A Next-Level Hydrating Lip Treatment For A Full, Soft Pout

Here, what changes we made to mindbodygreen's lip balm, why we made them, and what you can expect from our new formula. 

A Next-Level Hydrating Lip Treatment For A Full, Soft Pout

Alexandra Engler

Alexandra Engler

mbg Beauty Director

By Alexandra Engler

mbg Beauty Director

Alexandra Engler is the beauty director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.

mindbodygreen lip balm with various ingredients

January 8, 2023

Last year around this time, we introduced our natural, vegan lip balm. When I set out to create it I wanted to make something ideal for daily wear — something that was easy to apply, a natural-looking finish, and healthy for the skin. And while we achieved those things, we eventually started feeling like we could do more with the formula. All thanks to real users and mindbodygreen readers (like you!) who tried the original stick and shared your insights. 

I take feedback from the mindbodygreen beauty community very seriously. It means a great deal to me that you trust our advice, read our work, listen to my podcast, and even allow us into your beauty routine with our personal care line

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So when folks told us that they wanted something more hydrating and longer lasting, well, we decided a reformulation was in order! Here, what changes we made, why we made them, and what you can expect from our new formula. 

Introducing mindbodygreen’s next level lip balm.

We kept the same great, high-quality ingredients, but adjusted the overall formula to have superior staying power and a softer, more moisturizing texture. 

The vegan base is a conditioning blend of sunflower seed wax, shea butter, and cocoa seed butter. These ingredients provide hydration, fatty acids, antioxidants, and create a protective barrier over the skin. We wanted something that was going to trap moisture underneath, but still felt breathable. And I think this new iteration achieves that. 

The botanical oils and hydrating ingredients are still the stars of the show: Moringa oil, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid (as sodium hyaluronate) help soften and condition the skin, provide antioxidant protection against free radicals, and offer a subtle plumping effect. We also increased the ratio of castor oil in this formula, which gives it the increased staying power that users were asking for. 

Much like the first formula, we wanted a balm that provided a satin-like finish (read: not too glossy, not too dull), as we felt it was best for daily use. So we made sure that element didn’t change in the reformulation process. But what I found with this new formula is that it pairs so much better with lip color. Applying a light layer before going in with lipstick helps the pigment settle more comfortably on the skin and provides a lasting base.

High standards that you can trust. 

There is no regulated definition of "clean." Every brand, retailer, and organization has its own set of standards of their version of it—and we have always encouraged people to look for brands that match up with their own set of standards. We excluded many of the common ingredients buzzed about currently, including parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, petrochemicals, common allergens, formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers, silicones, BHA, BHT, and over 1,000 other ingredients regulated by the European Union. 

More specifically with this lip balm, we wanted to make sure we weren’t using petrochemicals (like mineral oils), which are very common ingredients in traditional lip balms. Given these ingredients are fossil fuel derived, environmental concerns outweigh their benefits. Additionally, when used in excess, the ingredients can suffocate the skin, even causing damage to the skin barrier and disrupt the microbiome overtime

But we also believe what you put on the skin should be beneficial; you can simply find better ingredients to actively replenish the skin barrier with healthy lipids and antioxidants, as opposed to ones that just sit atop the skin.

And the high standards extend past the formulas. It's also important to consider packaging. Our lip balm tube is housed in an Eco-Smart Resin © and is 100% recyclable with like materials. However, this material goes a step further: Eco Smart containers are a proprietary technology that enables plastic components to fully break down in biologically active environments, like landfills and marine environments. It is fully FDA-compliant and made in the USA. Our shipping boxes are made from 100% recycled paper and are fully curbside recyclable. 

And as always, our products are produced in a factory powered by 100% wind energy. 

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The takeaway. 

We work very hard to create things that (hopefully!) you’ll end up loving and want to use in your routine. We’re thoughtful about every decision made, ingredient selected, packaging used, and so on. And part of that process is listening to feedback once the product is in your hands, and making adjustments accordingly. And I’m so glad we listened to you, because this new formula is so much better for it.

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