Some Truths About The Skin On Our Lips

The skin on your lips is very different from the rest of your body. The outer layer is delicate and our lips do not produce oil or retain moisture so you have to be careful when creating/formulating products for the lips. You don't want to unintentionally cause the lips to crack and peel because you used an ingredient that locks in moisture. Here is an excerpt from an article posted by Desiree Mattox over at The Glam Laboratory that explains it so well.

One major problem I have had with several lip products on the market is that they cause my lips to peel. I think that is extremely gross and unsightly. The reason behind this peeling phenomenon is actually pretty simple and easy to avoid. Some lip care products are heavy in occlusive ingredients. Occlusive products, also known as barriers,are characterized as products meant to lock in moisture. Knowing that our lips don't produce moisture, what is an occlusive product actually doing? Trapping dryness and making your lips even more dry!

So what ingredients should you avoid? Primarily mineral oil and petrolatum. Other natural occlusive agents may be used in lip balm products which is what gives them their stiff/dense consistency. Ingredients like beeswax, candelilla wax and carnauba wax are not too bad when other skin softening, emollient ingredients are used. Some good ingredients to look for are jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil and olive oil. These oils will easily absorb in your skin and provide some much needed nutrients and moisture.

via The Glam Laboratory

Be well, ddse+m

PS. I've decided to name my lip balm EcoLipLuxe™