted with soft, supple lips that stay naturally hydrated all day. Most of us struggle with dry, cracked skin on the lips which most often than not give us the irritating time of the day when we have to scrub, moisturise and even hide it under a thick layer of lipstick to make them look healthy and beautiful.
What’s worse, in spite of the moisturizing, scrubbing and drinking water, the moment we use our favorite lipstick or lip balm, they turn dry again. The trick to maintaining your lip health is in choosing a product with the right ingredients. Fortunately, there are many natural plant based ingredients that cosmetic companies use to soften the skin and keep it hydrated. You just need to read the labels.
Let’s look at 5 great ingredients that you should be looking for in lipsticks and lip balms if you have dry and chapped lips.
- Castor seed oil (Ricinus communis seed oil) – One of the oldest healing remedies used in ancient Egypt and India for its medicinal properties, the castor seed oil is a vegetable oil pressed from castor beans.
The oils of fatty acids contained in Castor seed oil are rich in ingredients like Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Glycol Ricinoleate, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, and Methyl Ricinoleate. The main ingredient ricinoleic acid is the miracle compound that gives Castor oil the ultra-moisturising properties. It acts as humectants retaining the moisture by locking in the water in the skin. Estée Lauder Sculpting lipstick range has this incredible ingredient. - Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil or Jojoba oil – Extracted out of the seeds of the desert shrub, Simmondsia chinensis has the ultimate moisturizing properties. Its humectant ingredients creates a layer over your skin with moisture protecting it from getting dry and keeps it conditioned for longer duration. It also has antioxidant properties and can help reduce the wrinkles and fine lines on your skin.
I really love the L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Matte Lipstick for its rich texture and low price. - Moringa oleifera seed oil – Another magical ingredient that can work wonders to your skin is the oil extracted from the Moringa oleifera tree. The moringa oil has strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging properties. It is also a great emollient and exfoliant which slips easily and spreads evenly on the skin. It can make your skin smooth and hydrated. This is what makes the NAARS AUDACIOUS lipstick range super popular.
- Triticum vulgare (wheat) germ extract or wheat germ oil is a rich source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is one of the most recommended remedies for chapped lips because it is an antioxidant and a natural skin conditioner. It protects skin against skin damage and encourages the growth of new skin cells. Vitamin E also promotes increased production of collagen, which regenerates skin and reduces wrinkles.
- Olea europaea (olive) fruit extract – Olive oil is a natural emollient as it rich source of essential fatty acids including linoleic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid. Olive oil contains plenty of skin nourishing compounds. It is rich in Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant. Its primary skincare benefit is that it can help moisturise and nourish dry skin. The Vitamin E protects your sensitive lip skin from sun damage.
When you have one of the above ingredients in your lipstick or lip balm, you will see that all the hard work that you did to prep your lips did not go wasted. These ingredients will compliment the lip care routine that you followed by blending in and locking the moisture in for a long time during the day.
Here are a few great lipstick shades having these wonderful ingredients :
- NARS lipstick – rosecliff (satin)
- BareMinerals MINERALIST Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick
- Bareminerals Mineralist Hydra-Smoothing Lipstick -Courage, 0.12 Ounce
- Estee Lauder Pure Color Love Lip Stick for Women
- L’OREAL- Colour Riche Lipcolour 754 Sugar Plum – 0.13 oz. (3.6 g)
I hope you give these a try!
Practical tips for lifestyle, habits, health, beauty and mind 