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I’m an avid SPF user - I apply it daily, usually multiple times a day. I wear UPF (sun protective) clothing like driving gloves and sleeves, and put on a hat before watering the garden or going for a walk. If you are interested in a list of sunscreen favorites, arranged by filter and skin types, look here (must be a member of my private Facebook group to view). But one area has been lacking when it comes to sun protection - lips!
A few years ago I noticed a couple of freckle-looking spots on my upper lip and had a major freakout. Sun damage and skin cancer are absolutely possible on the mouth, and treatment / surgeries can be tricky and emotionally difficult. Protecting the lips is very important. So I set off on a quest to find lip SPF that I could comfortably use in my daily life.
I had a few drugstore flops that caked on the lips, smelled and tasted like cheap sunscreen, and gave me a white cast that would make Olaf from Frozen jealous. But I think I finally found some awesome Japanese options!
I got Rohto Mentholatum Water Lip Balm and Color Balm. They feel and apply basically the same, the only differences are in scent / color.
Rohto Mentholatum - Water Lip Balm SPF 20 PA++ in Moisture Milk - available on YesStyle (use reward code KBHOBBIT for extra savings).
This balm combines hyaluronic acid and collagen to moisturize and protect the lips. And of course it offers sun protection as well. The scent is very mild and barely noticeable. The texture is lovely, easy to apply and not greasy or sticky. The product looks completely transparent on the lips - no white cast at all. I use it all the time. It’s actually a lovely lip balm as far as protecting and softening the skin, so I enjoy it for more reasons than SPF alone.
Rohto Mentholatum - Water Lip Color Balm SPF 20 PA++ in Peach Gold - available on YesStyle (use reward code KBHOBBIT for extra savings).
This balm contains hyaluronic acid, aloe vera leaf extract, collagen, and honey with the addition of some pigment to provide a bit of color to the lips. I have Peach Gold and it does smell faintly of peach. The color is very subtle and sheer - I barely notice it. It’s definitely not a huge difference from the clear Moisture Milk. The texture is identical to the Moisture milk - creamy but not greasy, and there is no white cast.
Both of these lip balms are great and are restoring my faith in having good lip sunscreen. It would be nice to have a higher SPF, maybe SPF50 (if that’s even possible for lips), but I will take this SPF20 for now.
Do you have a favorite lip SPF?
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Rohto Mentholatum - Water Lip Balm SPF 20 PA++ in Moisture Milk ingredients: DPG, Water, Cetyl ethyl caproate, fatty acid (C10-30) (cholesterol / lanosterol), Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, polyethylene, Palm Oil, Titanium Oxide, Soluble Collagen, Aloe Vera Leaf Extract, Lanolin, Fragrance, Polyethylene, Squalane, polyglyceryl-4 oleate, dimethicone, water, Red 202, Vaseline, Honey, lanolin, Aloe vera leaf extract, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Polyglyceryl oleate-4, vaseline, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alumina, Mica, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, BG, diisostearyl malate, microcrystalline wax, mineral oil, Whey (milk), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, honey, Menthol, polyglyceryl-6 polyricinoleate, 1.2-hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, water soluble Collagen, synthetic gold mica, Mineral Oil, whey (Milk), Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Red 226, t-butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate(Super Hyaluronic Acid), Microcrystalline Wax, sodium acetyl hyaluronate (super hyaluronic acid), palm oil
Rohto Mentholatum - Water Lip Color Balm SPF 20 PA++ in Peach Gold ingredients: Cetyl ethylhexanoate, polyethylene, diisostearyl malate, petrolatum, lanolin, fatty acid (C10-30) (cholesterol / lanosterol), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, microcrystalline wax, sodium acetyl hyaluronic acid (super hyaluronic acid), water-soluble Collagen, aloe vera leaf extract, honey, palm oil, mineral oil, water, 1.2-hexanediol, DPG, t-butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, polyglyceryl-4 oleate, polyglyceryl-6 polyricinoleate, synthetic phlogopite, dimethicone, Alumina, titanium oxide, mica, red 202, red 226