Why is it that traveling makes you feel like you need to moisturize your skin twice as often? Maybe it’s the stale airplane air, the change in weather, or simply forgetting to drink enough water throughout the travel day. All of the above can quickly zap your skin of precious moisture.
To tend to your dry skin, you may toss a face cream, mist, or mask into your travel tote for easy access, but what about a trusty lip balm? We often discuss protecting the moisture barrier on your face, but your lips suffer from traveling, too, especially if you’re not prioritizing high-quality ingredients in your moisturizing products.
That’s why board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D., won’t travel without a lip balm on hand for ultimate hydration, and her all-time favorite grab is mindbodygreen’s winning formula. Here’s what makes our lip balm an all-star for jet setters.
Why this derm doesn’t travel without mbg’s lip balm.
“Traveling always leaves my lips dry and chapped and begging for moisture,” says Barr (we all can relate). “[mbg’s] lip balm was the perfect solution to heal and nourish my lips with a blend of humectants, emollients, and occlusives to hydrate my skin and seal in the moisture.”
That blend of three different moisturizing agents is what separates the top-notch lip balms from those that can make your lips feel even drier. The combination of humectants, emollients, and occlusives can pull in water, build up the skin barrier, andtrap in moisture. If your lip balm only includes humectants, for example, it might pull in water, but that water can easily evaporate on that top layer of skin, which can leave your lips drier than they were before. If your product only includes occlusives (common in waxy, jelly balms), it effectively creates a barrier over the skin but doesn’t actually send any hydration to the lips. See the issue here?
As Barr notes, mbg’s lip balm includes ingredients from all three categories to hydrate, soothe, and protect the moisture barrier, resulting in softer, healthier lips. Specifically, there’s hyaluronic acid to draw in water and fill up the lips with moisture, shea and cocoa seed butters to smooth out any rough areas, moringa seed oil for nurturing extra dry and irritated skin, and sunflower seed wax to help form a physical barrier over the lips (and it’s vegan!). Plus, there’s vitamin E to help heal chapped areas and uncomfortable lip cracks. “Chock-full of ingredients rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, this lip balm is a keeper,” Barr adds.
While the ingredient lineup is the top priority, we’d argue a plush sensorial experience matters just as much. After all, if you enjoy the look and feel of the lip balm, you might be more inclined to use it throughout the day. And Barr is a big fan of this lip balm’s comfortable, velvety texture: “The balm glides on the skin with such ease, leaving your lips feeling silky smooth,” she explains. “It’s the best part because when your lips are dry and irritated, the last thing you want is a waxy or chalky product tugging on your sensitive skin.”
Traveling can be tough on your skin, and the delicate lip area is especially prone to dryness. If you want to treat fragile skin like a derm, don’t forget to have a high-quality lip balm on hand. Our favorite (and Barr’s) prioritizes powerful and naturally derived ingredients to deeply moisturize thirsty lips, making it a travel-bag staple.
