REVIEW || ChopSaver Lip Balm

Hello again!

Today I have a quick review for you on the ChopSaver Original Lip Balm. I was sent this product to review for you, but as you know, the opinions expressed on this blog are always 100"% honest and my own.

So maybe you've never heard of this brand... I certainly hadn't. And it is very small, they only seem to sell two products: this lip balm, and an SPF version. They are available online and at CVS in the US. And surprisingly, they're available right here in stores in Vancouver. According to their site, ChopSaver balms can be purchased at Long & McQuade Musical Instruments stores around the Lower Mainland. (Store Locator)

One thing that's interesting about this product is that it is primarily targeted at musicians, especially wind musicians, since playing those instruments can cause really chapped lips. The formula was also devolped by a musician, and contains no petroleum or animal fats, mostly just good oils and other natural ingredients.

The website claims that Arnica (sunflower oil) is the key ingredient, but this balm also contains beeswax, shea butter, and avocado oil, among other things, so it sure sounds pretty moisturizing! I will point out that the beeswax (and maybe other ingredients?) do give this balm a very thick, heavy texture. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and it feels pretty soothing on chapped lips, but if you don't like thick balms, this might not be for you. I'm really glad it doesn't have petroleum in it, though, because it doesn't have that greasy feeling petroleum based balms tend to have, and I also find that this stuff really stays on the lips, even overnight!

As you can see above, this product doesn't have any artificial colours, and it doesn't leave too much of a shine on the lips, so it would probably be pretty good for both guys and girls. It does have a light citrus-y scent from the Citrus and Ginger essential oils, but it's not sweet or overpowering at all.

Another interesting thing I found on their website was a breakdown of the purposes of a couple of the ingredients, which I'll paste in here:

• Arnica – used for bruising
• Calendula – treats inflammation
• Comfrey – general wound healing
• Ginger – treats inflammation and stimulates blood flow
• White Willow – often referred to as “herbal aspirin” (people with aspirin allergies should use with caution)

So, overall, what are my thoughts on this product? I quite like the scent, and that it is all natural. I also like how open the company is about sharing the ingredients and their uses on their website. I think this balm is pretty great (and a good price!) for anyone with really dry, chapped lips who need a lot of help and protection. It is far from my favourite balm (have you seen my review of the F.A.B. Lip Therapy?!), but I do think this is great at what it does. If you are a light, shiny, slippy balm type of person, this isn't for you, but I think most people who have ever had badly chapped lips would enjoy this product at least some of the time!

For me, I don't think this is an everyday type of balm. It's much too heavy for what I usually like to wear, but I do see myself continuing to reach for it when my lips get really bad!

If you don't have a store near you that stocks ChopSaver balms (See the link to the Store Locator at the top of this post), then you can purchase it online, or get a free sample, though you will need to pay shipping. A set of 2 to Canada, by the way, runs about $18 USD including shipping (or three for $26), so it gets a bit pricey if you want to buy online from Canada. Shipping to the US, though never seems to go above $3, though, so that's a pretty good deal for you guys!

To purchase online, you can go to Chopsaver.com/try-it-buy-it/shop, and you can also find more info about the product and company on the site.

Let me know if you've tried out this brand before, and also what your favourite lip balm of all time is!

Thanks for reading!