Green Lips

I am a lip balm junkie. I always have been. As a young child I would get horrendously chapped lips that would dry and crack and bleed. My earliest memory of a balm was Blistex in a tiny metal tube. My father always had one nearby...I guess it's hereditary. At school, the nurse would give me a little petroleum jelly and ahhhh, sweet relief. Then came Vaseline Petroleum Jelly lip balm. After that, Chap Stick then Avon's Dew Kisses Lip Dew and Mary Kay's Satin Lips. I even wore a balm around my neck for a while. Now I keep a stash everywhere. One at work, one on each side table on opposite ends of the couch, one next to the bed, in each bathroom, in my purse, in the car. I even make Patrick carry one around for me sometimes. If I don't have a lip balm nearby I start to hyperventilate.

Where does all this balm come from and is it good for the earth? Is it good for us? Am I putting toxins on my lips that could be absorbed into my body? I don't have all the answers but I do know that most balms have petroleum in them and that is not such a good thing. Not only does the production of petroleum based products contribute to global warming but it turns out that small amounts of petroleum could be inhaled and cause lipid pneumonia! YIKES!

So what are the alternatives for an addict like me? Burt's Bees has a plethora of natural products made with recycled packaging. They even list their ingredients for you (and they are natural ingredients that we've heard of) right on their site. Eco Lips is one of my favorites. I discovered it when it was featured in Real Simple magazine. Knowing my love for balms, Patrick's mother bought me one to try. I loved it and still use it every day (it's the one on the right side of the couch). They use organic ingredients and are on a mission to save the environment.

I'll be trying more natural balms in the near future. Please let me know if you have any recommendations.