ARE YOU ADDICTED TO YOUR lip balm?
If you’re constantly reapplying, it could be doing you more harm than good. Here’s how to pick the best formulations and use them wisely
WORDS HATTIE PARISH
Whether it’s to combat chilly weather, provide a base before lip colour or prevent a classic pinot noir stain, we all have a few (dozen) lip balms lying around our house, office, car, handbags – the list could go on. Lip balms line the clothes shop tills, and are granted a disproportionate amount of shelf space in high-street pharmacies. The global market for lip products is set to reach £1bn and, for some companies, they are their largest money-spinners. In other words, lip balms are big business. But why do we love them so much?
Hydration habit
There’s something soothing about knowing we’ve got a lip balm onhand. So why does it feel like the more we apply it, the more we need it? It turns out, some balms contain irritating ingredients, which cause inflammation and loss of hydration.