01May
Hemp lip balm is a conditioning balm made from oils, wax and hemp extract. It does what any good lip balm does, sealing moisture into the thin skin of the lips, with cannabidiol and the plant compounds that come with hemp extract in the formula. Sold as CBD lip balm or CBD chapstick, it is the same product.
If your lips are chronically dry, or you spend the winter outdoors in wind and cold, this covers what is actually in the balm, how it compares to an ordinary stick, and how to use it.
What is hemp lip balm?
It is a wax-based balm with hemp extract blended through it. The wax and oils form the balm itself. The hemp extract carries cannabidiol, usually shortened to CBD, a non-intoxicating compound that occurs naturally in the hemp plant. A CBD lip balm will not make you feel anything, and it has nothing in common with lip products that tingle or sting.
You will see the category labelled hemp lip balm, CBD lip balm, CBD infused lip balm and CBD chapstick. In practice these are the same thing, and which word a brand leads with tells you more about its marketing than its formula. If the compound is new to you, this is a plain explanation of what CBD is.
Strengths in this category are small by design, because you are covering a very small area. Endoca’s balm carries 20mg of CBD per stick, which is typical for a lip product and is not a figure to shop up from.
What it does for dry and chapped lips
The skin on your lips is thinner than anywhere else on your face and has almost no oil glands of its own. That is the whole reason lips chap in cold, wind and dry indoor air, and why they need help holding on to moisture the rest of your face manages by itself.
What a hemp lip balm does, in order of how much it matters:
- It seals moisture in. Beeswax forms an occlusive layer over the lips and coconut oil softens the surface. This is the main job, and it is the effect you feel immediately.
- It conditions rather than just coats. Many high street balms sit on top of the lips without leaving anything behind. A balm built on plant oils and butters deposits fatty acids and vitamin E on the skin.
- It brings hemp nutrients with it. Hemp seed oil is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 along with vitamins A, E, B and D, all long-established skin-conditioning ingredients.
- It adds antioxidants. CBD acts as a stabilising agent for free radicals, the unstable molecules we are exposed to daily from sun, pollution and ordinary metabolism. Antioxidants are included in cosmetics for how skin looks after everyday environmental exposure.
Now what it does not do. A lip balm is a cosmetic product. It does not treat cold sores, cheilitis or any other lip condition, and lips that stay cracked, sore or bleeding despite regular balm use are a conversation for your GP or pharmacist. It contains no SPF either, so if you spend time outdoors, particularly in snow or on water, use a dedicated lip sun protection product as well.
Lips also respond to more than what you put on them. Indoor heating, how much water you drink, the weather and the habit of licking your lips all feed into how they look. If everything else is in order and your lips are still cracking, a better balm is a reasonable next step.
What is in Endoca’s CBD lip balm
The published ingredient list for the 20mg balm is nine items long, which is deliberate:
- Coconut oil
- Beeswax
- Hemp seed oil
- Lemon peel oil
- Hemp extract (CBD)
- Vanilla extract
- Honey
- Cannabidiol
- Vitamin E
There are no preservatives and no artificial colours, and it is gluten-free, GMO-free and cruelty-free. It contains beeswax and honey, so it is not suitable if you avoid animal-derived ingredients.
The hemp extract comes from Endoca’s own farms and its own supercritical CO2 extraction, and every batch is screened for more than 200 pesticides along with heavy metals and mycotoxins. The results are published, so you can read the lab report for the batch you buy. As a topical, a lip balm is a cosmetic product under UK rules rather than a food, so it does not need the novel food authorisation that ingestible CBD requires.
Hemp lip balm vs ordinary lip balm
| Hemp or CBD lip balm | Ordinary lip balm | |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Plant oils and beeswax | Often petrolatum or mineral oil |
| Additions | Hemp extract, vitamin E, omega fatty acids | Usually flavour and fragrance only |
| What it does | Seals moisture in and conditions the surface | Seals moisture in |
| Ingredient list | Typically short and plant-based | Varies widely, often includes synthetic fragrance |
| Cost per stick | Higher | Lower |
The honest summary: a petrolatum balm seals your lips perfectly well and costs less. You choose a hemp balm for the plant-based formula, the short ingredient list and the hemp extract, not because the sealing is better.
How to use it
- Apply a thin layer to clean, dry lips. There is no benefit to layering it on thickly.
- Reapply through the day, particularly after eating, drinking or being outside in cold or wind.
- Apply again before bed, which is when the balm gets the longest uninterrupted contact with your lips.
- Resist licking your lips. Saliva evaporates and takes moisture with it, which undoes the balm.
- Store the stick somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sunlight, so the wax does not soften.
The same balm works on other small dry patches, including cuticles and the corners of the nose in winter. For anything larger, a salve, cream or body butter is the right format, and the format comparison explains which.
Frequently asked questions about CBD lip balm
What does CBD lip balm do?
It seals moisture into the thin skin of the lips using oils and wax, and adds hemp extract, vitamin E and omega fatty acids to condition the surface. Lips feel softer and less tight. It is a cosmetic moisturising product, not a treatment for any lip condition.
Does hemp lip balm contain SPF?
Endoca’s does not, and most hemp balms do not. Lips burn easily and have little natural protection, so if you are outdoors for any length of time, use a lip product with a stated SPF alongside it. A balm with no SPF figure on the label offers no sun protection.
Does CBD lip balm get you high?
No. CBD is non-intoxicating, and the amount in a lip balm is very small to begin with. Even if some transfers to your mouth in normal use, the quantity is a fraction of a milligram and produces no intoxicating effect at all. Full spectrum hemp extract carries only a trace of THC.
Is it safe to swallow?
The trace amounts transferred from a lip balm are not a safety concern, and the ingredients here are food-grade materials such as coconut oil, beeswax and honey. A 20mg stick lasts weeks, so a single application transfers a fraction of a milligram. It is not a way to take CBD.
Is CBD lip balm better than chapstick?
Not automatically. A conventional chapstick seals lips effectively and costs less. A hemp balm gives you a plant-oil base, a short ingredient list and hemp extract with vitamin E and omega fatty acids. Which is better depends on whether those things matter to you.
If cold weather or dry indoor air is the problem, the 20mg balm is the smallest and cheapest place to start. It sits alongside the salves, serums and body butter in Endoca’s CBD skincare range. Speak to your GP or pharmacist before using CBD products in any form if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking prescription medication.
