What’s actually in the tube — why you keep reapplying — and what works in Canadian winter
If you’re reapplying lip balm all day in a Canadian winter, you’re not “bad at skincare.”
You’re dealing with barrier physics.
Cold air holds less humidity. Wind speeds up evaporation. Indoor heat turns your home into a low-humidity desert. And your lips—because they’re built differently than the rest of your face—lose water faster than almost anywhere else.
So let’s get blunt:
Most drugstore lip balms are designed to feel good fast.
Functional lip balms are designed to work for hours.
This is the difference.
Why lips dry out so fast (quick skin science)
Your lips have:
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a thinner protective layer than facial skin
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less natural oil support than other areas
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constant exposure to wind, cold, saliva, hot drinks, and friction
And when winter hits, your barrier “mortar” (the lipids that keep things flexible and sealed) gets stressed. That’s when you see:
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tightness
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flaking
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cracking
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stinging
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that annoying “I just applied… why am I dry again?” feeling
The goal of lip care isn’t to “add water.”
It’s to:
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reduce water loss, and
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restore comfort + flexibility so your lips don’t split and burn.
Lip balm 101: the three jobs a good balm should do
A formula that actually performs usually has a blend of:
1) Occlusives = “the seal”
Creates a protective layer to slow water escape.
2) Emollients = “the softening + flexibility”
Smooths the surface and helps lips feel less brittle.
3) Humectants = “water binders”
Can help bind water, but in super dry air they’re only helpful if they’re sealed in properly.
In a Canadian winter, the winner is: emollients + a long-wearing seal.
What drugstore lip balms typically use (the actual ingredients)
Drugstore doesn’t mean “evil.” It means optimized for low cost, long shelf life, and mass appeal.
Here’s what you’ll commonly see on labels:
The cheap base (coat + structure)
These are used because they’re stable, inexpensive, and easy to manufacture:
Occlusives / structure
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Petrolatum
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Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum)
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Paraffin
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Microcrystalline Wax
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Ozokerite / Ceresin
These create a strong coating. They seal. They last. They’re very “inert”—meaning they mostly sit on top and do one job: block water loss.
The slip ingredients (texture + glide)
These create that ultra-smooth application:
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Polybutene
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Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
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Dimethicone (silicone slip)
Again: not automatically “bad.” Just mostly texture engineering.
The “feels active” ingredients (often the trap)
These are included because they make your lips tingle or feel like something is happening:
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Menthol
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Camphor
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“Cooling” flavour oils
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Strong fragrance / parfum
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“Flavour” (yes, it’s often listed like that)
These can feel refreshing… but on already stressed winter lips, they can be irritating, which often turns into the lip balm loop.
Why drugstore formulas often “don’t work” (even when they seal)
Here’s the blunt explanation:
1) Seal-only can feel like a coating, not comfort
If a balm is mostly petrolatum/wax/synthetic slip, you might get shine and sealing—without the deeper “soft + flexible” feel your lips need to stay comfortable in winter.
So you reapply for comfort, not because it disappeared.
2) Flavour/fragrance + tingle can irritate compromised lips
When your barrier is already stressed, extra “sensory ingredients” can trigger:
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stinging
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redness
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more dryness
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more licking
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more reapplying
That’s the loop:
apply → feel relief → irritation builds → feels dry → reapply.
3) Reapplying can become a behaviour, not a fix
If your balm is mostly sensory and shine, you end up using it like a habit. If your balm is functional, you use it like a tool.
What we use instead: functional botanicals + beeswax wear-time
At Blunt Botanicals, we formulate like this:
Every ingredient needs a job.
Our Intensive Hydrating CBD Lip Balm is built for Canadian winter conditions: barrier support, comfort, and staying power.
Coconut Oil = fast comfort + smooth glide
Coconut oil gives that immediate “ahhh” feeling—softness without needing a dozen additives.
Hemp Seed Oil = barrier-friendly fatty acids
Hemp seed oil is known for its essential fatty acid profile. In plain English: it supports that “mortar” feeling—helping lips feel less brittle and more resilient over time.
Jojoba Oil = a liquid wax that behaves like skin comfort
Jojoba isn’t a typical “oil.” It’s a liquid wax—one reason it feels so compatible and helps create softness that doesn’t feel greasy.
Beeswax = the wear-time hero
Beeswax is how you get a balm that stays on and protects.
It creates a breathable barrier layer that slows moisture loss and makes the formula last longer between applications.
Supportive extras
We include supportive ingredients like Vitamin E + Rosehip to round out the formula and keep the finish feeling like care, not a wax stick.
Want to see the product page?
https://bluntbotanicals.com/search?q=lip%20balm
The Blunt Label Decoder (save this)
If you’re scanning any lip balm ingredient list, here’s the quick read:
If it’s mostly:
Petrolatum / mineral oil / paraffin / wax + flavour/fragrance
It’s mainly a coating balm. Might seal, might also keep you in a reapply loop if you’re sensitive.
Better signs:
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A real seal ingredient (wax/butter/ointment-style base)
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Emollients that add flexibility (oils/butters)
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Minimal fragrance/flavour if your lips are reactive
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“Tingle” is not required for effectiveness
The routine that actually works in winter
This is the simplest high-performance routine:
1) Apply before you go outside
Thin layer = wind barrier.
2) Apply before bed
Slightly thicker layer = overnight comfort and support.
Optional: If your lips are extremely reactive right now, avoid heavy flavour/fragrance products for a few days while you reset. Then bring botanicals back in once your barrier calms.