I went to Boots today to seek out a lip balm that contains humectants; ingredients that moisturise the lips by drawing moisture into the outer layers of the skin. Previously, I'd discovered that the classic lip balms I've been using do not include ingredients that add moisture, they only contain ingredients that act as a barrier to stop existing moisture evaporating.
A shop assistant saw me studying the lip balms for an age, and suggested that I try the creams in the medicine aisle, alongside the cold sore remedies. I found two products here that looked altogether more serious (and less pretty) than the other lip balms. They both claimed they were suitable for cracked lips as well as cold sores.
1. Blistex Relief Cream
Active Ingredients: Aromatic Ammonia Solution 6.04%, Ammonia Solution 0.10%, Liquified Phenol 0.494%
Other Ingredients: White Paraffin, Modified Lanolin, Sorbitan Palmitate, Polysorbate 40, Peppermint, Sodium Saccharin, Ethanol, Camphor, Cineoli, Purified Water
Ammonia and phenol are antiseptic and mild anaesthetic so may help cracked lips feel better, but they won't help moisturise them. White paraffin and lanolin are both occlusives, helping create a barrier to prevent moisture loss. The remaining ingredients are emulsifiers, fragrances and alcohols, but not humectants.
Conclusion: this cream may soothe sore lips more than typical lip balms, but it doesn't seem to contain any moisturising ingredients over and above the barrier-creating occlusives found in typical lip balms. The search must go on!
2.Boots Lip and Cold Sore Relief Cream
Active Ingredients: Cetrimide 0.5%, Chlorocresol 0.1%, Dimethicone 9%, Urea 1%
Other Ingredients: Deonised Water, Liquid Paraffin, Cetostearyl Alcohol
This cream is more promising. It contains urea, which as well as being a humectant, also helps break down the bond in the outer layer of skin, quickening the shedding of flaking skin. Don't panic! Urea is contained in urine, but this will not be the source of the urea in cosmetics! According to wikipedia it is also a flavour enhancer in cigarettes! It's not clear what concentration of urea is required to be effective though, and this cream only contains 1%. Dimethicone and paraffin are both occlusives so should help to lock in the extra moisture provided by the urea. Chlorocresol is an antiseptic but can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.
Conclusion: This is the first lip balm I've found that contains a humectant as well as occlusives. I'll be buying this one and surreptitiously applying it from the tube that screams the word 'cold sores'!
A shop assistant saw me studying the lip balms for an age, and suggested that I try the creams in the medicine aisle, alongside the cold sore remedies. I found two products here that looked altogether more serious (and less pretty) than the other lip balms. They both claimed they were suitable for cracked lips as well as cold sores.
1. Blistex Relief Cream
Active Ingredients: Aromatic Ammonia Solution 6.04%, Ammonia Solution 0.10%, Liquified Phenol 0.494%
Other Ingredients: White Paraffin, Modified Lanolin, Sorbitan Palmitate, Polysorbate 40, Peppermint, Sodium Saccharin, Ethanol, Camphor, Cineoli, Purified Water
Ammonia and phenol are antiseptic and mild anaesthetic so may help cracked lips feel better, but they won't help moisturise them. White paraffin and lanolin are both occlusives, helping create a barrier to prevent moisture loss. The remaining ingredients are emulsifiers, fragrances and alcohols, but not humectants.
Conclusion: this cream may soothe sore lips more than typical lip balms, but it doesn't seem to contain any moisturising ingredients over and above the barrier-creating occlusives found in typical lip balms. The search must go on!
2.Boots Lip and Cold Sore Relief Cream
Active Ingredients: Cetrimide 0.5%, Chlorocresol 0.1%, Dimethicone 9%, Urea 1%
Other Ingredients: Deonised Water, Liquid Paraffin, Cetostearyl Alcohol
This cream is more promising. It contains urea, which as well as being a humectant, also helps break down the bond in the outer layer of skin, quickening the shedding of flaking skin. Don't panic! Urea is contained in urine, but this will not be the source of the urea in cosmetics! According to wikipedia it is also a flavour enhancer in cigarettes! It's not clear what concentration of urea is required to be effective though, and this cream only contains 1%. Dimethicone and paraffin are both occlusives so should help to lock in the extra moisture provided by the urea. Chlorocresol is an antiseptic but can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.
Conclusion: This is the first lip balm I've found that contains a humectant as well as occlusives. I'll be buying this one and surreptitiously applying it from the tube that screams the word 'cold sores'!
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