Thanks to Grazia

Isn't it lovely when you stumble across an article that someone has written about you on the internet? And isn't it great when it's positive? And doesn't it just get slap-me-on-the-butt glorious when you haven't paid them or incentivised them? OK, I'm gloating now, which is a reprehensible trait...

I'd like to thank Grazia Magazine for their recent positive endorsement of my Lip Balms, and I quote from them: "I had to give Amazon's best-rated lip balm a try and it worked a treat. The texture is a little odd at first – it's a hard balm that warms up in your fingers. It smells amazing and provided intense hydration, even when applied just a couple of times per day – this will be my new winter go-to."

The texture that Grazia are referring to is a deliberate part of the formulation. I'd tried a lot of Lip Balms over the years, and there was a recurrent theme that didn't suit me: There are a lot of soft balms out there.

The reason that I didn't like the soft balms was because even though they feel nice and malleable under the fingers, you end up applying them unnecessarily thickly – and you therefore use the product too quickly.

In short, soft Lip Balms don't last. Which suits the manufacturers just fine.

Gnarly Joe Lip Balms are deliberately thick, because they're concentrated and made with 100% natural ingredients and plant oils (no fillers, no petrolatum, no chemicals). Rather than using a fingernail to dig into the balm, you just glide a fingertip across the top of my balm, and the resultant thin coating on your finger will be enough. I like to think of my Lip Balms as the Tabasco sauce of skincare: You use them all the time but they never seem to run out.

By the way, the reason that I stress there's no petrolatum in Gnarly Joe Lip Balms, is because it's a surprisingly common ingredient in some other balms. Petrolatum Jelly is derived from oil refining and originally, was used because it seals in moisture and acts as a defence against weather damage. The problem is, it doesn't moisturise or hydrate your lips. In fact, it dries them out, making you use more of the stuff that isn't helping you.

I use Beeswax: It has all the advantages of sealing in moisture and giving protection against all weather (heat, cold, wind and rain), but importantly, it also hydrates and seals moisture in.

Anyone that's been brave enough to read some of my other blogs will be aware of a favourite hobby horse of mine: "Research suggests that up to 60% of what we spread on our skin gets absorbed into the bloodstream". That's why I choose natural ingredients.

So there really is no need to smother your lips in oil refinery. You've only got two lips (a top one, and a bottom one). Treat them with love and respect.

I'm delighted to see an eminent women's magazine picking up so positively on these products. Have a browse on this site: There are six flavours, all scented with essential plant oils (steam distilled from leaves, petals and peel of plants and fruit): Peppermint, Spearmint, Lime Soda, Lemon Zest, Orange & Clove, and Unscented. They're all made with Beeswax, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Grapseeed and natural plant-derived Vitamin E.

As always, stay in touch if you try them, and let me know what you think.