The Balmiest
It’s an affliction that must be addressed but must it be addressed so often and with so many various products? Judging by the contents of my purse, my tote bag, my desk drawer, glove box and pockets, the answer is a rip-roaring YES! Some might call it an addiction and it is, in the emotional sense, but rest assured it’s not really possible to be hooked on lip balm in any damaging physical way.
The “need” for so much lip balm is a trifecta of weather conditions, the absence of sebaceous glands and the boomerang effect of constantly licking our lips to restore moisture with, you got it, ultra-drying saliva. The only reasonable cure is an attempt at locking in moisture with an occlusive substance. Vaseline and Aquaphor do a good job of total occlusion and also feel better than those little yellow jars that are full of wax, camphor, and menthol that actually have a drying effect on our lips. Some of us like a side of glamour with our constant reapplication game and so we offer lots and lots of favorites, some with color and slip and others that have a debriding effect to make lips smoother. Overnight lip “masks” are dreamy and one even smells like lavender to make our sleep even dreamier. Our top three are from RMS, BITE BEAUTY and LANIEGE, with an Honorable ITG Mention to the super-luxe LaMER but with the obsessive need for one tube or pot in every available pocket, we are thrilled to have so many and some even affordable choices.
All of our recommendations are curated by Susan & the In The Groove editorial team. In some, but not all cases, we receive a small commission for leading you to what, how and where to buy all this wonderful stuff.
