The Battle of the Balms (Cruelty Free Lip Balm Reviews)

Winter, also known as the season of chapped dry lips, is a thing at the moment. A good lip balm is your best friend, and while I've been know to say that you can never have too many, some are definitely better than others.

I've gathered together a small selection of cruelty free lip balms to let you know which ones I think work best.

All of them are vegetarian, and all but the Dr Organic Balm, which contains beeswax, are vegan.

The Bargain Balm: 

'The Little Blue Tin' by Superdrug £1.49 (£7.45 per 100g)

This little fellow is the standard cruelty free Vaseline dupe. It's 100% Petrolatum Jelly and like Vaseline there are a few 'special' ones to pick from too (spf protection, alovera, and a soothing balm). This does the job, and it definitely doesn't break the bank.  However, since trying some other products I've found ones that I think do the job a little bit better/quicker. BUT, it's a great cheap stable, and perfect for all those other crazy beauty and non beauty 'Vaseline' uses.

(Since I brought mine the product has been re-branded, it's now called 'the little moisturising blue tin, pretty ground breaking stuff, and come in a slightly lighter blue container - click the title link to see an updated image) 

The Magic Balm:
'Ultrabalm' by Lush £8.95 (45g) 

Ultrabalm is Lush's answer to Vaseline. It's technically an 'all purpose balm', and i'll happily back this claim up. It's great for softening tough patches of skin (think dry elbows and and ankles) and fantastic  at saving lips. If I apply this at night to really battered lips, there will be a noticeable difference in the morning, your lips will be pretty much back to normal. 

I've been know to call it magic, but I've been assured that it's completely natural, with Organic Jojoba Oil, Candelilla Wax and Rose Wax being the only ingredients. 

It's not the cheapest, but it really works, and you get a beastly amount, mine has lasted me ages - just look at my poor battered pot with no label. (Nicer photos can be found on Lush' website!)

My only reservation is that as its pretty heavy duty, miracle working stuff, it does sink nicely into the skin, but not instantly, give it 5 mins. This isn't really a problem, especially if you're applying it to your lips, but I though I better give you the heads up.

The Flavored Balm:
'Lemonade Lip Balm' by Crazy Rumors £3.49 (15oz tube)

I've heard lots and lots of amazing things about Crazy Rumours, but I have to admit that I wasn't blown away. I think my main issue was this particular flavor, it really does taste of lemonade, but I found it a little strong - it has that fizzy taste, which makes it feel a bit like a lip plumper and I'm not a massive fan.

As far as I can tell, it is moisturising, its the perfect size for your bag, and there are tonnes of flavors to pick from, including an au natural one which may be the one for me. Let me know if you've tried out Crazy Rumors and have any suggestions! 

It's a US Company and the title link will take you there, but if you're in the UK you can pick them up in Holland and Barrett or from this website here.

The Nurturing Balm:
'Luscious Lemon and Lime Organic Lip Balm' by Heavenly Organics Skin Care £3.49 (5g)

Heavenly Organics is a relatively new find for me, and I really really like it. It has a really nice fresh flavor (which is probably true for the'mint and tea tree' one too). 

It also does the job.  It's moisturising and sinks in to you lips really well, so it good for applying before lip products if you want to keep the finish matte or not mix the two together. Or if you just want a good nourishing balm that sinks into your lips!  

The only ingredients are organic cocoa butter, shea butter, and essential oils for the flavor. I picked mine up at a cruelty free fair, but you can find a list of stockists here.

The Fresh SPF Balm:
'Organic Aloe Vera Lib Balm' by Dr. Organic £3.49 (5ml)

I love the flavour of this balm. The Aloe Vera makes it feel so clean and fresh. It works as a good 'wake me up, zingy, lets go be productive' balm. (because apparently that's a thing) It's also really moisturing and, like the Heavenly Organics Balm, sinks in quickly. 

I also love that this lip balm has spf so it's a great all year round product (and as far as I can tell, this the only reason that it has some synthetic ingredients, they all seem to have sun protection qualities).

 If Aloe Vera isn't for you, there are tonnes of other options, and Dr Organic is currently buy one get one half price at Holland and Barrett so it's a great time to try it out. 

Share you favorite lip balms with me in the comments, together we can battle through this winter!