How Viagra became a new 'tool' for young men, Ankylosing Spondylitis Pain: Fact or Fiction, American Academy of Dermatology Association, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545171/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5908267/, https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-basics/dry/oily-skin, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31945604/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23521561/, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13555-021-00611-y, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22525567/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5849435/. Despite the promises of the balms, glosses, and miracle treatments you impulse-buy all season long, what you see isnt always what you get. The benefits of humectants depend on the ingredient. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, we may receive an affiliate commission. Copyright 1999 2023 GoDaddy Operating Company, LLC. A few examples of occlusives are:Argan oil. Dr. Waldorf says its especially great for chapped edges on the nose when youve been sneezing or blowing into tissues frequently. Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. More specifically, your lips are made of two types of skin: the vermillion, which is red and partially covered with saliva, and the cutaneous component which has vellus hairs and soft, delicate skin, explains Snehal Amin, M.D., F.A.C.M.S., F.A.A.D., co-founder and surgical director of MDCS Dermatology. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Fix My Skin lip balm (or the larger balm) is ideal for irritated chapped lips because it contains 1% hydrocortisone, a mild steroid, to reduce inflammation, says Dr. Waldorf. This is a great everyday repair balm, says board-certified dermatologist Heather Woolery-Lloyd, M.D., director of ethnic skin care for the University of Miami Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery. "Humectant ingredients absorb water so that it stays [locked] into the skin" says Dr. Michelle Henry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, which helps to keep the skin hydrated.Popular options for normal to dry skin include hyaluronic acid, glycerin, lactic acid, and aloe vera, which often appear in both serums and moisturizers, but Dr. Macrene Alexiades MD PhD, a triple board . Unfortunately, some skin care brands may use high concentrations of humectants in their products that are claimed to provide anti-aging effects without any other ingredients to correct signs of aging. Kara Birnbaum / NBC Feb. 20, 2020, 5:28 PM UTC / Updated Nov. 16, 2022, 10:03 PM UTC Ingredients and supplies. They may also help with the treatment of . Here are a few of our favorites: If you're a regular ingredient list reader, you may notice a very popular type of occlusive is missing from the list: mineral oils, petroleum jelly, and petrochemicals. An emollient is an oily substance that fills in the spaces between dead skin cells, thus creating a smooth skin surface. Humectants are substances that attract water. Dr. Baumann recommends Burts Bees Lip Balm for its perfect balance of occlusives and humectants. Occlusive moisturizers contain ingredients that create a physical barrier on top of the skin that helps prevent trans-epidermal water. Lip balm; Eye cream; . Know when to see a doctor: If you have just a patch or spot of chapped lips that is persistent, dont assume it is just dryness, cautions Dr. Waldorf. "Humectants are basically 'water magnets,'" board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founder of SKINFIVE, told us about the class of ingredients. coconut oil; . If youre looking for a vegan option, this hydrating formula is just the thing to quench your pout. Occlusive ingredients, such as petrolatum, beeswax, and shea butter, create a physical barrier to prevent moisture loss." Here's What Derms Want You to Know, Ask a Beauty Editor: 4 Best Ingredients for Dry Skin (and the 2 Worst), The 11 Best Moisturizers for Sensitive Skin of 2023, The 12 Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin of 2023, The 12 Best Face Oils of 2023 for Every Skin Type, The Best Skincare Routine for Eczema, According to Dermatologists, Allergenic potential of cosmetic ingredients. You could be exposing even more of the lips and causing even more dryness." Buy It, $3.50. It's not the most exciting option as far as best lip balms for chapped lips, but it does exactly what a lip balm product should do. Whether or not you should use an emollient moisturizer largely depends on what emollient ingredient is used in the product. Are these the best-tinted balms ever? If you have constantly dry lips you have to try it.. Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale. A good lip product blends humectants, emollients, and occlusives to truly deliver hydration. Secondly, you need to be careful of lip balm recipes that include humectant ingredients WITHOUT the presence of occlusive ingredients. It consists of corneocytes (dead skin cells) held together by a lipid matrix composed of ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. According to Dr. Nussbaum, this is the same reason licking your lips worsens chapped lipsthe saliva quickly evaporates, leaving the lips even drier and starting the lip-licking cycle over again. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Now that you know the difference between humectant, emollient, and occlusive moisturizers, you can probably see that there are advantages and disadvantages with each type. It's formulated with Cocoa Butter, Coconut & Sweet Almond oils, that are . (Image credit: Ciat) 4. And balms that are able to achieve this can do so because they use a blend of humectants, emollients, and occlusive ingredientslike in mindbodygreen's lip balm. She also recommends a product with SPF for extra protection. "Licking your lips can actually make them drier," explains Dr. Ugonabo. Like Vaseline, Aquaphor is an occlusive emollient, but it also contains a number of additional ingredients not found in Vaseline, including panthenol making it a top pick for best lip balms for chapped lips. In addition, the large molecular size and volatility of silicones also dispels the claim that these ingredients can clog pores and cause acne. (BTW, yes, you should still wear SPF every day, even if you're staying inside. Aloe vera gel and juice come from the aloe vera plant help smooth the surface of your skin and hair. The primary purpose of lip balm is to provide an occlusive layer on the lip surface to seal moisture in lips and protect them from external exposure. $16 at allbeauty. According to her, there are three elements needed to make a lip balm work. Lips are particularly vulnerable because the skin is so thin, and . Below are the products we recommend that effectively combine these three ingredient types in their formulas. Although the balm is a light pink, it morphs on your lips to create an individual color using what Dior calls "Color Reviver Technology." Thus, one type is not necessarily better than the other. Beeswax is also an occlusive, meaning it forms a moisturizing, protective layer on the surface of the lips 3. Made with Lanolina deeply moisturizing oil naturally occurring in sheep's woolit mimics the skin's own oils to heal and hydrate. Because of this, it has a long history as a skin care ingredient. A weak or damaged barrier leads to transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and may allow harmful things like allergens, bacteria, and irritants to pass through into the deeper layers of skin. That's not to say you should avoid lip balms entirelyor that you should avoid humectants in your lip balms. Beeswax is an effective Occlusive that comes from bee honeycomb and is often used in lip balms and creams that require a thicker consistency to keep them from separating. She writes about curls and coils, treatment test drives, and intersectionality. The extremely nourishing formula is packed with coconut, argan, rosehip, and jojoba oils for a smooth and creamy application, while shea butter seals moisture into place. If your lip balm contains both humectants and occlusives, and you're still experiencing perpetual dryness, you may need to look more closely at the ingredient list. I never had severely dry lips but still it was a huge difference after I applied it, and the total healing time was about a week. "However, if there is no occlusivelike petrolatum, beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, or squalenethe moisture will not be sealed in to protect the moisture barrier. It contains glycerin to draw in moisture, shea butter and beeswax to protect, chamomile . ), Vaseline is a great choice if your lips are sensitive, irritated, or if you suffer from allergies. Humectants draw moisture into the skin, emollients soften and soothes skin, while occlusives trap in moisture in the skin to avoid moisture-loss or evaporation. Unlike the rest of the skin which has a thick stratum corneum (dead cell layer) for extra protection, the lips do not, so they are even more prone to winter dryness, says Dr. Waldorf. Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Smoking Pot Every Day Linked to Heart Risks, Artificial Sweetener Linked to Heart Risks, FDA Authorizes First At-Home Test for COVID and Flu, New Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk, MINOCA: The Heart Attack You Didnt See Coming, Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox. Lanolin, peppermint and coconut oils, propylene glycol, fragrances, dyes, and more can also stir irritation, so if you feel that your lip balm is making things worse, it might be time to see your derm. "Lip balms that contain humectant ingredients, . Harwood, A., Nassereddin, A., Krishnamurthy, K. StatPearls, StatPearls Publishing, 2020. "Also, since lips do not contain melanocytes and are very sensitive to the sun, you should make sure to apply at least an SPF 30 year-round.". Another key ingredient here is Mongongo oil, a hydrating ingredient commonly found in products for very, very thirsty hair. (which pull water into the skin like a sponge) are also helpful. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin are examples of humectants. While humectants provide hydration, emollients soften the skin, and occlusives help prevent water in the skin from evaporating. Overall, the best facial moisturizer is Carrot & Stick The Moisturizer, a lightweight antioxidant-rich formula that delivers multi-level hydration, thanks to a proprietary active complex of three natural bio-ferments. . "In order to maintain healthy lip skin, keep your lips well moisturized with a lip balm that soothes and protects the lip barrier with both a humectant and occlusive, like eos The Hero Extra Dry Lip Repair ($8, target.com)," says Dr. Nussbaum. They can add hydration without the use of heavier ingredients. This hydrating anti-aging formula contains humectants like glycerin, gluconolactone, sodium lactate, and Aloe vera leaf juice to draw moisture into the skin. The extreme moisture provided by this . Ingredients overview. This is a molecule found naturally in the body, although the body makes less of it as you age. Emollients and occlusives tend to be heavier ingredients. Truchliski J, Sembratowicz I, Gorzel M, Kietyka-Dadasiewicz A. Allergenic potential of cosmetic ingredients. This leads to visibly dry, tight-feeling, flaky skin. It's also a great option if you want a little scent without any potentially irritating chemicals (the scent here comes from rose oil) according to reviews. In addition to her broad network of beauty experts, she uses her family's background and training in skin science and cosmetic chemistry to differentiate between effective skincare formulations and marketing jargon. Ask a Beauty Editor: Why Are My Lips Always Dry and Peeling? That's why these types of ingredients work best together. The role of the NMF is to maintain adequate skin hydration. Walmart. Steer clear of irritants: While cooling agents like camphor and menthol feel good upon contact, they will sting and arent necessary to heal or improve lips, says Dr. Waldorf. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Its infused with medical-grade lanolin, jojoba and olive oils, and beeswax to heal, moisturize, and protect overnight. This article discusses humectants and the products that contain them, as well as examples and benefits. This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features. For severely chapped lips, Dr. Waldorf recommends Bag Balm because it contains occlusive ingredients like petrolatum and lanolin with an antiseptic preservative. To get to the bottom of what makes a good lip product, Dr. Chang broke it down in an easy manner. You can find humectants mainly in skin care and hair care products, but many industries use them. Yes, yes they are. Lipstick. Humectants are substances that attract water. Learn more here. Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 15_4_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/15.4 Mobile/15E148 Safari/604.1. SPF: 30 | Shades: 4 | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes. Ease symptoms at home with lip balms containing anti-inflammatories or emollient, humectant and occlusive ingredients, which will improve the hydration and feel of the lips through different mechanisms. Choose A Lip Balm With Humectants & Occlusives. Thats one of the factors that leads to dry, aging skin. In her current role, she covers all the latest trends in the clean and natural beauty space, as well as lifestyle topics, such as travel. A 2019 review analyzed databases from 19902018 that dealt with skin conditions of people over the age of 50 years. They include: humectants, emollients and occlusives. The 17 Best Lip Balms for Smooth, Hydrated Lips, According to Dermatologists and Shoppers The 10 Best Red Lipsticks of 2023, Tested and Reviewed The 7 Best Lip Plumpers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed Also, be careful of over-exfoliation, which can shed outer layers of skin and leave you more susceptible to environmental elements. Heres the thing: Humectant ingredients need to be offset by occlusive ingredients to work their moisturizing magic. Price: $36.99 at Clean & Pure This incredibly popular line of lip balms out of Australia is 100% natural and packed with hydration-friendly ingredients like responsibly sourced Beeswax and Vitamin E. The unique formula relieves and soothes chapped, cracked lips and provides effective, long-lasting moisture, so lips look and feel healthier . These ingredients feel thick and heavy after application since they are not absorbed into the skin. NYC-based dermatologist Dr. Hadley King, M.D., FAAD, likes lip masks because they typically have a higher occlusive content than lip balms.Occlusives are hydrating ingredients that form a protective barrier between the lips and elements that prevent moisture loss, similar to slugging for the lips.. Avocado and jojoba oil lock in moisture and make this a multi-use product. A lipophilic humectant is one that manufacturers have dissolved in fats or lipids. buy now. (. Is coconut oil a humectant and occlusive and an emollient? Common occlusive ingredients include petrolatum, silicones, waxes (like carnauba or beeswax), and most oils and butters, Neuser says. Plumping ingredients like capsaicin arent a great idea as they will cause swelling. In addition to clear, it also comes in two tinted shades that add a pretty lovely blush to all skin tones. Goes on very smoothly and hydrates the lips very well.". Sugar alcohols (glycerin, sorbitol, xylitol, etc. Older research from 2012 states that hyaluronic acid helps speed up wound repair and reduces scar appearance. Providing shine without being sticky or greasy, this lip balm offers everything you need for a full, hydrated pout. Here are some great options to use for your lips: Finally, the balm needs thick ingredients that can act as a sealtrapping in all the moisture underneath and offering a barrier of protection throughout the day. It also outlines the difference between a humectant and an emollient and an occlusive. Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 $8.00. Some humectants, such as glycerine or hyaluronic acid, pull moisture out of the lips leaving the skin dehydrated and sore. .css-1pm21f6{display:block;font-family:AvantGarde,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0.3125rem;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-1pm21f6:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.3;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1pm21f6{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.3;}}Pamela Anderson Shares Her Best Anti-Aging Trick, Jamie Lee Curtis Loves This Brightening Face Oil, 12 Best Benzoyl Peroxide Products to Treat Acne, Bobbi Brown Shares Her Go-To Daily Sunscreen, Catherine Zeta-Jones Loves This Glowy Face Mousse, What to Know About Keratosis Pilaris Treatments, Eva Mendes Swears By These Exfoliating Mitts. Without occlusives, the moisture that the humectants pull out simply vanishes on the surface of the skin, leaving lips drier than they were in the first place. Dr. Waldorf also likes this pick from Caudalie since its soothing and moisturizing, thanks to shea butter, beeswax, several plant oils, and grapeseed extract. In skin care, they draw water from the deeper layers of the skin to the outermost layer. I have finally, after years of trying and buying lip balms for my chronically chapped lips, found a balm that works! Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly. The answer lies in the ingredients. 2004-2023 Healthline Media UK Ltd, Brighton, UK, a Red Ventures Company. "Certain lip balms only contain humectants (read: immediate moisture)like hyaluronic acid and glycerinwhich draw water from the air," says Marnie Nussbaum, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Its a common misconception that silicones can cause or worsen acne. Humectants are ingredients that attract and bind water. The study involved 62 participants. You can expect to see humectants in personal care products such as: All humectants bind with water, but some of them have an additional role. , Speak with your doctor or a dermatologist about the condition of your skin or hair if you can't find relief from dry or oily skin, or youre worried about underlying health issues. It's great for the short term but won't help chapped lips heal. Instead of attracting moisture, they trap it beneath this barrier, preventing it from evaporating. It's got the occlusive shea butter to seal in all the moisture it delivers via avocado oil, which is a bit of a powerhouse, delivering both omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, D, and E to chapped, dry lips (and skin, if you want to double-dip). A lot of winter factors contribute to dryness on your lips, but lip skin is already sensitive and prone to dryness. A 2017 study notes that emollients consist mostly of lipids, such as natural oils and waxes. Despite the hydrating promise of lip balms, what you see isn't always what you get. Another popular group of ingredients for moisturizing the skin and hair are emollients and occlusives. Price at time of publish: $15. And while new products are certainly exciting, they mean nothing without establishing the basics.