Winter lip care regimen

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How to cite: Wong M. Winter lip care regimen. Lab Muffin Beauty Science. May 29, 2014. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://labmuffin.com/winter-lip-care-regimen/


Winter is coming to Australia, and even though it’s still unseasonably warm in Sydney (thanks, El Nino) it’s starting to get a bit dry. My lips are dehydrated and flaky at the best of times, and need extra nourishment, so I’m a little obsessed with finding the perfect lip balm combo. Here’s what I’ve been trying:

Burt’s Bees Coconut and Pear lip balm – This is my favourite Burt’s Bees lip balm so far. It’s softer than the usual Burt’s Bees balms, and smells strongly of coconut and pear. It’s a love-it-or-hate-it scent, so test it before buying – I love it!

Nivea Lip Butter I reviewed these last year, and I still love them. My favourite is still the Vanilla and Macadamia, but Caramel Cream is pretty delish too. The only thing I dislike about them is that you need to use your fingers, so I save these for home use.

First Aid Beauty Lip Therapy – This is a hardcore lip treatment, much like the Uriage Bariederm Soothing Repair Barrier Lip Balm that I was using in Europe. I use it when my lips need serious SOS treatment overnight, usually on top of the Burt’s Bees balm. It tastes lightly of peppermint.

Nivea Repair and Protection lip balm – This is my out-and-about handbag lip balm. I apply it every day five minutes before applying lip products, to make sure I have a moisturised base. I frequently reapply this over lip colour as well, so the product inside is a bit stained. I have about three of these open at any one time.

Nivea Pure and Natural Milk & Honey lip balm – I’ve just started trying this out as a substitute for Repair and Protect, and I’m pretty impressed so far! It’s not quite as intensely occlusive, but it’s a bit softer and applies more easily. I get the feeling it’ll work better under pigmented lip products than Repair and Protection.

Essence Me and My Ice Cream – These el cheapo lip balms have been punching well above their weight – as well as the cute swirl design and the fun scents (vanilla and grape candy!), these are pretty good in the moisturising department too! The packaging is on the flimsy side though, so I’ve been keeping them for home use.

Lush Mint Julips lip scrub – I love these – my lips get really flaky in winter, and a few rubs of this in the morning after sleeping with the First Aid Beauty balm on will make my lips miraculously soft and even (though probably not good enough for matte lipstick!). It tastes delicious too – Mint Julips is my favourite flavour (tastes like choc mint), while my least favourite is Bubblegum (loved it at first, but now I’m put off by the weird aftertaste). I’ve heard good things about the elf lip scrub that comes in a tube, but I’m forcing myself to use these up first.

What are your favourite lip products? Let me know in the comments…

Most of these products were provided for editorial consideration, which did not affect my opinion. For more information, see Disclosure Policy.


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22 thoughts on “Winter lip care regimen”

  1. I just received People For Plants’ Organic Lip Balm in the flavour vanilla and cocoa butter and i’m almost sold – but nothing can compare with my ultime fave Blistex (ahh the menthol).

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  2. I love the pomegranate Burt’s Bees balm <3 I also really liked those Essence Me and My Ice Cream balms but I don’t like how the ones I have make my lips super pale. I keep those for home use as the scents are deeelish 🙂

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    • I haven’t noticed that problem at all, but I haven’t been paying much attention to the colour… I don’t think it’s a problem with the grape one though?

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  3. if you can find hurraw balm in australia, you should give it a try! i’ve had chronically chapped lips for my entire life, despite being addicted to lip balm, and it’s the only thing that has worked for me. i keep a few around the house and one in my purse so i always have it on me, and i’ve been magically without chapped lips since mid-april!

    i also use mint julips every few days (it smells/tastes so good; it’s my favorite of the lush scrubs). i’ve tried a lot of burt’s bees products in the past and i felt like they were good for keeping additional moisture from leaving my lips, but i didn’t find them hydrating, of that makes sense. 🙁 alsooo, a while ago i bought the nivea vanilla & macadamia lip butter, and even though i don’t feel like it’s very moisturizing, i still wear it occasionally just because i love the smell so much.

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    • I just found Hurraw on iHerb! It’ll be in my next order for sure 🙂 Thanks for the rec!

      I found that with the other Burt’s Bees products too – they felt too dry, but this one’s pretty soft and buttery.

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    • ahhh, yay! i second the other person’s grapefruit recommendation (all the citrus scents/flavors/whatever are great, if grapefruit isn’t your thing), and i also reeeeally love the pitta one — it’s coconut, mint, and lemongrass, which sounds weird as hell but smells AMAZING. (of course, the normal vanilla/almond-type flavors are also great.)

      i also use the nighttime/moon one, but for some reason i turn into a mouthbreather while i’m asleep, so i think i might start topping it off with something stickier/more moisture-holding-in…ier (VERY TECHNICAL SCIENCE TERM) to make sure it stays on all night.

      and yeah, that was my issue with burt’s! granted, i’ve only tried the hardcore SPF white lip one and their basic one, and it’s been a long time since i’ve used either. the coconut/pear sounds like it would smell amazing, tbh, so i’m sure i’ll be tempted if i ever see it in a store. D: i just love lip balm so much. (OBVIOUSLY.)

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  4. I could no more dip my finger in a tin of lip balm than fly to the moon. Surely there’s a firm retractable brush for this on the market? I can’t even do hand lotion, lol.

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    • Hmm… you could probably use a stiff concealer brush? I have a stiff eyeshadow brush from Essence that I’ve been using for concealer that could work, but it’s not retractable. Or maybe a mini flexible spatula could be worth a try?

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    • Great idea about the spatula but I wouldn’t have anything to carry with the tin o’ balm. Ditto the brush, cuz it would have balm residue on it, which is why the retractable brush idea. It’s my quirk I know!

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    • i have a lip brush that slides into something kind of like a metal sheath? it’s portable! i think mine came from mac, but i’m sure other companies offer similar products that could be used for lip balm just as well as lipstick.

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  5. I second hurraw!

    It is the BEST lip balm EVER!!! And it contains some pretty good ingredients, too. I have been a lip balm addict for years and this is seriously the best. My favorite flavors are coconut, lime, black cherry, and grapefruit. And the nighttime balm is amazing. They also make the only lip balm with SPF that I’ve ever tried that doesn’t contain chemical sunscreens but also doesn’t make your lips turn white. It is truly amazing.

    I will send you some, if you want to try it. They are $3 US each at my grocery store, and shipping would probably be about $15. I know you don’t know me, but I’d love to spread the deliciousness of hurraw! across the globe!

    Here is my e-mail, anyway! [email protected]

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  6. Can you discuss the possibility of irritation with certain ingredients? I thought peppermint, menthol, citrus, etc were irritants, so I have avoided putting them on my lips.

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  7. i highly recommend the palmer’s swivel stick! its key ingredient is cocoa butter and it’s super waxy. it lasts forever on your lips

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