Sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones. Here’s why balms rock…
Everyone has a desert island beauty product, right? For many, it’s mascara. For others, it might be a fancy cream or serum, or a rose face mist. But if I had to sustain on a single beauty item for the rest of my life I would, without question, choose a balm.
Here’s why: a good salve or balm can heal cuts, soothe eczema, nourish dry skin, and even substitute makeup in a hurry. Balms, ointments and salves are the original beauty multitasker, yet so often underrated. And I’m not referring to your average petroleum-based lip balm, but the natural ones that are concentrated, and packed with nutrients, vitamins, and goodness to do so more than moisturise.
Salves and balms might be small yet mighty, powered by five-star ingredients like luxurious butters and seed oils, or cutting edge new natural materials that make them feel cushiony and leave a silky non-sticky skin.
Since the amount required is tiny, balms are mostly bottled in cute, travel-friendly packaging—some of them even come in solid texture, so you don’t have to worry about spills.
It’s definitely my favourite autumn and winter product — offering healing and protection when your skin is chapped, flaky and suffering from sudden cold weather and aggressive indoor heating.
Stay tuned, we will be releasing a limited edition soon of our five-stars Cocooning Balm.
How To Use Balms
To remove long-wear lipstick.
Salves and balms are oil-based, so they’re ideal for breaking down those stubborn, long-wear lipsticks that linger long after washing your face or using a makeup-removing wipe. Just scoop a small amount with your finger, apply to your lips, massage it in for a few minutes, and then rub it off with a warm washcloth (leave it on longer to double as a lip mask).
Pro-tip: mix it with sugar and you’ve got a DIY lip scrub to avoid or remove flakes.
To moisturise dry cuticles.
Salves and balms can be greasy, so this is something that you’ll want to do before bed. Work your balm into shabby cuticles (on both hands and feet!), and they’ll look freshly manicured by morning.
To do a healing hand or foot treatment.
When hand and foot creams aren’t enough, a salve is ideal for anyone who works with their hands or spends a lot of time in the garden. Take a generous dollop of balm, warm it up in your palms, and massage it into your hands or cracked heels at night (cover with cotton gloves or socks, so you don’t stain your sheets). Your heels will thank you.
To soothe eczema and chapped skin.
Use a balm to protect and cure unhappy skin — on your elbows, knees, anywhere! The best part: the rich texture keeps skin soft and coated for hours.
To tame frizz.
Warm up the tiniest amount of balm in your hands, and gently smooth it over flyaways (be careful not to overdo it — too much will make your hair look greasy). You can also work it into ends to make ragged spots look healthier, or to give short hair a piece-y, Kurt Cobain vibe. I know, so 90s, right?
To heal spots.
While the idea of applying something thick and occlusive to a healing pimple may seem counterintuitive, the reality is that’ll it’ll simply nourish your skin and speed up healing (also making skin less likely to scar). Ideally, the balm to apply in this scenario would be tailored with the appropriate oils and butters to promote fast healing and essential oils blends to treat bacteria.
To do the glossy lid look.
All major makeup artists turn to one product to do that lived-in glossy lid look: Aquaphor. A synthetic product similar to the famous Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly. Petrolatum, just like mineral oil, is also a by-product of refining crude oil, aka petroleum, and it is also a mixture of hydrocarbons but with bigger carbon chain length. In addition, it is the most occlusive agent known today, resulting in a comedogenic ingredient, hence not good for oily skin.
I recommend using your natural go-to balm for the same effect, tailored to your skin needs it will deliver the same result without damaging your skin.
To turn makeup products into creams.
Mix the balm with your powder eye shadow before applying it to lids or with a lipstick to make a custom tinted lip balm or cheek stain.
To set brows for that sprout-y look.
Brow gels can look a little stiff and flake by the end of the day — but that’s not the case with a balm. Apply the lightest coat to your brows, then comb through with a brush. Bonus: it gives arches a pretty sheen and nourish your brows' hair making them healthier.
To give skin a healthy glow.
Highlighting is one of the prettiest ways to emphasise your features, but not everyone is into glitter. If you aren’t, use your balm. Dip your ring finger into a pot and apply it to the tops of your cheekbones, Cupid’s bow, brow bones, collar bone — basically anywhere you’d apply highlighter — for a subtler, more believable result.
Do you see now how versatile is a balm as an all-in-one product?
Stay tuned for our upcoming limited edition balm release or get in contact with us to have your bespoke balm tailored specifically to suit your needs!
Glow Naturally Beauties!
Sonia x