My former "hiding" places:
- HANDBAG - 3-4 lip balms in my handbag at any given time.
- CAR - at least 1 in the console of my car and probably one rolling around on the floorboard.
- KITCHEN - 1 in the silverware drawer. [You never know when you might be doing dishes and need a little lip pick me up.]
- LAUNDRY ROOM - 1 in the change jar on the dryer. [If I was downstairs I definitely didn't want to walk up the stairs for lip balm.]
- JACKETS/COATS - 1 tucked away in my jackets and coat pockets. [Actually there is no probably about it, I know there was.]
- BEDROOM - 1 on the nightstand. [Honestly before a little goodnight sugar you want to make sure those lips are kissable.]
- BATHROOM - 1 in my make up bag of course.
I absolutely adored flavored lip balm. I would load my lips up with some serious sugary candy flavored lip balm and lick it away as if I were eating a snack off my lips. [This was seriously unintentional but that's what happens when you use flavored lip balm.] Then my lips would dry out and so I would break out the flavored lip balm and coat my smackers again.
This was a crazy vicious cycle of dry lips, slap on the lip balm, lick it off, chapped lips, glob on more lip balm...Well you get the point.
So what changed for me and this addiction to coating my delicate lips with petroleum based, chemically filled sweetness?
I READ THE INGREDIENTS!
Yep I did it. I wanted to know what was in the lip balm. I tried to read those big scientific words on the label that I couldn't even begin to pronounce. Then I should have possibly stopped. Stopped trying to read the label. Stopped caring what was in my delicious candy inspired lip balm. But I couldn't stop I had to know more. I heard a quote one time that went something like this..."It was not my lip you kissed but my soul." Now that is a bit over the top dramatic and in my case you would have felt like you were bobbing for sticks of butter instead of the "soul thingy" from the quote. I found that a lot of commercial lip balms use Petroleum, Mineral Oil, Parabens, Dyes and lots more! Not to be a Debbie Downer here but some of the ingredients used in lip balms and lip glosses have been banned in other countries because of they are or are potentially super harmful and are listed on the Dirty Dozen List of Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid. [Right now I would like to interject a quick "Thank You" to the United States FDA for doing a bang up job in protection of the United States citizens against unnecessary fillers, chemicals and generally crap that is making people sick!] You can find out lots of info on these "ingredients" on the Skin Deep website.
When choosing your Lip Balm a "taste-test" is definitely not the deciding factor when buying a lip balm and when you buy a good natural lip balm it should taste like, well, nothing. What you and your lips desperately need is a smooth, hydrating and moisturizing Lip Balm. Look for natural ingredients on the label like Cocoa Butter that will help soften and hydrate your lips as well as improve elasticity, Coconut Oil to help provide that protective layer to your lips to retain moisture, Candelilla Wax that is a vegan plant wax instead of beeswax, and other plant based oils that are readable and identifiable. Try to remember less is more. Just because it has more ingredients doesn't make it better and actually who the heck wants to see the crazy list of "Inactive ingredients?" If the ingredient isn't doing jack then why even have it in there? I like minimal hard working ingredients! Don't you? When essential oils are added they should be lip safe and the correct percentage added to the Lip Balm. Essential Oils can be amazing in Lip Balms. They not only have fabulous qualities to the skin but provide you with just a hint of the scent. Our Peppermint Lip Balm not only feels incredible on your lips but just that little hint of Peppermint scent from the essential oil takes the Lip Balm up a notch.
I will admit that it was super hard to kick the habit. There are times when I am tempted like when I am checking out at Wal Mart and those syrupy tubes of bright colors call my name. But I stop and take a breath. I pull out my natural vegan unflavored Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm. I let it glide across my lips just in the nick of time and slowly I remember as I take my hand from the grape flavored lip balm with the cute little cartoon grapes and the handy little key ring that I am in control and my lips feel amazing. I flash a big toothy smile to the guy behind me and know that he is thinking "Those are some natural bee stung sexy lips." I know this because he smiles back. You know one of those sly seductive smiles as he hands me the... lip waxing kit that fell off the edge of the register conveyor belt. I mumble something about my grandma. I push my cart the door, throw on my big sunglasses and say to myself "Today I am better than that tube of sugar crap now on to Sonic for a happy hour Coke." [Just kidding...maybe]
Disclaimer: This post is based on true events. I am sharing my personal victory with you over flavored lip balm addiction as a way to educate and encourage you to find your inner strength and say NO to sugary flavored lip balms that dry your lips to a couple of crusty crusts. I AM in fact endorsing Good Clean Soap's unflavored 100% natural vegan gluten-free lip balm. I also would love to hear your thoughts on this ever growing crisis happening in women's lives all over the world! If you are searching for lip love in the bottom of a tube of cherry wax I will pray that you too may come to know what true lip love is because friends don't let friends use crappy lip balm.
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