Your standard lip balms and ointments are often made with mineral oils and petrochemicals. They’re commonly used for a few reasons: They’re inexpensive, lend products a smooth sensorial experience, and are molecularly large so they sit on the skin, acting as an occlusive. However, for environmental and skin health concerns, we avoid using these in our products. This is why we opt for botanical butters, waxes, and oils to create our balm. However, wax and butter based products feel and operate differently than the options you’re probably familiar with—so making the switch may take some getting used to. 

To start, the texture: Texture is an important factor for any skin care product—you simply won’t use something if you don’t like how it feels, right? Texture preferences are highly individual, and knowing what you’re getting can help set you up for success. Wax and butter based balms can be a bit thicker than mineral oil ones: We like to describe ours as velvety, and think most would agree. 

But then there’s how the ingredients work. Mineral oils coat the lips with a superficial buffering layer. This likely feels great upon application—and probably lasts for several hours given petrochemicals have a large molecular size and stay put. (These are derivatives of fossil fuels after all.) But ultimately, the ingredient isn’t nurturing your lips long term. So instead of transforming the health of your lips overtime, you’re just superficially covering up chaps and flakes. We believe you’re better off nurturing the skin with healing ingredients. 

The best time to use our lip balm is anytime. The soft formula helps the delicate area feel great instantly, and is so enjoyable to glide on. Apply it in the morning to give your skin a quenching burst of hydration. Keep it handy to ease chaps and dryness throughout the day. Give the skin a generous coat before bed to keep the area soft overnight. You’ll find that the formula lasts and provides continuous support, but we wouldn’t be surprised if you regularly applied it just because it feels oh-so delightful.

The ingredients we chose for our formulas are known to be well tolerated by most individuals. We also chose many ingredients that are commonly used to soothe reactive skin. But everyone has sensitivities unique to their skin. So we encourage potential buyers to evaluate the ingredient list prior to purchasing to make sure that they are not personally reactive to any botanical. At this time there is no legal definition or regulation of “hypoallergenic,” “sensitive skin safe,” or “allergen-free.”: that means you must be diligent about reading the product label to ensure you don’t come into contact with your particular allergens.

Oil-based topicals only need stabilizers to avoid rancidity and oxidation, as well as ensure efficacy and shelf-life. Water-based formulas need stronger preservatives, as they can be a breeding ground for bacteria; as this balm is a wax and oil-based topical, it does not require that. Instead, we utilize the multi-use wonder vitamin E (as tocopherol) and rosemary, which can act as a natural stabilizer for lipid-based formulas, as they stop oxidation of oils.

We have gone through rigorous stability testing to ensure a shelf life of up to two years. Every single one of our products has gone through testing in the following areas: physical and chemical testing, packaging stability, accelerated aging, and microbial testing. We did not move forward with any formula until it was able to pass all four of these tests.

Please always check with your local curbside recycling program for your ZIP code, and follow their instructions. This will help ensure that the packing is properly taken care of and given a second life.

The shipping container:

• • Our shipping boxes are made from 100% recycled paper and are fully curbside recyclable.

The product packaging:

• •The balm is housed in an Eco-Smart Resin © and is 100% recyclable with like materials. However, this material goes a step further: Eco Smart containers are a proprietary technology that enables plastic components to fully break down in biologically active environments, like landfills and marine environments. It is fully FDA compliant and made in the USA.

And did we mention that our formulas are made in a plant powered by 100% wind energy?

Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Behenate, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf Extract

Our formulas are free from parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, petrochemicals, common allergens, formaldehyde & formaldehyde releasers, silicones, BHA, BHT & over 1,000 other ingredients regulated by the European Union.