Lip balm helps soothe chapped lips and protect them from damage caused by wind, heat and sun. Non-organic lip balms often contain a petroleum product base, chemical coloring and artificial scents and flavors. Certified organic lip balms contain ingredients that meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's standards for organic foods, keeping lips soft and smooth with safe, nontoxic emollients and natural colors and flavors.
Emollient Base
Emollients are oils or waxes that form a moisture barrier on the skin, preventing water contained within the skin from evaporating and leaving the skin dried out. USDA-certified organic emollients include natural waxes as well as oils that have been cold-pressed from nuts, seeds or fruit, according to the Northwestern Health Sciences University. Most organic lip balms begin with beeswax to provide a firm but spreadable base. Different brands then add various emollient oils for texture and moisturizing properties. For example, Badger brand's USDA certified organic lip balms add extra virgin olive oil and castor bean oil to the beeswax base, while certified organic soap maker Dr. Bronner's uses avocado, jojoba seed and hemp seed oils. Each of these serves to soften rough lips and keep them from drying out.
Aloe Vera
The gel of the aloe vera plant is added to many organic lip balms, such as those made by the Badger skin care company. Skin products containing aloe vera are ideal particularly for the cold, drying conditions of winter, according to Dr. Joseph Sweere, a professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Aloe vera improves skin's hydration, speeds up healing and soothes sunburn. Sweere advises that aloe vera contains vitamins that help keep skin soft by bringing oxygen to the skin cells. Aloe vera penetrates into skin and improves blood flow to the area on which it is applied—perfect for warming as well as soothing cold winter-chapped lips.
Scent and Flavor
Organic essential oils and plant extracts are included as lip balm ingredients to add scent and flavor. Their primary purpose is to make the produce aesthetically pleasing, advises Northwestern Health Sciences University. A wide variety of organic scents and flavorings are added to lip balms to create products that appeal to different people's tastes. Scent and flavor ingredients in Badger and Dr. Bronner certified organic lip balms, for example, include vanilla, cedarwood, sweet orange, lavender, ginger, peppermint, spearmint, lemon and lime oils, grapefruit, rose hip, and sweet birch.
