User Review
( votes)
Best Lip Balm
Review Update
While Natural Ice is still a best lip balm favorite of mine for sentimental reasons, I’ve found a couple of other products I like better:
The thing I like about these products are two-fold: One, low price. Two, all-natural ingredients. Not only that, they feel good on the lips. These natural lip balms tend to go on kind of thin and don’t last as long as some of the others, but for the price, you can keep some on hand to use all day long.
Natural Ice Lip Balm Review
Why should I do a review on Natural Ice Lip Balm? Well, because after smashing my lips against a piece of hard steel for the better part of my life, I’d have to say I qualify as a bit of an expert. Unless, you too, are a trumpet or brass player, you might ask why someone would choose to spend their life putting their lips through this torture. If I haven’t just answered your question, I suggest you refer to my article on, Read Naturally. The important thing to know is that being a trumpet player has made me a chronic lip balm user. Those of you who are just occasional lip balm users, may not agree with the information presented here and I will explain why later. For many brass and reed players, lip balm is a way of life. You will notice them as the guys or gals always having a stick of lip balm or ChapStick in their pockets. Long after I gave up playing the horn, I still need to have a stick of lip balm with me at all times during the day as well as by my bed side at night. The best lip balm needs to be something that doesn’t offend. The other thing is that I noticed is that nobody else seems to be doing reviews on Lip Balm these days – and even fewer people have heard of Natural Ice lip balm. Why not? We may not all be trumpet players, but we all have lips, right? Perhaps it is something that is taken for granted or regarded as a personal preference, but I will say from my own personal experience that there may be a better lip balm than the one you are currently using. A trumpet-playing college roommate convinced me of this when he introduced me to one that I had never tried, but became my lasting favorite ever since; Natural Ice Lip Balm.
If lip balm is something that you use infrequently for chapped, dried or cracked lips, just use whatever heals them the quickest and move on. For the rest of us who are obsessed with the way our lips feel at all hours of the day and night, it is important to find a lip balm that is not too sticky, not too waxy; doesn’t burn the lips or smell like a medicine cabinet. There is a time and place for extreme treatment and protection, but every-day lip balm has to make our lips feel, well…normal. So, with our criteria for this review set as, ‘normal-healthy-feeling-lips’, let’s discuss three of the most popular brands; ChapStick, Carmex, Burt’s Bees Wax and compare them to my favorite, Natural Ice.
ChapStick
ChapStick has been a trademark name for lip balm for as long as I can remember. It goes back to at least the mid-70’s when an Olympic skier, Susie Chaffee (nicknamed Susie Chapstick), starred in commercials advertising the product. One word describes ChapStick: Waxy. As long as you’re putting wax on your lips, they’re not going to feel smooth, soft and normal. ChapStick is the worst one I’ve tried. Not only is its texture waxy, but it contains Octinoxate, Octisalate, Octocrylene and Oxybenzone. At least one, if not all of these ingredients make my lips itch. Not everyone has this reaction to ChapStick, but those who do, know what I am talking about. ChapStick? No thanks, Susie.
Carmex
Before I discovered my favorite back in college, I used Carmex. Carmex is less waxy than ChapStick and far better at keeping my lips moist. However, it has one annoying quality. Carmex contains Camphor, Menthol and Phenol. One or more of those ingredients come on a little too strong, not only on the lips but the nose as well. Carmex tries too hard to please and as a result comes off a bit arrogant and obnoxious. Lick your lips and go on to the next one.
Burt’s Bees Wax
It was wrapped along with some other Christmas gifts to me from my daughter, who presented it as a ‘Very Fine, High Quality Lip Balm’. I put it on and was instantly impressed. It felt cool, soothing, yet moist and warm at the same time. Not overly brash or obnoxious like the Carmex. Wow, I thought that perhaps I had finally found a new favorite. My new found joy was short-lived, however, upon taking a glimpse in the mirror and seeing that my lips were completely white. It looked like I had just attempted to put a powdered-donut in my mouth and missed. Burts Bees Wax does contain real wax from bees and hives as well as lanolin, coconut oil, sunflower oil. No where on the listed ingredients, though, do I see powdered donuts sugar, so why does it make my lips look that way? I found myself rubbing the balm off to remove the whitish-looking freak lips, but that sort of ruins the purpose of a lip balm, doesn’t it? For that reason alone, Burt’s Bees Wax is for the birds.
Why Natural Ice Lip Balm is the Best
Let’s rank them:
Lip Balm Ratings
ChapStick: 70
Burt’s Bees Wax: 80
Carmex: 82
Natural Ice Lip Balm: 90
Best Lip Balm Conclusions
Okay, I realize that the other brands are popular for a reason. Also, I realize there are about 6,524 other brands which I have not mentioned or even tried. I’m not a snob about Natural Ice, it just happens to be what’s best for me. In fact, I’ve saved you some time and found where you can buy your favorite brands online. By the way, this is one of the few places, you can still find Natural Ice. Choose the one you like best.
Chapstick Addiction
The best lip balm may be the one that isn’t addicting. After so many years of playing trumpet and thinking I’ve needed some sort of lip balm everyday, I’ve begun noticing I’m addicted to the stuff, whether I play the trumpet or not. I’ve looked into all natural ingredients and ditched all artificial lip balms such as Carmex. If a lip balm has an unknown ingredient which cannot pronounce or spell, odds are good that it is not good for your lips. I’ve begun using coconut oil and slow seem to be weening myself of the habit. Best lip balm is the one that doesn’t have chemicals and create an addiction.
How do you rate Natural Ice?
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I use carmex constantly!!! Maybe I’ll give natural ice a run! Thanks!
You should definitely try Natural Ice. The only reason I ever use Carmex Lip Balm at all is because Natural Ice is so hard to find. I really get tired of the waxy greasiness that carmex leaves on my mouth.
From now on, I will stock up on Natural Ice online. I’ll buy it by the dozen!
Hello. I also play a brass instrument. Trombone. I noticed that you didn’t mention chopsaver. It’s what I use. It’s all natural and works great. It is even made for musicians.
Thanks, Kyle:
You know what? I owe it to myself to try Chop Saver. The only place I can get Mentholatum stick anymore seems to be online.
I’m going to give the chop-saver a try. Thanks for the link!
Rob