#LipGlam Natural Lip Balm review: Lanolin SOS for your lips

I was pleased to see a new lanolin product on the market from #LipGlam. Lanolin really is the only lip balm worth using. I used to be a lip balm addict – I would get nervy if I didn’t have a tube on me at all times. I only ever used “all natural” ones made of cocoa butter, oils, beeswax etc but they wore off quickly and I would apply it every ten minutes. I switched to lanolin a few years ago, starting with “Dr Lipp’s Original Nipple Balm for Lips”, and I haven’t looked back… Now I find myself only needing to apply lanolin on my lips three to four times a day versus at least twenty times a day (seriously, I was that bad).

#LipGlam (yes, the hashtag is part of the name) is 100% lanolin and is marketed as a multipurpose moisturiser for lips, skin, cuticles, as well as a split end smoother.

If you’re new to lanolin, here’s some condensed info on it…

What is lanolin?

Lanolin is the waxy oil produced by sheep that gives wool its waterproof property. Lanolin is extracted from the fleece after shearing (no animals are harmed to get the lanolin) and then refined to remove impurities.

What’s good about lanolin?

Lanolin is like human skin lipids in that it helps regulate the rate of water loss and hydration of our skin. Lanolin can hold up to 200% of its own weight of water and forms a protective and moisturising barrier while still being breathable.

What else can I use lanolin for?

If I have a cold, I apply lanolin to the skin around my nose to stop it getting flakey and sore. I also apply it on the inside of my nostrils using a cotton bud if the air is dry or if I am going on a long haul flight. I don’t know why, but the inside of my nose is really sensitive to dry air and actually gets quite uncomfortable and sometimes even bleeds! Basically any time I need a heavy duty, protective moisturiser, I use lanolin.

#LipGlam lanolin is the pretty much the same as other lanolin products I’ve used. It has a thick, smooth, translucent, yellow appearance, and softens at skin temperature, not too dissimilar from petroleum jelly (but performs completely differently and is so much better).

I like that #LipGlam comes with a slanted tip that makes it easy to apply as a lip balm. As lanolin is such a multipurpose product and not just a lip balm, product packaging often comes with a plain squeezey tube hole which means you have to put the lanolin on your finger before applying to lips… not really hygienic when you’re out and about.

Lanolin applies clear and melts on the skin, but not so much that it disappears or drips. It’s really long lasting.. even through lots of drinking from bottles and cups of tea. If you apply it to a large area, it can feel a bit tacky, so you probably wouldn’t use it all over your hands for example (although I often mix it with handcream when my hands are very dry). But on the lips, it feels great… very comforting but not at all sticky.

I always seem to have a few different lanolin brands on the go. To be honest, there’s no noticeable difference between them if they are all pure lanolin. The only tangible difference is the packaging. #LipGlam is great for my handbag because it just looks like a normal lip balm and has the applicator tip. At home, I don’t mind using a big dowdy tube of Lansinoh “nipple cream” which works out cheaper per ml (around £10.79 for 40ml vs. £9.99 for 12ml).

If you suffer from dry lips, please, please, please try lanolin as a lip balm – it’s total SOS for the lips. Even the most cracked, flakey lips will be healed and soft by the morning.

#LipGlam is sold for £9.99 from lipglam.com and birchbox.co.uk. If you use the discount code “LIPGLAM30″ at lipglam.com, you get a huge 30% discount off your first order (definitely worth stocking up).

Disclosure: PR sample