The Best Lip Balms for Summer

It's summertime and our fragile little lips are experiencing harsh overtime. When we're indoors, the air conditioner creates a cool, dry climate, and as soon as we go outdoors, the sun is scorching, the wind is blowing, and if there's nothing on our lips to protect them, then we're going to be smacking our lips together trying to get that dead skin off. Yuck!

Here are some of my favorite summertime lip balms:

Fresh- Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15 - blends reparative oils and waxes together with real sugar. Natural ingredients are key to good lip products. I have sensitive lips and I've gone through just about every lip treatment product on the market, and keep coming back to this one. Although it's on the more expensive side (ranking in at around $22) it is definitely worth it. Another bonus- it's unique metal texture makes it quick and easy to find when you dig around in the bottom of your purse.

True Blue Spa - Watch Your Mouth SPF 45 - This is my favorite lip balm for sun and wind protection. I wear this in the summer when I'm outdoors and even in the winter when I'm snowboarding. This lip screen offers so much protection, it is even recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation. This is a very inexpensive balm (around $5 at Bath and Body Works) and is definitely worth it. I keep one in all of my beach bags (and purse!).

Benefit - Dr. Feel Good Duo - This tantalizing twosome can whip any lips back into shape. I first saw it being used at a Blue Mercury store on a lady whose lips looked beyond repairable. After using the Buffing Lip Beads and the Silky Lip Balm, this lady looked fabulous! So fabulous that I bought a set of these for my mom and two sisters. Whenever my lips are super chapped, I put some of the Silky Lip Balm on to get a deep moisturizing treatment in, and then I'll buff with the lip beads later. I think it's best to leave the lip balm on overnight for full results.

Einstein Lip Therapy - This is another product duo I swear by. The creator of the line, Benjamin Einstein (also co-creator of Hard Candy nail polish) was fascinated by his mother's huge collection of lip balms. He was inspired by everything from Carmex to La Mer. My favorite of the two products (with the pink lid), Lip Therapy Hydrating Cream, is a creamy moisturizer containing vitamin C beads. When it is applied, this sloughs away dead skin and leaves your lips feeling silky smooth. The second product (with the red lid), Lip Therapy Cooling Relief, is a salve-like healing balm. Both products come in cute pink or red little lip pots, with a medical cross on the cap. Their small size makes them very convenient to travel with.