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Lip balm has become an essential component in everyone’s skincare routine, but this nourishing product’s ingredients list is often overlooked by consumers.
You probably don’t put very much thought into your lip balm purchase, especially when it comes to the brands and formulas that you buy from the drugstore, but experts say that certain ones can be detrimental for your lips. This is particularly the case when it comes to lip balms that contain humectants…
According to Leslie Baumann, M.D, lip balms that are formulated with humectants can do more harm than good for your chapped pout.
“Lip balms with humectants such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin make lips worse," she tells StyleCaster. "These ingredients pull moisture out of the skin, especially in a dry environment, and then the water evaporates away."
Dr. Baumann notes that this is only the case with lip balms as these popular ingredients are often found in other skincare products for dry skin.
“Humectants hold on to water, and occlusives keep it from evaporating,” she continues. In other words, humectants bring moisture to the surface of your lips where the cold, dry temperatures suck it right up, leaving behind bone-dry lips.
Instead, you should look for lip balms with occlusives in them, otherwise known as beeswax and shea butter.
