Medically reviewed by Minimalist Health Specialist - Written by Rupali Goswami (Beauty Expert) on 24th Feb 2021
What are tinted lip balms? Ingredients you should look for.
Millennials love to multitask, and millennials love minimalism, which is why we at Minimalist create products that can multitask to keep your beauty game simple and fuss-free. Years ago, BB and CC creams came as a blessing which offered several benefits, including moisturization, coverage, and SPF, to name a few. One such versatile product is tinted lip balms that hydrate the lips and add a tinge to the lips, making the whole face look fresher instantly.
But are tinted lip balms any different from regular lip balms, or are they just a marketing term for a sheer coverage lipstick? Let's find out.
Tinted Lip Balm 101
As the name suggests, tinted lip balms are specially meant for lip hydration along with a tint of color. It can be called a hybrid between lipstick and lip balm. However, the pigmentation isn't as intense as lipstick. Depending on the formulation, some tinted lip balms can also be used as rouge for the cheeks and as a highlighter to illuminate the face's high points. Tinted lip balms have been around for quite some time, and the market has expanded so much that today they come in different flavors, colors and glitter.
Ingredients you must look for in a Lip Balm
While tinted lip balms are a must-have in one's vanity to keep the lips flushed and soft, it is super important to pick one with moisturizing ingredients and, if possible, an SPF because we preach wearing SPF on any part of the body that is exposed.
Look for these wonderful ingredients to give your lips the ultimate nourishment:
Shea Butter:
Extracted from the nut of the African Shea tree, this natural fat with its high concentration of fatty acids and vitamins is a must-have for dry lips. Apart from that, shea butter is also anti-inflammatory and has healing properties. And did you know shea butter is also edible?
Sweet Almond Oil:
Sweet Almond Oil has been used since ancient times by women to keep their lips blooming like rosebuds. It is a rich source of Vitamin E, which not only nourishes the lips but is also a powerful antioxidant that repairs any free radical damage in the skin.
Castor Oil:
Made from famous castor beans, castor oil is a deeply penetrating oil rich in essential fatty acids and antioxidants, which help to deeply moisturize the skin on the lips while forming a protective barrier to shield them from environmental aggressors. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), castor oil and hemp seed oil are among the oils recommended by dermatologists to help soothe chapped lips.
Honey:
Honey is an excellent humectant, which means it is a moisture drawing magnet. Honey helps to hydrate dry lips, soothe chapped lips, and keep bacteria and infections away from being antibacterial.
Cocoa butter:
The delicious smelling cocoa butter is rich in fatty acids and phytochemicals, helping the lips hold on to moisture and heal chapped lips. It is also rich in antioxidants and therefore scavenges free radical damage. Free radicals are unpaired electrons that try to take electrons from the cells and, in the process, wreak havoc on the cellular DNA. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals.
Petroleum Jelly or Mineral Oil:
Petroleum jelly or mineral oil has had a bad reputation for so long. But they are excellent occlusives for trapping onto moisture and are commonly used to heal chapped lips.
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E is the most well-known antioxidant in the cosmetic industry. Antioxidants are substances that scavenge the activity of free radicals or electrons and thereby help prevent or delay cellular damage. Vit E is commonly/usually used in lip balm due to its nourishing properties.
Zinc Oxide:
It is not just the facial skin that needs SPF but also the lips, which are five times more delicate than the skin on the face. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are common in sunscreens for both skin and lips because they help block UV rays.
Note:
Watch out for synthetic dyes or colors used in tinted balms that serve the purpose of visual appeal. It is better to avoid these synthetic dyes as the colorants are often sourced from heavy metals or coal-tar, a byproduct of petroleum.
Tips To Getting Rid Of Chapped Lips
Did you know that the skin on the lips is five times more delicate than the skin on our face? And yet we make it go through all the torture, starting with layering on a variety of lipsticks, lip plumper, sipping hot drinks, wiping and rubbing, and you get us. Besides, the lips are one area where we can safely say that almost all of you do not use or put an SPF. Hence they are prone to chapping, cracking, and pigmentation.
But we are here like always to help solve any of your beauty woes.
Here is what you can do to get rid of dry, chapped lips and have soft baby lips:
- Exfoliate your lips at least twice a week to get rid of the dry skin and remove any lip products' residue. A simple homemade sugar scrub or rubbing with the end of a towel dipped in warm water should be enough. But if you are feeling fancy, then sure, go ahead and pick an over-the-counter lip scrub.
- Moisturize your lips just like you moisturize the rest of your skin. Lip oil, lip balms, lip salves, whatever you prefer, seal the moisture on your lips and prevent it from escaping with an occlusive like petroleum jelly.
Tip:
Apply your favorite fragrance-free moisturizer on your lips to hydrate them.
- Protect your lips from UV exposure by going with lip products - balms, tints, or lipsticks with an SPF. Coconut oil is a natural sun protectant with an SPF of around 8.
- Avoid drinking very hot beverages to stop damaging the skin on your lips.
- Watch out for synthetic dyes used in lip products, as often they tend to pigment the lips.
How To Remove Lip Pigmentation
Lip pigmentation is a major cosmetic concern among several, and believe it or not is very hard to get rid of. While we recommend starting self-treatment by first wearing an SPF meant for lips and avoid sipping very hot beverages, try to look for ingredients such as kojic acid, licorice, alpha arbutin, etc., to lighten discoloration and get rid of the pigmentation.
Kojic Acid is a chemical compound obtained as a metabolic byproduct from various fungi (Aspergillus and Penicillium). It also occurs naturally in fermented foods like rice wine (sake), soya sauce, etc. Kojic acid inhibits the activity of melanin synthesizing enzyme- tyrosinase and therefore helps prevent dark lips. Melanin is the pigment responsible for skin color. More melanin means darker skin, and less melanin means darker skin. Melanin production is triggered in the skin when exposed to UV rays or is trying to heal an injury.
Arbutin is the naturally occurring alternative to Hydroquinone, a widely used skin lightening agent/ingredient. Arbutin is derived from bearberry, mulberry, blueberry, cranberry, wheat, and some pears. Most formulations use Arbutin in its stable form - Alpha Arbutin, glycosylated Hydroquinone, a pure water-soluble, biosynthetic active ingredient. The hydroquinone group allows Arbutin to act as an inhibitor of tyrosinase, resulting in brighter, blemish-free skin.
Lastly, remember the three golden steps for rosy soft lips - nourish, protect and pout.
