There are many ways to treat chapped lips. One of the most common and useful ways is to use natural products like wax and different forms of butter to bring the condition under control. In this article, you’ll get to know more about how wax and butter can help prevent chapped lips in the winter.
To learn about what causes chapped lips and how to avoid them, check out the tips to take care of your lips: winter care for chapped lips
How Does Wax Help Chapped Lips in the Winter?
The major role of wax in lip care products is to protect your lips from external damage and seal necessary nourishment from getting stripped away due to dry and cold air in the winter.
Most lip balm products that you will find in the market contain some form of wax. While some of them use beeswax as it helps retain moisture through its natural emulsification properties, many products use vegan, plant-based waxes.
Some of the most common plant-based/vegan waxes include:
Carnauba Wax
A popular plant-based wax is the ‘carnauba wax’. This wax is used in lip balms to get a thick consistency and create a glossy texture.
Candelilla Wax
This wax is sourced from the leaves of Candelilla shrubs found in the northern regions of Mexico. This wax is extremely useful as a mixing agent for other waxes so as to increase their hardness without affecting their melting point.
Jojoba Wax
A quite commonly heard ingredient in the beauty and skincare industry, jojoba oil is made from the seeds of the jojoba plant. An interesting fact is that although the substance is popularly called ‘jojoba oil’ its chemical makeup is actually that of a ‘wax’ and not an ‘oil’. It has great moisturizing and protective capabilities for which it is used in a variety of skincare products.
Many lip balms contain a combination of different types of wax that make them easy to use and apply.
Benefits of Cocoa Butter for Chapped Lips
Cocoa butter might bring delicious chocolate desserts to your mind. This ingredient is not just a staple of the food industry, but also the skincare world.
Cocoa butter has the power to soothe and make your lips feel soft as it is a natural emollient. It is used in lip balms and other skincare products that form a protective layer on your skin and keep it hydrated.
This butter is a type of fat made from cocoa beans. The process of extracting this butter/fat involves firstly roasting, then stripping, and finally pressing the beans.
Cocoa butter contains many important antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E, C, and A that aid with slowing down signs of aging. Another amazing facet of cocoa butter is that it has phytochemicals that researchers have found to be helpful for both your skin as well as your body.
Benefits of Shea Butter for Chapped Lips
Shea butter is another type of fat that is sourced from the shea tree. The seed of the shea tree has two oily kernels inside it. These kernels are removed from the seed and ground into a powder and then boiled in water. The result is the fat or butter rising to the top and solidifying to form shea butter.
Although it is actually an oil, it is quite a thick one and hence named shea butter. It is not only used in skincare products like lip balms and moisturizers but also in other cosmetic products for its ability to go deep within the skin and keep it healthy.
Shea butter has the following vitamins which play an extremely important role in your lips health:
- Vitamin A- Prevents your lips from becoming dry and soothes the skin.
- Vitamin F - A nutrient capable of sealing moisture.
- Vitamin K - Stops, prevents, and repairs chapped lips from bleeding.
- Vitamin E - Moisturises the lips
There are many vegan lip balms with the goodness of cocoa and shea butter that will effectively nourish and keep your lips moisturized.
FAQs
Q1. Which lip balms are considered bad?
Often you’ll find ingredients like menthol and different sorts of alcohol. These substances cause a cool/tingling sensation on your lips making you think it’s working, but it’s actually harmful. You should avoid such lip balms.
Q2. Is there a difference between cocoa butter and butter?
Although cocoa butter uses the term "butter" in its name, it does not have any traces of dairy products and is completely vegan. It has the fragrance and taste of cocoa and is actually classified as vegetable fat.
