Autumn and winter are hard for me. The darker days and artificial lights make life hard work with my photosensitivity, Visual processing disorder and complex chronic migraine Plus, I find the colder months challenging with my complex PTSD. With trauma occurring during two consecutive years of autumn and winter, I find I have to work hard to keep my head somewhere that vaguely resembles ‘on track’. In autumn of last year, I started working on adding little acts of self care into my everyday routine – things that would give me a little pick up at various points in the day. This included, treating myself to some Burt’s Bees lip balm.
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I’ve found that if I just stick to the same scent/flavour (that sounds so wrong – don’t eat lip balm!), the grounding effect starts to wear off. It just becomes the same old, same old. My brain needs variety. I’ve been trying different Burt’s Bees lip balms (ingredients permitting with my allergies) and have noticed that some are more suited than others, depending on the season/weather. So I thought it would be fun to finish off the year with a post dedicated to my year in Burt’s Bees lip balms.
For reference, I have dry, sensitive eczema prone lips. I have a number of allergies (which mean I can’t use all of the Burt’s Bees range). I experience chronic urticaria with my grass allergy. These hive breakouts usually occur around my mouth and leave behind a sore, red patch of eczema.
I get through a Burt’s Bees lip balm every 2-3 months. Usually a lip balm will last me 2 months in the autumn and winter, 3 months in summer and somewhere in between during autumn.
Winter: My January and February Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
I like to kick off the year with the Burts Bees Honey lip balm. This is the most moisturising of the range that I’ve tried and my lips definitely need it during January and February. The bitterly cold temperature and wind we get in the UK, paired with central heating does my lips no favours! The honey lip balm takes good care of my lips when they need it most.
Spring: My March and April Lip Balm
I can’t decide which lip balm I’ll use yet for March and April – Vanilla Bean or Hemp. They’re both very similar in terms of how moisturising they are (more about each of them below). So I’m going to see:
- What I fancy at the time and
- If either of them are on special offer
Spring – Summer: May and June Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
With changeable temperatures and grass pollen in full swing, Honey is my lip balm of choice for May and June. My lips tend to need fewer applications, but definitely benefit from the nourishing ingredients – when they’re dry and sore, they’re really dry and sore!
Summer: July and August Lip Balm
By June time, my lips are needing less maintenance, so my May/June lip balm usually rolls over into July and August. During the summer, I’ve enjoyed switching between the remaining Honey lip balm and Burt’s Bees Pomegranate. Pomegranate is a great summer lip balm, because it’s light and adds a hint of colour. In contrast, Honey can sometimes make my already pale lips look paler. The texture is different too – Pomegranate has more of a silky feel, while honey is firmer and more substantial.
I love the Pomegranate lip balm for maintaining my lips in the summer. But, for me, it doesn’t do more than that. So, with my chronic urticaria, I also need the moisturising effect of Honey. I find having both on the go a great way to give my lips what they need, when they need it.
Autumn: September and October Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
I’m going to be honest, I’m not usually a fan of hemp products. I find their smell can be overwhelming, which is the last thing my brain needs. But, the Burt’s Bees Hemp lip balm was a recommendation from Chronically Jenni, who’s got great taste and understands the challenges of choosing products with multiple ingredient sensitivities. So I decided to give the Hemp lip balm a try and am so glad that I did! The scent is subtle and I’m surprised to say that I really like it. The balm is lovely and moisturising, on par with Vanilla Bean, but not quite as much as Honey – making it a great autumn lip balm choice.
Autumn – Winter: November and December Lip Balm
In 2021, my lip balm of choice for November and December was Vanilla Bean. There’s something festive about using the Burt’s Bees Vanilla Bean Lip Balm in November and December. It reminds me of coffee shop specials and snuggling up on the sofa with a blanket and a hot chocolate. Plus, with its notes of vanilla, this lip balm pairs beautifully with my Lancome La Vie Est Belle perfume.
This year, I decided to try Salted Caramel from a limited edition seasonal set. Dan and I love the smell. I find the lip balm very moisturising, despite it including citric acid as one of it’s ingredients, which is usually an eczema trigger for me. Elise really doesn’t like the smell of the Salted Caramel lip balm, so I’ve been using it when she’s at school. Then Vanilla Bean the rest of the time.
Extras: Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
From the start of autumn, through to the mid/end of spring, I also like to use the Burt’s Bees Overnight Lip Treatment – twice a week during winter and once a week in autumn and spring. If I’m (germ-y) unwell, I sometimes use this treatment balm on consecutive days if my lips need it. I have been known to use it in the daytime on occasions too.
I have also tried the tinted lip balm in Hibiscus, which I love but don’t wear often. This lip balm has a lovely colour to it, that’s great for no-makeup-makeup days. It reminds me of the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine lipsticks. But, I find both feather around the edges of my lips. So I’m planning on getting a clear lip liner (Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil, maybe?) to use with both these lip products.
Have you tried the Burt’s Bees Lip Balms? Which is your favourite?
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