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Lips are one of the sensitive body parts which go through harsh conditions daily, like weather, lipstick, makeup, and constant eating. We all know lips do not have any oil glands to keep them moisturised, making us constantly use lip care products.
It is quite important to identify the difference between lip balm and lip oil to decide which is best to keep lips happy and healthy. By the end of this blog, you will easily identify between lip oil and lip balm.
What is Lip Oil?
Lip oil is a lip treatment that combines skincare and makeup together. They are made with nourishing oils as it hydrates lips deeply for a long-lasting gloss and shine. Lip oils are always light in weight and non-comedogenic. They are ideal for a dewy look or a wet look and also for avoiding the feel of gravy lips that lip gloss provides. It supports natural-looking plumpness.
What is Lip Balm?
Lip balm is a wax ointment specially designed to soothe chapped and protect dry lips. It creates a physical barrier on the surface of the lips to lock in moisture throughout the day. They are generally formulated with ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, soothing oils, and petrolatum. Some lip balms also have SPF to protect lips from sun damage. The best part about lip balms is that they can be used daily.
Lip Oil vs Lip Balm - Benefits
Both lip oil and lip balm have different purposes. By knowing about their benefits, you can easily decide what's best for your lips.
Benefits of Lip Oil
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Gloss finish: Lip oil adds a gloss finish whether applied on top of lipstick or the bare lips. It enhances the appearance of the lipstick.
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Hydration: It is formulated with conditioning oils that easily penetrate the lips and provide a deeper effect. It enhances the overall health of the lips.
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Plumpness: When Lip oils are formulated with ingredients like peppermint and hyaluronic acid, they cause lips to tingle a little, which leads to increased blood flow. This way, lips appear fuller for a short period.
- Light texture: Its light texture makes its application easier on top of lipstick. However, the formalisation of lip oils also depends on the oils used to create a light, feathery texture.
Benefits of Lip Balm
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Moisturisation: Intense moisturisation helps with the healing of cracked lips, which could happen for many reasons, such as dry skin, sun damage, or any other factor. Lip balms are formulated with waxes like beeswax, shea wax, or petrolatum, which lock in the moisture and help heal chapped lips.
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Protection against sun damage: It can be used throughout the year without worrying about the sun damage. Most of the lips balms contains SPF protection against UV & UVB rays. It also helps in maintaining the lip’s natural color.
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Adds color: They have a wide range of colour options that sometimes provide a lighter or darker shade according to preference. However, the colour is not as intense as lipstick, as lip balms give a more natural look while keeping the lips moisturised throughout the day.
- Brightens lips: Lip balms are well known to brighten lips as they fade away dark spots and hyperpigmentation, resulting in even tone and brighter lips.
Difference Between Lip Balm and Lip Oil
The difference between lip balm and lip oil lies in its usage, texture, purpose, and goals. Lip balms have a thicker texture as they moisturise the lips all day, and lip oils have a lighter texture. Lip oils can be used on top of lipstick as a gloss to add extra shine, while lip balms are used on bare lips.
Lip oil’s purpose is to give lips a fuller appearance, and lip balms keep lips healthy and protected from sun damage. Ultimately, lip oil’s goal is to plump lips while lip balms maintain their health.
If we look at them from environmental concerns, then lip oils are definitely better as they require smaller tubes or roll-on applications that use less practice compared to lip balm tubes. Plus, lip oils use natural ingredients like jojoba oil, peppermint oil, or avocado oil, which are renewable sources.
Is Lip Oil Better Than Lip Balm?
Lip balm and lip oil have different functions and end goals. Lip balm offers heavy moisturisation and protection against dry lips and harsh weather. Lip oil offers a lightweight texture, which adds glossy shine and creates an illusion of plumpness. It all depends on your needs, or you can try them both.
Conclusion
In the end, the choice lies in the hands of the personal preferences of the person and their requirement for the lip oils and lip balms. If you want to hop on the latest trend, then lip oils are perfect for your lip care essentials. If you are an old soul wanting to moisturise your lips and add a little tint, then lip balms are your go-to choice.
