Lip Balm Mania #2: ChapStick 100% Naturals

Good old ChapStick.

For years I've used and enjoyed classic ChapStick. When I was a kid, I always thought it looked like candle wax, and preferred the softer consistency of Vaseline. But when I gave the classic ChapStick a try, I was pleasantly surprised by how smooth it was. So for years, ChapStick has been a mainstay in my lip balm collection. Never a favorite - it's just so boring - but always there somewhere in my purse. When my lips got chapped, I was glad it was there.

But now that I've made the decision to use more natural lip balms, regular ChapStick, with its 44% petrolatum, preservatives (e.g., parabens), and other chemicals, has now been retired to the back of the drawer.

I've been enjoying shopping for more natural lip balms online. There are so many great products out there, once I took the time to look around. But what about at your local chain drugstore? Could I find any natural options there? Sometimes you need some lip balm now, and don't have the time to shop online.

So I was pleasantly surprised to learn that good ol' ChapStick has 100% natural products, called Botanical Medley and Lip Butter.

The ingredient lists are indeed all natural. No petro-chemicals or preservatives here:

Botanical Medley ingredients:
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Beeswax, Natural Flavors, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum (Shea Butter) Extract, Tocopherol

Lip Butter ingredients:
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Jojoba Esters, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Flavors, Beeswax, Copernicia Cerifera (Camauba) Wax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glycine Soja (Soybean) Lipids, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed (Mango Butter), Octyldodecanol, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil (Olive Butter), Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil (Avocado Butter), Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Seed Oil (Raspberry Butter), Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol

The only ingredient I do not recognize is Octyldodecanol in Lip Butter, which, according to Wikipedia is some type of alcohol.

All natural is great, but the real question is: How is the balm? Quite nice! It has a very slight but pleasant scent, and the application is nice and smooth. It's not heavy on my lips, and they felt very soft and moisturized. Thumbs up!

The only drawback of the 100% Naturals Chapsticks is that it's more expensive than regular ChapStick. I paid $2.99 for the Botanical Medley at my local Rite-Aid, while the regular ChapStick cost $1.89.

I'm quite impressed by ChapStick's natural lip balm. It's nice to know that I can find an all-natural option at any major drugstore. This is certainly a better option than Blistex Herbal Answer, which does contain natural ingredients, but also contains silicones, preservatives, and petro-chemicals.