I live in the Rocky Mountains where the air is dry all year, but especially in the winter. My 5yo is constantly licking her lips...and the skin above and below her lips giving her those big rings of chapped skin around her mouth.
So, I'm always on the lookout for organic, all natural, & nontoxic lipbalms that she will use. She is a girly girl, so she is attracted to bright colors & fun flavors. If I want her to use a lipbalm regularly, it needs to meet those criteria. And, to buy it, it needs to meet my criteria of having absolutely no dangerous ingredients, be nontoxic and environmentally & socially responsible.
When Ladybug Jane asked if I would like to try their lip balms and review them, I was intrigued.
About Ladybug Jane:
Ladybug Jane was developed by actress & activist Jane Graves. Ladybug Jane teaches children that there is a connection between the choices we make and our health and the health of the planet. Ladybug Jane is an animated character. She has a short film (sooo cute!) and attends eco-friendly birthday parties (I really want her to come to Colorado for my daughter's party!), and has launched her first products in the lip balms. Your kids can even play games on her website. Jane Graves is seriously dedicated to teaching children at an early age that they, too can help protect the environment.
About the lip balms:
Ladybug Jane has 6 flavored lip balms. They are mostly organic, nontoxic, vegan and free of petroleum and nuts. I was sent 4 of them to try: Wacky Watermelon, Groovy Grape, Crazy Coconut, & Vanilla Cupcake.
Ingredients:
Organic palm kernal oil, organic avocado oil, organic cocoa butter, organic sunflower oil, organic castor oil, organic jojoba oil, organic aloe leaf extract, organic carnauba wax, candelilla wax, vitamin E, natural flavor, organic stevia.
The candelilla wax isn't listed as organic, however, Jane purchases her wax from Mountain Rose Herbs and they do list it on their website as being organic. I also confirmed it's organic with Mountain Rose Herbs & Jane. This is very important, as non-organic candelilla wax uses some pretty nasty chemicals to extract it. Jane also tells me the Vitamin E is from a non-GMO source.
I spent quite a lot of time researching the ingredients in Ladybug Jane's lip balms and Jane was very responsive and patient as I did my research. I was concerned about the use of palm kernal oil, as even most of what is certified sustainable is not really so.
However, I know Mountain Rose Herbs, Jane's supplier, to be socially and ecologically responsible. I asked them about the source of their palm oil and shared my concerns (and the concerns of many) that most of the palm oil certified as sustainable by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is still produced in very unsustainable methods (more on that in another article).
Mountain Rose Herbs (and Jane) shared those concerns. Mountain Rose Herbs gets their palm oil from Brazil, not Indonesia or Malaysia. The environmental protections and criteria in Brazil are significantly better than those in Indonesia or Malaysia.
I was also concerned about the candelilla wax, as some pretty nast chemicals are used to extract it. However, the candelilla wax from Mountain Rose Herbs is organic and doesn't use nasty chemicals to extract it. Organic candelilla wax can be hard to find, so bravo to Mountain Rose Herbs and Ladybug Jane for finding and using it.
I have asked Mountain Rose Herbs about potential lead contamination of the candelilla wax, as Jennifer Taggart, aka The Smart Mama told me she once read a study indicating that some (not all) candelilla wax from Mexico (where Mountain Rose Herbs gets their wax) was shown to be contaminated due to the containers the wax is stored in.
I suspect this isn't an issue for organic candelilla wax, as organic certification covers not only the production of the ingredient, but also the manufacturing, storage, transportation & packaging. However, since candelilla wax is produced in Mexico I can't say for 100% certainty it's lead-free. Mountain Rose Herbs is looking into the issue and will get back to me. My gut tells me it's not an issue and Mountain Rose Herbs is generally one of the most responsible suppliers in the industry. When I have a definitive answer from them, I'll post it here.
What I like about this product:
These lip balms definitely appealed to my 5yo. In fact, as they sat on my desk for months while I researched the ingredients, she BEGGED me to let her use them. Once I let her, I frequently found them missing as she would take them and hide them because she wants them for herself (little does she know I'll probably give them to her).
Her favorite is the Wacky Watermelon...mostly because it's pink. She also likes the Groovy Grape. My husband and I both prefer the Vanilla Cupcake. I also like the Crazy Coconut which really has more of a chocolate smell. The packaging appeals to boys and girls so your boys won't protest about using a "girl's" product.
The lip balms have good slip when they're on and feel really good. My lips didn't necessarily feel more moisturized once it wore off, but it certainly provided good protection from the dry mountain air. With the flavors, I did notice I was licking my lips more, but even so it lasted for quite a while. Even though I don't feel they added moisture to my lips, then did prevent my daughter from getting chapped lips and skin by keeping them covered and protected.
If you're looking for a lip balm to add moisture to your lips, this may not be the one. But, if you're looking for good protection you'll probably be happy with these lip balms.
Also, at $3.99 each, they are very affordable and you don't have to worry if your child loses it, wastes it, or squishes it up into the lid.
What I don't like about this product:
While all the ingredients are listed on the packaging (as required by law) they aren't listed on the website. More and more green consumers want to know what's in their beauty products before they will buy them, so for products only found online, I think it's vital to list ingredients on websites so consumers can see the ingredients and see if your claims are valid.
Also, since Ladybug Jane uses almost exclusively organic & non-gmo ingredients I would love to see her eventually get these certified. Most companies don't pursue this until they have more products and have been in business a bit longer, as it can be expensive. However, looking at her ingredients, she certainly qualifies.
Would I recommend this product?: Yes! I appreicate that Jane has put a lot of thought and research into the ingredients she uses. I also appreciate her dedication to teaching children how their decisions impact their health and the earth. If my daughter's reaction is any indication, your kids will love them!
When I was a kid Santa used to put Avon lip balms in my stocking every year. I won't let my daughter use the lip balms from Avon and have been looking for lip balms targeted for children that would be equally as fun but much healthier. I think I've found that in Ladybug Jane.
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