Here's Why Body Balms Are Your Next Must Have Beauty Purchase.

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Sometime last year I started to amass a small collection of balms.  Not lip balms, the kind that comes in little canisters meant to be used on the body.  I bought them 'cause I knew it was the right thing to do.  But, honestly, I had no clear purpose for them.  Because I didn't really think of how to put them to use, they pretty much just sat around.

Now I'm realizing that I'm allowing potentially great products to go to waste but I can't let that happen. So I did a little brainstorming today and came up with a bunch of specific ways to utilize body balms in my beauty routine.
If you aren't familiar, balms are kinda like oils in solid form.  They're typically comprised of a wax base that's infused with plant oils.   The reason why I haven't been reaching for my balms like I should is because I typically go for lotion or the gel-oils that I love so much.  For some reason, I couldn't find a way to integrate them seamlessly into my routine.

After a little thought, I've come up with a few ways to make balms work.

The most obvious ways to incorporate body balms into any routine is as a heavy-duty skin salve on the areas at the body that tends to show signs of aging first.  Namely our knees and elbows.  I suspect that we experience aging on our knees and elbows because those are the parts of our bodies that experience the most movement throughout the day.  All that stretching of the skin adds up.  Perhaps we can help preserve these areas by sealing them with a nourishing balm.

Once you have your knees and elbows covered, use your balm to cover areas where you tend reapply lotion because they dry out more quickly.   For me, this means the webs of my finger and toes. Lotion is great for moisturizing but, as you know, water-based products do evaporate.  Next thing you know, you're ashy all over again.  Balms can help prevent you from drying out again prematurely.

I have a couple of blams that have an amazing scent.  When I wear them, I feel like the fragrance lasts a little longer than a spray-on fragrance.  I love my balms that come presented but I also want to experiment mixing unscented balm with my favorite perfume to enhance their lasting power.

Most body balms are multipurpose and can be used on the lips.  But, honestly, I don't recommend using a product that we dip our fingers into on our lips (for sanitation purposes). 

Lastly, let's not forget the true intention for balms, to soothe any visible skin issues.  I have a small burn wound that's healing nicely.   Each day I rub a little balm on it to help the healing process.  If you're prone to stretch marks, rubbing a balm/salve on those areas can keep the skin supple so it doesn't scar as it stretches.  If you have any areas of dryness that cracks or flakes, your skin will absolutely love balms.  Treat the skin first with a product that addresses the issue, then seal with a balm to keep the skin supple and moisturized.

I should mention that I currently use NYX's All Over Balm and The Body Shop's Multipurpose Balm.  Both are completely non-greasy and do a nice job of sinking into the skin.  They don't make your skin greasy, instead, they give your skin a bit of softness that feels wonderful to the touch.  Best of all balms are conveniently packaged to fit in any makeup bag.


2 comments

  1. Ive been using Dr bronners unscented/baby balm. I use it occasionally on my hands when I cant find lotion, and I used it as hair oil a couple of times and that worked out nicely for a flat iron or barrel curls. Good article, because I had no idea what to do with it either. I notice my ankles are dry and starting to have wrinkles. I'll begin applying balm to my feet and ankles. And hands. They age fast because of handwashing and the feet age fast because duh!

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  2. After I showed I apply a liberal amount moisturizing oils to wet skin then I top it off with my body balms. Skin feels so luxurious!

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