Editor’s Note: I have personally used all the products below and endorse them because I truly enjoy them; I am not being compensated for recommendations. Unless otherwise noted, products were sent to YouBeauty as samples.
For as long as I’ve worked at YouBeauty, I’ve been meaning to write an article about the best products for eczema. That article is still coming (I promise!) but I could not resist recommending a balm that I bought just last week, which is already on my favorites list for treating my dry skin. Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips (prices vary) was created for, well, the nipples of breastfeeding women. Dr. Lipp is 100% medical grade lanolin from Australian sheeps’ wool. According to their web site, the lipids (oils) in lanolin are similar to the ones produced by the human body and easily penetrate the skin. It’s a fan among makeup artists and, lucky for me, eczema sufferers. In case you’re lucky enough not to know, eczema is a skin condition where the skin becomes intensely dry, itchy and uncomfortable; it eventually cracks and bleeds. Mine is stress-induced and I get it all over my hands (which then gets exacerbated by hand-washing). I randomly saw Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips in a Space NK shop last week and, intrigued, purchased a small tube. No exaggeration: after three days of just daubing a bit on, the patch of eczema on my right hand that was bleeding earlier in the week and had to be covered in Band-Aids is nearly gone. Believe me, I have tried A LOT of products for my eczema and Dr. Lipp is by far the most nourishing. Plus, the small tube is easy to throw in my purse.
Finding the perfect red lipstick can feel like a lifelong odyssey, so I lucked out the day that Ciate Patent Pout Lip Lacquers ($18) arrived in the mail. You probably know Ciate as a nail polish brand, but all their other makeup I’ve tried are fantastic. Ciate’s Lip Lacquers are nourishing, non-sticky and highly-pigmented, a sort of hybrid lip gloss and lipstick. It’s a relief to wear a lip product that stays on for hours yet doesn’t dry out my lips. The bright red color that I love to wear is called Bombshell — and I’d recommend it to any other pale-skinned Caucasian woman with blue undertones in her skin.
READ MORE: 15 Surprising Red Lipstick Facts in One Sentence Each
Lastly, as the weather here in New York City slowly descends into mugginess, I’m prepared to pull out every tool in my arsenal to keep my frizz under control. I employ the usual tricks like washing my hair with a moisturizing shampoo and then using a leave-in conditioner, but as someone with thin hair, my problem is usually frizzy flyaways. Kerastase Paris Elixer Ultime Serum Solide ($45) is, quite simply, a godsend. The serum is made from 15 oils, a bit like a solid perfume. They need to be warmed between your hands before you swipe the areas of your hair that need help. Not only does Kerastase Paris Elixer Ultime Serum Solide smell divine, but it’s effective at controlling my frizz without making my hair look greasy or weighing it down. The best part is that it works on lots of hair types — curly, straight, colored, damaged, whatever. I know that $45 is a steep price, but as far as I’m concerned, this is a gold standard hair product.
Until next time …
Email me at Jessica [at] YouBeauty [dot] com
