Lip balm-the superstar ingredients 123

Winter's fatal to lips. Cold, drafts, central heating... It doesn't take a lot for our lips to become sore and chapped. Lip skin is extremely fragile. Unlike the rest of the body, it's very thin and doesn't have a stratum corneum (the uppermost layer that protects our epidermis), sebaceous glands or sweat glands. Lacking the hydrolipidic film, it quickly dehydrates. Which is why we should keep these lip life-savers to hand!

Shea butter soothes and calms irritations. What's more, its terpenic alcohols and phytosterols help to heal wounds. Rich in fatty acids similar to our skin's lipids, shea butter deeply hydrates and nourishes our lips. When blended into a balm, its regenerative properties means it restores elasticity to damaged lip skin.

Olive oil is packed with polyphenols, meaning it can prevent and slow down skin ageing. It also contains omega 9, a fatty acid that contains skin-loving oleic acid. Oleic acid is a long-chain fatty acid found in high levels in our bodies, especially in the hydrolipidic film's sebum. It therefore also nourishes our skin. So an olive oil-based balm will soothe mature skin and help slow down skin ageing.

Winter, the season of painful, chapped lips. Argan oil's skin-loving properties and moisturising action make it perfect for soothing sore, chapped lips. And that's not all: it's packed with vitamin E, an antioxidant that combats ageing skin, as well as restructuring insaponifiable constituents. It's the only oil that provides this type of double protection

Honey is a turbo-charged beauty booster. It contains minerals, vitamins and amino acids that soften and regenerate skin. Its the perfect first-aider for dry lips! Its sugar content helps hydrate skin and its anti-irritant properties work wonders on sensitive skin. As a lip balm it takes pole position!

Sweet almond oil is bursting with vegetable fats, omega 6 and 9, vitamin A (to improve skin's elasticity), B, D and E, which boost cellular repair and restore the epidermal hydrolipidic film, helping to prevent our skin from drying out. And that's not all! Sweet almond oil contains high levels of mineral salts, proteins, iron, zinc and copper. It's so pumped full of goodness, that it's perfect for daily use. Soothing and moisturising, sweet almond oil is great for very dry or irritated skin. A one way ticket to luscious lips!

Cocoa butter is a powerful antioxidant. It's rich in phytosterols that heal and repair wounds as well as polyphenols to zap free radicals and slow down skin ageing. Cocoa butter also contains vitamins A1, B1, C, D, E alongside iron and magnesium. It's nourishing and protects skin, so works a dream on dry, sore, dehydrated lips.

Coconut oil has high levels of lauric acid, a saturated fatty acid that protects and deeply nourishes skin whilst keeping it moisturised. It restores elasticity and soothes dry, damaged skin as well as chapped lips. It can also be used as a natural after-sun, thanks to its Vitamin A and E content.