A new discovery in lip balms! Albus & Flora multi-active lip balms

What can I say, except I love a new discovery, and one that kicks off 2017 perfectly. I spotted these gorgeous lip balms on instagram, and got in touch with the founder, Rachel Williams. She started Albus & Flora because of her love of the outdoors, combined with her love of natural skincare, and wanted to create a range of “high performance lip balms that support today’s modern active lifestyles and perform in all climates, including high altitudes”.

This is where I think Albus & Flora differs from other lip balms. Here is a lip protector that is designed to work in all climates, which is rare for a lip balm to be able to do so – not that I have tested them under arctic winter or saharan summer conditions. She was inspired by the resilience of rare mountain plants, and how they have adapted to withstand high UV rays,  the intense cold and dehydration of winter, and the heat and sun of summer.

They contain broad spectrum UVA/UVB of SPF 30, as well as botanical actives such as alpine rose extract from the Swiss Alps, and cranberry and raspberry seed oil from the Arctic, which offer protection against sun damage, fine lines, and loss of lip fullness. Other ingredients include seaberry, avocado and blackcurrant seed oils which nourish, stimulate cell renewal and support skin barrier function; and beeswax, jojoba, grape, and sunflower oils which provide hydration and help to reduce moisture loss.

The delicious and beautifully packaged lip balms come in clear and 4 tints to enhance the natural colour of lips. I have tried out naked flora (clear), sheer flora (enhances the natural colour of lips), and mountain rose (a natural pink that gives lips a rosebud colour – great for a no-make-up look). So far, so good. I will be taking them to Morocco later this year, and will see how well my lips fare in the Saharan desert sun. That’s where I struggle the most because my lips get burnt very easily, even when I am using lip balms designed for the summer sun!

There are multiple ways to use the lip balms – under lipstick to hydrate, over lipstick to renew colour, alone to give lips a natural look / sheen. Play away. Plus they look so beautiful, you’d be happy to have these floating around in your handbag. Very premium looking and feeling.

The final bonus is that they are free from petrolatum, parabens, mineral oil, silicones, sulphates, propylene glycol, phthalates, PEGs, TEA, DEA, synthetic fragrances, and not tested on animals.

They cost £12 each, except the clear one which is £10. You can buy them online here. Have you come across these lip balms already? What has your experience been?