Eco Lips Beta Balm: Bee Free Pomegranate

I discovered Eco Lips back in the fall. My usual health food spots don't carry this brand, so I ended up placing a large order online, and have almost all their products. You can also get a free sample if you send them two dollars for the shipping. Details here.

Look/First Impressions: This balm isn't much to look at, but there's a reason for that. This is a Beta Balm, which just means the product hasn't become part of their full-time inventory, but is available for consumers to test. So, no effort was put into giving it a fancy label. This is also one of their Vegan Friendly "Bee Free" products, meaning no bees wax was used in the formula. The base contains Candelilla Wax and Cocoa Butter.

Smell/Taste: The smell is light and citrus-y. This smells the most like a pomegranate of all the lip balms I'm reviewing this month. The balm itself is left uncolored, and unflavored.

Feel: This balm is very soft, and easy to over apply. Goes on smooth, but quickly gets too melty while its on my lips and starts feeling greasy. I noticed the skin under my lips was becoming oily, and I even started breaking out. Bad news, indeed! I tried it as a cuticle moisturizer too, and it seems to perform better once its rubbed into the skin.

Overall: Meh, I don't feel strongly about this product either way. It was fun to try, but doubtful I will buy it again. 3 out of 5 Stars. (website)

Softlips: PURE Pomegranate

I have to say, organic is in. Softlips has a new PURE line, with two new flavors; Pomegranate and Honeydew. I scooped this up a few months ago in Target.

Look/First Impressions: The first thing I noticed was the USDA certified organic stamp. I'm impressed with anyone who goes to the trouble to get certified organic, or use certified organic ingredients. Speaking of ingredients, this only contains a few vegetable oils, shea butter, bees wax and vitamin E. I subscribe to the philosophy that simple is better, so I'm on board with this lip balm. Of course it comes in the signature Softlips skinny tube (.07 OZ), which is about half of a regular-sized tube. Unfortuantely its not half the price.

Smell/Taste: This balm doesn't really have a distinct smell. It has a very minimal sweet scent, and no flavor at all.

Feel: As neat as the skinny tube looks, its performance is an utter failure. It takes forever to get my lips coated with this stuff! When I apply this balm, I feel like a little kid with a crayon, "scribbling" on my lips. However, its nice once applied. The formula is a good consistency, not too thick or thin, and feels silky when I press my lips together. Even after the balm begins to soak in, the silky feeling remains. I kinda missed the cool menthol feeling of other Softlips products.

Overall: This was a good buy, and I was happy enough with it to buy the Honeydew Flavor as well. Yet, I really dislike the size of the stick. Its too skinny to be practical, and sometimes the "roll down" feature doesn't work. 4.1 out of 5 Stars. (website)

Pomegranate Seed Oil

After a holiday hiatus, I'm back. I always look forward to the winter. Not only because of the holidays, but also because one of my favorite fruits comes in season; the pomegranate. My sister and I loved to eat them when we were little. Mom always made us stand on chairs and lean over the kitchen sink while we plucked the arils out of the husk, so we wouldn't make too much of a mess. Although, we'd still end up with juice stains on our clothes afterward.

Pomegranates have become quite popular in recent years, likely due to the health benefits associated with their juice. The contain Vitamin A, C, and E, and powerful antioxidants. Oxidants (usually called free radicals) break down healthy cells and may contribute to illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants help reduce free radicals and repair damaged cells. (source)

In addition to pomegranate-based recipes and food items, skin care products containing pomegranate seed oil have become a common sight on store shelves. Without getting too scientific, pomegranate seed oil contains several acids which aid in protecting, moisturizing, and revitalizing the skin. For the month of January, I plan on celebrating the pomegranate by sharing some products made with this amazing fruit. (source)

Kiss My Face: Sugar & Spice

The holiday season is in full swing and what better way to celebrate than with special edition lip balms! I picked this up at the local Whole Foods for about seven bucks, which I think is a little steep. Even for two. I also have to say that this brand name gets me giggling. How do you say it? Is it playful like "Don't kiss my ___, kiss my face!" Or is it full of attitude like "Kiss my ass"? Either way, here we go.

Look/First Impressions: Sparkle-y packaging with a Christmas theme. The flavors are Vanilla Sugar and Cranberry Spice. There's even a little poem on the back that says "Whether you choose sweet or spice, your lips will feel oh so nice!" Hehe, very cute. Most of the ingredients are also certified organic by Quality Assurance International.

Smell/Taste: The smell is subtle. I was curious what Cranberry Spice would smell like, and I immediately thought of chai tea when I took a whiff. There's some cinnamon in there, too. Vanilla Sugar is what I expected; just like a sugar cookie, with a slight hint of coconut. Combined, these two smell like Christmas at mom's house.

Feel: This is a bees wax based lip balm, so its pretty soft and applies smoothly to the lips without being too thick. That being said, it does absorb quickly into my skin. I needed another round after about an hour. I don't mind re-applying, since it feels so nice.

Rating: The formula is nice and makes my lips soft, but the smell isn't something I'd normally choose for myself. Overall, I'd give this 4.25 out of 5 stars. (website)

Ingredient Education: Wax

If you're a lip balm junkie like me, you might have noticed that there are several different types of wax used to make lip balm. I was curious to learn more about them, and share my discoveries.

Wax is a substance found naturally in plants. Bees wax is the genuine article, but wax comes from other plants and can be artificially produced as well. Worker bees collect nectar from plants which is used to make honey. When the bee eats the honey, he secrets wax from wax producing glands on his abdomen. The wax is then chewed by the bee to construct the combs where honey is stored, and the young are raised. (source)

Cera Flava (Yellow Bees Wax): This is the wax taken directly from the hive. The honey is extracted, and the wax is boiled, strained, and poured into molds for cooling. The color is yellowish brown, and it should smell like honey. Cera Flava has a melting point of approximately 146*F, and becomes pliable just by the warmth of your body. It is readily dissolved in oils. (source)

Cera Alba (White Bees Wax): This is the same thing as Cera Flava, but has been exposed to the sun to remove color and smell. Cera Alba has a slightly higher melting point than Cera Flava, and also easily dissolved in oils. (source)

Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla Wax): This wax is produced by the Candelilla plant which grows in the Chihuahua Desert. (Northern Mexico, Southwestern Texas) Plants in the hottest and driest areas produce a hard wax to help the plant retain moisture. It has a melting point af approximately 157*F. It is a common ingredient used in chewing gum. (source)

Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba Wax): This wax comes from the Brazilian Palm Tree, or "Tree of Life". Like the Candelilla plant, the palm tree produces wax to retain moisture. During harvesting, only 20 leaves may be removed from the tree, to ensure the tree is not endangered. Although the tree grows elsewhere, the rainy seasons inhibit wax production. Carnauba wax is often used as a vegan alternative to bees wax. However, Carnauba wax is harder than bees wax and requires a temperature of approximately 185*F to melt. (source)

Plum Pure: Soothing Vanilla

I stopped in Harris Teeter (not my usual grocery store) last week to pick up some pumpkin bread ingredients for Thanksgiving and couldn't resist a stroll through the oral care aisle. Surprisingly, I found a lip balm I'd never heard of before, Plum Pure!

Look/First Impressions: So, I was in the aisle debating on which flavor I should choose; Soothing Vanilla or Vitalizing Peppermint? (why not plum?) Well, my boyfriend hates mint, so vanilla won out. I figured if I liked it, I could come back later for Peppermint. The balm was packaged in a paper hanging box, which I must admit I am no fan of, but I do understand that some retailers will not purchase products if they are not packaged according to a certain standard. The balm is in a creme-colored tube with cute, purple plums and a juicy looking font which seems to call out "Try me, and I'll make your lips incredible". There's also one of those twist off safety seals, which takes me about 10 minutes of wrestling to finally get the darn thing open! Delay of lip balm sampling is never a good thing. Soothing Vanilla is already not living up to its name.

Smell/Taste: After getting the cap off, I take a whiff. There's a subtle smell I can't quite make out, so I inhale a little deeper. It doesn't really smell like vanilla, but more like cardboard. Disappointing to say the least, and leaves me wondering if the mint would have been a better choice after all. There is no taste to this balm.

Feel: I never put a brand new lip balm right onto my lips, because I detest that little divot in the top that makes "sharp" edges on the surface of the balm. I always wear it down first on the back of my hand, to make the balm smooth and round before applying it to my lips. Even with a warm up, this balm is difficult to apply. Its very solid feeling, and I've got to press it hard against my lips and make about seven swipes before I feel satisfied. When I press my lips together, it feels thick and waxy. Almost like I'm kneading dough. The consistency is not improved after being warmed up to body temperature. In fact, I think it actually gets thicker! I'm assuming this is because the oils are being absorbed into my skin, and the wax is remaining on the surface. I find my self constantly pressing my lips together in an effort to redistribute the balm. You will probably end up wiping this off before it wears off. I think because of the thickness it will make a good night time, or extreme cold weather balm. I'd also recommend it as a regular skin moisturizer, because the backs of my hands do feel very soft.

Overall: I was really hoping to like this product, especially after reading their philosophy on ingredient integrity. And plum! Very unique, but the formula needs work and I think the flavor choices are somewhat odd. Where is the plum flavored one? A+ for effort, but I don't think I will buy this brand again. 2 out of 5 stars. (website)

W.S. Badger: Cocoa Butter Lip Balm

There's a little health food shop called Rebecca's Natural Foods a few miles from where I live. They stock all sorts of natural and organic products, and have a huge lip balm selection. I've used a few Badger Balms with good results, and figured I'd give their lip balm a try. The flavor I picked was Creamy Cocoa.

Look/First Impressions: The first thing I noticed about this lip balm was the size of the tube. Its a big fat one! (.25 oz) I'm unlikely to misplace something so large, and its easy to tell apart by feel from other tubes when I'm digging in my abyss of a bag. A closer look at the label reveals that the ingredients are Fair Trade and USDA Certified Organic. Now, who can complain about food quality ingredients in their lip balm? With only seven (pronounceable) ingredients, there's nothing suspicious about it, and I feel good buying this one. Also, there is a magical, smiling badger on the front waving a rainbow of little berries out of his wand!

Smell/Taste: The Creamy Cocoa has a subtle smell of chocolate, and a little bit of flavor too.

Feel: Application is smooth and easy. I like to swipe twice for a complete coat. Its not too thick or too thin, and feels great when I press my lips together. I could rub this on my lips all day long, but a good coat in the morning will last me until lunchtime. I'd advise against keeping this one in your pocket though, it can get a little melty.

Rating: Overall, this is the best lip balm I've ever used. 5 out of 5 stars! (website)