Jan 24, 2022 - Beauty
Like many people, I get horribly dry and chapped lips every winter. I have tried many of the super-emollient, intensive, and vey pricey balms out there, and I am here to tell you that Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm is the best of them all, and rings in at just under $5. It both protects and heals, and this hue—it’s called Rose—imparts the most delightfully subtle wash of color.
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Kim France
I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
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I was born in Houston, Texas in 1964 and have lived in New York City since 1988. I had a long career in magazines, working at Sassy, Elle, New York, and Spin, and in 2000, I founded Lucky magazine, which I edited for ten years.
Umm, this is a bit embarrassing, but my new non-fabric mask is kind of smelly. Should I try to make it smell better? does this mean it’s a fake? It’s kind of hard to shop for a mask on the does-it-smell-bad basis. Is this happening to anyone else? Does anyone have a mask that they like? I have really no idea what is in this thing. Harrumph.
Found looking for good masks so stressful, so very glad to share findings based on suggestions from doc friends: ProjectN95 for authentic N95 masks. You pay shipping, but they’re a non-profit and you know you’re not getting scammed on Amazon. Kollecte USA for Korean made KF94s and KN95s. None of mine from either of those sources has smelled funny, and the KF94s have been really comfortable & work well for teaching, meetings, etc. I like the shape for talking easily behind, and the adjustable ear loops to keep them close but not painfully tight. Glasses don’t fog up, so the seal seems to be good.
Ah, thank you so much!!! Wow, it is very kind of you. Just fantastic!!
Also behealthy usa.net for kf94s, and bonafidemasks.com for kn95s and n95s. Behealthy has a mask sampler pack which I really appreciated for trying different models before stocking up.
Thanks! This is good to know.
I like this stuff but lately only Aquaphor slathered on my lips at night helps.
I really wanted to love the Burt’s Bees lip products but they made me breakout around my mouth. I have very sensitive skin.
My suspects from their ingredient list narrow down to “aroma/flavor” (no way to know what they use there), lanolin, and rosemary.
The joy of wearing fun lipstick in public is one of those small and dumb, but sharply felt losses of the pandemic for me. I miss it so much!
Even the colored Burt’s Bees, which I love and wore on the regular pre-panini, stains the inside of a mask, so silly to waste it and waste a good mask :(.
This is my go-to also. I’m just about to run out of their discontinued color, Petunia, the perfect winter nude. Why do these companies do it? Why, why, why?
I miss Josie Maran’s Coconut Water-! Those little pots worked both as blush and a supple balm. Never sticky, never made my lips peel, just a bouncy wash of color and moisture for hours. I wish they’d start making it again.
Those were great! Still searching for a good replacement.
Butting in to ask for recs for another winter basic – hand cream! I’ve been using O’Keeffe’s Working Hands since Covid began (so, pretty much forever) but think I need to change it up. My pre-Covid favorite was Barr but since it is pricey I’d see what fellow GoaCAers are using.
I switch between O’Keeffe’s (use both Working Hands and Healthy Feet) and Weleda Light Skin Food. Between the 2, they get it done.
I also have loved carrying a 2 oz container of La Conner (boutique skincare from WA state) moisturizing lotion in my backpack/bag for between handwashes. I’m not a big fragrance person, but their scents are divine (esp the citrusy ones like Rosewood+Blood Orange).
The La Conner is great as an everyday or summer moisturizer too, as its lighter texture absorbs nicely. Here’s a link: https://www.handmadelaconner.com/collections/ladies/products/daily-moisturizing-lotion-citrusy-2-ounce
Dionis goat milk hand cream. I use unscented but the smells are lovely as well. I’m sure you can get it on line, but I have gotten it at Plow and Hearth too.
Try Weleda Skin Food (the original, ultra rich)
I used to swear by Nivea but since making the switch to all cruelty-free, I’ve tried and enjoyed both of these:
https://www.iherb.com/pr/nubian-heritage-hand-cream-coconut-papaya-4-fl-oz-118-ml/15991
https://www.iherb.com/pr/a-la-maison-de-provence-hand-body-lotion-honeysuckle-5-fl-oz-150-ml/65294
Trader Joe’s also makes a really nice Brazil Nut body butter that is great as hand cream, but I find it too scented for my taste. (Nice scent, just too much of it, for me.)
Just wanted to add to Heather’s helpful comment and links — the site iHerb, which I also use, is amazing. Even in the depths of the pandemic, their boxes were always delivered quicker than anyone else’s. I use them for their food stuff, like nuts and seeds, and now will check out their hand cream products.
It is the Bum Bum cream dupe. I could never find it at my Trader Joe’s.
I had no idea it was the Bum Bum dupe, thanks! (I don’t think I’ve seen it very often either, but will keep a look out.)
Oh funny! I bought several containers but ended up having to give them away because the scent was too strong for me.
@CD I also really like iHerb and use them frequently.
Hi Eloise, the Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer is a fave in our home – and lasts forever. Welda Skin Food Light has MVP status for everything, but I find has nice staying power when taking gloves on/off. My son is a rock climber and the Rhino brand Repair cream keeps his hands amazingly soft and callouses from splitting despite how many hours he’s in the gym. I am also enjoying State Of’s Relief Arnica Hand and Joint Cream and Nivea’s Anti-Age Q10 handcream. The Nivea that’s made in Germany is truly better than the American Nivea that you’ll find in Target. I have clearly channeled my love of red lipstick into hand cream.
As a Brit, I agree on European Nivea. Sadly the scent is a migraine no-go for me. I’ve been using Osmia’s new hand cream this winter and will probably keep buying despite the Aspen price tag because the effects last and their ethos is good. (I live on a boat 8 months of the year, seen the plastic waste and reef decimation, trying to support companies that make considered environmental decisions).
So cool that you live on a boat, Maggie! Would love to hear more about that sometime.
I like a super-emollient hand cream, and my staple is the Trader Joe’s Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream. I wish it were unscented, but at least the fragrance dissipates quickly. Bonus: The price is right!
I got my husband some Yu-Be this month and he reports there’s no stinging when he applies. (There is a camphor smell, but it goes away quickly. Actually, the two of us really like camphor so we’re kind of sorry it doesn’t last.) I’ve liked the Yu-Be as well, but because I’m already very vigilant on the moisturizing front, my husband is the better testing gauge. Meanwhile, I have the Burt’s Bees in Rose within reach as I type. I only regret that this wasn’t available in my high school years.
A childhood spent covered in Campho-phenique has left me fond of the camphor smell, too. I also get a little swoony at Vicks Vapo-Rub—when I didn’t have bug bites, I had croup. If you know, you know….
I use this on my hands: https://www.eucerinus.com/products/baby/baby-eczema-relief-cream
Love this stuff too. I like Red Red Dahlia and just got Rose yesterday to try. they are on sale at Wholefoods this week (in NYC and maybe everywhere? )
I love the Red Dahlia, too. Perfect to keep in my pocket for a lipstick touchup without needing a mirror. I have been using it for years.
Totally true. I keep tubes of this in my purse, the car, my cosmetic bag for travel, my office for Zoom meetings. A great deal and a great product for keeping lips protected (esp in the winter) but with a nice wash of color.
I used to use this, but I’m not sure why I quit. Probably the lure of something new.
Same! But I JUST found a tube in a drawer, so here we go again…..
My favorite is Bite’s agave lip mask. Nothing else has ever worked so well for me. I rarely see it mentioned, but it has been nearly miraculous for me. It also lasts forever.
As for lip balm, I like Burt’s Bees ok, but I really like Aldi’s dupe of the Nivea balm (their lame brand name is LaCura), Tarte jelly glaze lip mask (might be being phased out), and Cetaphil healing balm, which comes in a giant tub. But really any of those fancy Vaseline-like ones will do.
I’m a big fan of Caudalie’s hand cream (and I have converted others to it). I rub it in well before bed and usually don’t need any during the day.
I like Ahava mineral hand cream which is pricey. I discovered it in a sample box and then found a large holiday pump bottle for 60% off at Nordstrom Rack so I’m set for a while. Another sample I like is Neom’s Perfect Night’s Sleep hand cream, which I have a sample of, but not sure if I would buy another tube. It does smell lovely and isn’t greasy at all.
Sorry to hijack the comments but I really appreciate the hand cream recommendations – I have Weleda Skin Food in the house but for some reason never thought to use it on my hands (??) and am going to enjoy researching and trying the others mentioned!
I like it but find it a bit too greasy to use during the day. I do like using it before bed on my hands and feet.
As someone with Mojave Desert-like dry skin, my lips suffer every winter – even with copious amounts of water and 2 humidifiers going in our NYC apartment. The thing I’ve found that works best for me is old school Homeoplasmine. It lasts forever and I love the matte finish
I’m intrigued to revisit Burt’s, thank you Kim! In the past their products left me with the dreaded lip tidemark. So I switched to Boscia’s cherry blossom, now my go-to for the past 2 winters. No color, but I layer it with the Sisley phyto lip Kim mentioned a few months ago and the results even survive my mask.
Maggie I am forever in your debt for the phrase “lip tidemark”! The tinted Burt’s Bees balm never stay on my lips. I really like Ethique’s tinted balm, and for Goacas who care about packaging, it comes in a compostable paper tube. I love the hand cream recommendations. If I can tear myself away from Weleda Skin Food (original), I’ll try them.