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Drunk Elephant's Lippe Balm product actually makes for a very interesting, well-formulated balm that goes above average to include a good mix of beneficial ingredients.
Packaged in a twist-up tube container, this incredibly rich, fragrance-free balm doesn’t impart much of a flavor, aside from a subtle, brief sweetness. In most cases, these types of balms are often housed in a jar/pot with a screw-off lid. That’s not ideal for a variety of reasons, but Lippe Balm breaks with that convention with their choice of packaging—a choice that we were happy to see.
Lippe Balm has a slick, ultra-moisturizing finish that clings to lips and resists wearing away—leaving lips soft for a few hours after application. The impressive array of beneficial ingredients includes multiple non-fragrant plant oils, such as coconut, marula, safflower, and avocado (just to name a few), along and shea butter and other emollients.
Beyond those antioxidant rich oils, they also added a peptide, soothing licorice root extract and antioxidants vitamins C and E. Lippe Balm comes with a few anti-aging claims, to which it makes good on with its series of antioxidants, cell-communicating and reparative ingredients. (Just be sure to wear it under a gloss/lipstick or balm that contains SPF during the daytime—protecting your lips from sun exposure is also an anti-aging must.)
With Lippe, Drunk Elephant demonstrates they never forget what skin needs to be healthy when it comes to lip care.
Pros:
Rich emollients, due to its mix of non-fragrant plant oils, waxes and butters.
Impressive array of antioxidants and cell-communicating agents.
Convenient twist-up packaging.
Fragrance free.
Cons:
None.
Lippe is a protective and anti-aging treatment balm that moisturizes, rejuvenates, nourishes and volumizes the lips for a noticeably more youthful pout. It protects against free radical damage, while aiding in the prevention of collagen breakdown and helping to repair the effects of UV exposure.
Drunk Elephant At-A-Glance
Drunk Elephant, based out of Los Angeles, California, was started in 2012 by former skincare executive Tiffany Masterson. As their website describes, Masterson developed the brand out of a desire to create natural-themed formulas that were truly effective. Beyond effectiveness, Masterson wanted to leave out what wasnt effective - primarily fragrance. We concur, because fragrance isn't skincare.
We were pleasantly surprised by this stance, as in our experience, the inclusion of an abundance of fragrance is where many natural-themed brands seem to go wrong, along with using too few beneficial ingredients or formulas. Fragrance, whether from essential oils or synthetic perfumes, is never helpful for skin because over the long term, it can cause damage that holds any skin type back from being its healthy best.
As for the brands unconventional name, Drunk Elephant is in reference to anecdotes that African wildlife, including elephants, partake on the fallen, fermented fruit of the marula tree, an indulgence that leads to intoxication.
Drunk Elephant avoids using ingredients like non-mineral sunscreen actives, silicones, and parabens, even though countless studies have indicated these ingredients are safe (Journal of the Academy of Dermatology, 2013 and Skin Therapy Letters, 2013). Regardless, were just happy that the line has made it a focal point to use what research has been shown improves skin concerns like sun damage, breakouts and signs of aging, and leave out everything else. They're also using some novel yet potentially exciting ingredients in many of their formulas.
Drunk Elephant line is a small line, but tends to make each product count, or at least puts an unconventional twist on the norm. Overall, we came away impressed with most of its products and (usually) smart packaging.
Many of the formulas include the ingredient marula oil, which is an ingredient the brand favors due to the fact it contains an array of beneficial fatty acids, calming agents, and antioxidants (Journal of Food Lipids, 2004 and Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2014). It's a good ingredient, but there are many excellent non-fragrant plant oils, including coconut, jojoba, sunflower, and more, of which have similar benefits, meaning marula oil isn't the best out there, just one good oil among many.
Though the price tags are absolutely on the higher end, if you decide to to splurge on some key items, this is a good line to do so!
For more information, visit the brand at www.drunkelephant.com.
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