Hoarder Lite Lip Balm

I'm a hoarder.  Actually not in the television show "Hoarders" sense of the word, but more like  "Hoarder Lite".  Especially when it comes to travel-sized hand moisturizers and lip balms.  I can't just have one of each, and have to transfer it back and forth from my glovebox to my work bag to my evening bag to my gym bag to my nightstand. That would just be ridonkulous.  But in all those places, there needs to be: 1) hand lotion, and 2) lip balm, at all times for me to be happy and sane.  I may have stumbled across a solution for this special need of mine.

For years, my go-to nighttime lip balm was Laura Mercier's Lip Silk.  Great formula, nice non-gooey texture, no strange odor, and does the job, even in the dry winter months when my lips start flaking off in Frosted Flakes-sized chunks.

But this week, to make sure I had balm for, well, everywhere, I picked up some Chapstick Ultra Renewal Nighttime Formula at CVS.  I was pleasantly surprised!  While just a teeninstiest thinner in consistency versus LM Lip Silk, it was nearly identical in overall feel and results.  And I can get 7 of these fancy Chapsticks for one LM Lip Silk.  And those of you who know me, know I have terrible spendy-ness issues (that I'm trying hard to be better about) - so I'm not trying to be cheap.  But crap, if something costs so much less and does the same damn thing, it's just stupid to keep using the pricey item...right?

 

And here's the kicker...in checking out the ingredient list of these two products (really to convince myself that I really should be spending $3.50 instead of $20), I found two interesting things: 1) They are remarkably similar - see footnote, and 2) Laura Mercier kills funny-looking birds to use their fat so we can spread it all over our lips.

The Emu

Don't get me wrong - I'm no vegan (Not that there's anything wrong with that. More power to ya, vegans.), and I sure do love my leather boots and I love me some free-range chicken, but the idea of bludgeoning this goofy sad bird to slather its blubber (What really is emu oil?) on my lips is just kinda gross.

So give this Chapstick thing a try...and save the world from dry lips, one pucker at a time!


Footnote:

Ingredient lists

Laura Mercier Lip Silk 

Active Ingredient: Dimethicone. Other Ingredients: Petrolatum, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum) (and) Hydrogenated Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer (and) Hydrogenated Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Coploymer, Emu Oil (Dromiceicus), Tricontanyl PVP, Cyclomethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Allantoin, Apple Extract (Pyrus Malus), Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Silica, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben.

Chapstick Ultra Renewal Nighttime Formula

Active Ingredients: Dimethicone (2%).  Inactive Ingredients: Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Colloidal Silicon dioxide, Cyclomethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Isocetyl Stearate, Lactic Acid, Methylparaben, Microcrystalline Wax, Mineral Oil, Propylparaben, Salicylic Acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin E Acetate, White Petrolatum