Lip balm is an effective product in hydrating and moisturizing your lips. It has become a part of routine in many people’s lip care routine because of its benefits. Whether your skin is dry or you want your lips to look smooth, balm plays its part in that. Lips care is very necessary if you want them to look healthy and beautiful.
An important question that comes into people’s minds related to balm is how long lip balm lasts. My today’s blog is mainly going to be about answering this question. It is very important to know so that you can take care of your lips more carefully. This blog will also help you to know how many times you should reapply balm in a day. I will also talk about other related information in this blog.
How Long Does Lip Balm Last?
Different balms have different lasting abilities. How much time the balm will stay effective on your lips after the application depends on the formulation of the balm and environmental conditions. Different conditions alter the longevity of the balms.
If you have applied a standard balm, then it will last for 2 to 3 hours on your lips. It will hydrate your lips for that period. But then you can feel the need for reapplication for the essential hydration to your lips all day.
But if you have applied a thicker balm than the standard one or an ointment, then it will stay longer on your lips. This is because of the different ingredients present in both of them. The thick balms will last for 4 to 6 hours on your lips. These balms can include lanolin-based balms and others. If you don’t want to reapply it, then this is a good option for you.
Then comes the flavored lip balms. They last for a little time because they provide flavor with hydration to your lips. Flavored ones contain lighter ingredients which makes them less long-lasting. They last for almost 1 to 2 hours. It depends on you for which purpose you are buying or applying balm on your lips. You can use one of them according to your preferences and needs.
Environmental Factors
The longevity of your lip balm can decrease due to environmental conditions. For instance, your lips and skin dry more in the winter season, which makes your balm evaporate or fade away more quickly than in other seasons. Winter season can make you lose moisture and that’s why there can be a need to reapply balm.
Personal Activities
Other factors can reduce the longevity of your balm as well. When you eat and drink after the application of the balm, it can strip the balm from your lips. It makes the balm stay for less time on the lips. So, you can feel the need to apply it again after some time of eating and drinking.
For How Long Can You Use Lip Balm?
Every product has an expiry date or Best Before that helps you to know for how long you can this product. After the product has expired, it becomes harmful for you on application or the effectiveness of the product decreases. You can use lip balm from 6 months to 3 years. After that, the effectiveness, color, and odor of the balm changes. It is recommended to not use the product after it has expired.
The shelf life of the balm depends on the packaging and ingredients in the balm. Different balms have different shelf life due to the ingredients in them. I will briefly inform you about the shelf life of different balms in the following section.
1. Lip Balm That is Natural or Organic
These balms contain organic ingredients such as oils, shea butter, etc. Natural balms provide essential hydration to your lips. They have a shorter life due to the less or no incorporation of synthetic preservatives. The natural ingredients present in them degrade faster than those balms which contain preservatives. But natural or organic balms perform their function well for 6 to 12 months.
2. Conventional Lip Balms
Then come the conventional lip balms. They are a more advanced form of balms. Their shelf life is more than the natural balms due to the presence of certain preservatives in them. These balms have a shelf life of 2 to 3 years.
3. Medicated Lip Balm
Medicated balms are made for certain purposes and have a specific time limit for application. They contain ingredients that help to resolve some specific issues of your lips. You can use them only before their expiration. Because after they have expired, they don’t or slightly help to resolve the specific issue of your lips. So, their expiration date can be written on the packaging or you can search or ask about that.
How Do You Know That Your Lip Balm Has Expired?
It is important to know that when your lip balm has expired, it can irritate and create problems for your skin. I have described some symptoms below for you to know that the balm has expired and you need to change it.
- 1. The first symptom is the change of texture. You will feel that its application is not smooth and it is harder to apply. This can mean that you need to change your lip balm
- 2. Another symptom is the change of smell of the balm. After expiration, the balm will smell more sour and unpleasant than before.
- 3. The third symptom can be the change of color of your balm. The color will help you to know that this product is not fresh and has degraded. So, it is a symptom that can help you to know whether your balm has expired or not.
- 4. The fourth sign is the lack of hydration. You will feel that the balm is not providing moisture and hydration to the lips after application. So, the less hydration and reduced longevity of your balm than before means that you need to change it.
Usage of Lip Balm Every Year in Percentage According to Age Group
| Age Group | Percentage |
| 18-24 | 70-80% |
| 25-34 | 65-75% |
| 35-44 | 60-70% |
| 45-54 | 55-65% |
| 55+ | 45-55% |
Conclusion
In conclusion, lip balm stays for almost 2 to 3 hours on your lips after application. After that, its effectiveness in hydrating your lips decreases. You can reapply the product whenever you feel you need to for the hydration and moisturization of your lips. You can increase its effectiveness and lasting capacity by buying one of the quality and conventional type balms.
