Description

This must-have delight of a balm has had a bumpy history (see ‘story’ below!)… Originally made for a different purpose entirely, and although it’s a very multi-purpose product, it has long been my all-time favourite lip balm (which is a serious claim coming from a self-diagnosed lip-balm addict). I use it morning and evening and love the gentle scent of spike lavender essential oil balanced by the medicinal, herbal counterpoints of rosemary and peppermint.

Petroleum-free & with no synthetic ingredients whatsoever, it softens and soothes dry or attention-seeking lips like no other. It’s said that peppermint can help to pump up the lips; it certainly feels fresh!

Uses & Directions:
This little wonder-in-a-jar loves multiple parts of you deeply; as well as making your lips feel incredible, it performs its skin-loving miracle on other small areas of your body, such as knees, elbows, cuticles, bruises, unruly eyebrows, Achilles heels and it even does a stellar job of brightening up tattoos.

(Meanwhile, for a general face product, click here.)

You’ll want to take this funky screw-top pocket-rocket everywhere with you. I have one at home (small lie; I have about seven) and one in my handbag.

‘I suffer from really sore, chapped lips – particularly during the harsher winter months with the changeable temperatures between the cold outdoors and warm central-heated indoors. I’m always looking for a miracle cure – a lip balm that smooths and softens my lips, doesn’t look too shiny or glossy, and lasts long enough not to have to constantly reapply.’

‘The smooth, creamy texture of this balm soothes and calms sore and uncomfortable lips, and smells absolutely delicious.’

‘The pot is a handy size for carrying around in your bag but also your pocket on long dog walks – for when you need just a little extra help. It’s amazing to know the ingredients are all 100% natural – especially when my five nieces want some ‘lipstick’ and I know it’s safe to share.’

Key ingredients/benefits:
ORGANIC, RAW, EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL: anti-viral, anti-bacterial, moisturising, soothing, melts in beautifully.

COLD PRESSED CAMELLIA (TEA SEED) OIL: healing, softening, nourishing, packed full of micro-nutrients… See this page!

COLD PRESSED OLIVE OIL: contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, proteins, minerals and anti-oxidants. A traditional, infamous ingredient for beauty and healthcare.

CANDELILLA WAX: a vegan alternative to beeswax, this succulent plant from the Chihuahan desert is full of nutrients and gives good shine.

ROSEMARY: a favorite of Paracelsus, a renowned German-Swiss physician and botanist, who made significant contributions to the understanding of herbal medicine during the 16th century. Anti-bad-breath(!) and concentration-boosting, it has antiseptic and anti-microbial qualities.

SPIKE LAVENDER: a European hybrid of Lavender which produces many of the same properties of Lavender without the drowsy effects. Lavender is gentle and soothing. (Sidenote: a study released in 2007 said that inhaling rosemary oil and lavender oil for five minutes significantly reduced the levels of cortisol in the test subject’s saliva, which could seriously decrease the dangers inherent from chronic stress.)

PEPPERMINT: cooling and refreshing. Menthol can help clear the respiratory tract; it adds some ‘zing’ to the mix.

Due to the nature of these natural ingredients, a small amount of crystallisation/melting and re-setting may occur if the balm is exposed to changes in temperature – this doesn’t affect the quality of the product even remotely, and any possible crystals will melt away upon rubbing into your lips.

History (for when you’re sitting comfortably):
The original hand-written (rather long) title for this was ‘BMITW’s Stop-banging-into-things Crash Bang Wallop Bruise Balm’. I made it for my Mum (AKA Best Mum In The World), who seemed at the time to enjoy rather too much walking into inanimate objects and coming up purply-blue. I researched ways in which mother nature can assist in the healing of said multi-coloured thigh-art, and the ingredients I’ve used here all came up trumps.

Having little excuse to use it myself (I don’t tend to walk into things quite as often as my Mum, though am definitely jinxing myself by writing this…), I tried it once as a lip balm. It is now the only lip balm I use alongside the tinted Balmy Gloss for Lippy Roses (and I’ve probably sampled several thousand lip balms in my time!).

….Then, funnily enough, I later discovered that lavender, peppermint and rosemary are the exact components of the trio my Grandma added to the pot of ‘headache cream’, she made me once and which I still treasure (its scent is as incredible as its shelf life!) so obviously there is something extra magical about this blend of essential oils.

Either way, whether you use it as a lip balm or mini body salve, this stuff is deeply nourishing, the perfect texture for sinking decadently into your skin, non-greasy, and smells absolutely wonderful. Multi-purpose is the future. (As is not banging into things.)

Ingredients:
Cocos nucifera (Organic Raw Coconut) oil, Olea europaea (Olive) fruit oil, Camellia oleifera (Camellia Tea) seed oil, Candelilla cera, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf oil, Lavandula latifolia (Lavender) flower oil, Mentha piperita (Peppermint) leaf oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Coumarin*, Geraniol*, Linalool*, Citronellol*, Limonene* (*Naturally occurring in essential oils)

Final note: Back when I was at school, lip balm was currency. Friendships could be formed over the convenient possession of the good stuff. I remember one girl, who shall remain nameless, getting enormously upset when someone else (maybe I) pressed my finger into her pot of lip balm hard enough to make a dent. She preferred to slide her finger around the top, not messing up the smooth plane of the waxy gloss. I put this to you: is there no greater joy than breaking the surface of a new lip balm, digging in deep and making your mark? Whichever camp you fall into, it’s your balm, your rules.

All prices are in GBP.