Review: Glossier Balm Dot Com (Unflavoured)

Where to purchase: On the Glossier Website HERE

Price: £10

Volume: 15ml

What is it?: ”A hydrating lip balm packed with antioxidants and natural emollients to nourish dry, chafed skin” (this is the ‘unflavoured’ version). The Original version is not only a lip balm but a skin salve (to be used on other areas as one wishes).

”This contains heavy-duty moisturisers in Castor Oil, Beeswax and Lanolin – it is dense and waxy to seal in moisture and hydrates the area.”

Good for: Those with dry skins, dry lips and those who want a lip product without a colour which also doubles up as a skin salve. You have to like a balm-like texture to enjoy this kind of product.

Vegan?: No (Lanolin and Beeswax)

Packaging: A plastic squeeze-y tube – surprising that it’s quite tough to squeeze product out i.e. this doesn’t come out in one light push. It has a screw top. I’m not a big fan of screw tops as I get worried I may drop or lose them.

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Directions:

1. Apply a small amount of Balm Dotcom directly to any part of the body that needs extra moisture (elbows, cuticles, etc.)
2. Repeat as needed throughout the day. (From the Glossier Website).

How I use it: I apply it at the end of my routine either on my lips or my nail cuticles (they get dry). Also I apply this on my toe nail cuticles because why not!

Key Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil  – Thick emollient (binds water) and keeps moisture locked in / Beeswax – an emollient, acts as a protective barrier. Lanolin – also an emollient, good for sensitive skin (I agree with this as I used the lanolips on my sensitised hand skin and it helped) / Cupuacu Fruit Extract – A moisturiser containing Omega-6 and 9 fatty acids to help the skin barrier / Rice Bran & Rosemary Leaf Extracts – supposed antioxidants to help with free-radical skin damage. Now usually I’m not a fan of Rosemary Leaf OIL – this is an extract –

I am citing Paula’s Choice Website here about Rosemary Leaf Extract vs Oil: Link HERE

”Extract that can have antioxidant benefit for skin, but its aromatic components can cause sensitivity. However, in most skincare products the amount of rosemary extract is unlikely to be a risk, and rosemary extract is much less of a problem for skin than rosemary oil because the extract usually doesn’t contain much, if any, of rosemary oil’s volatile fragrance components.”

Full Ingredients: Petrolatum, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Beeswax/Cera Alba/Cire d’Abeille, Lanolin, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, BHT, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol.

NOTE: The Incidecoder have a full product ingredient list breakdown HERE

I like the Rice Bran addition, not a fan of the Rosemary Leaf Extract however as that could be a potential irritant. I like Lanolin (as that’s what makes Lanolips great. I have no issues with Petrolatum, so the base is vaseline-like but a bit thicker due to the lanolin.

You can see however that this formula focuses on moisturisation i.e. helping with chapped skin or lips.

Texture: It’s a mix between vaseline and lanolin. It’s slightly sticky the way lanolips is i.e. loose wool would stick to the product.

Do you see the product doesn’t disappear? It melts into the skin and forms an occlusive, slightly oily layer on top. But you can see that the dry lines on my hands are still thee, they haven’t been filled in.

Fragrance?: Not the best smell as it is ‘unscented’. So it smells like the ingredients. Also as this contains Rosemary Leaf Extract, I’m not sure if this comes out in the product’s smell.

Good Under Makeup?: Yes its a fine lip primer/balm

How long have I been using this?: About a month

The Effect?: It’s like applying vaseline or lanolips on one’s skin or lips – so it’s a temporary effect. I feel like constant application is required in order to change the condition i.e. of my cuticles. This doesn’t put me off the product however and I will finish it.

[Youtube Video – My evening routine – Including Swatches!]

What I like:

• Not too sticky (it feels like lanolips if you have swatched that). A bit thicker than vaseline.
• Does the job i.e. moisturises the area you want, and did not irritate my skin.
• Unscented
• Because it’s unscented and non-coloured.non sticky – I feel like I can put this on my fingers and elbows without them immediately smelling like strawberries – I.e. I couldn’t put the laneige sleeping mask on my cuticles.

What I don’t like:

• Don’t like screw top tubes (especially when they are tiny) – I feel like I could lose the cap
• Not easy to squeeze out product (you have to squeeze quite hard)
• Needs ongoing continued used to moisturise the skin long-term (i.e. to apply and re-apply if this rubs/washes off).
• Compared to something like plain old petrolatum OR plain lanolips (just lanolin) there is more chance of people being sensitive to one of the many ingredients in here and not know it, compared to a salve that contains just a single ingredient.

Overall Rating and Conclusion: 3/5 – Not bad and I have no problem using up this product, but it does make me think I could literally put vaseline on my lips or cuticles and have the same effect. AND I actually prefer the texture of vaseline to this as it is slightly thinner in texture.

Would I repurchase?: No I would not as I think vaseline could work just as well. And if I want a texture similar to this, I could just purchase the lanolips ointment (as I can easily get it at the supermarket and it’s bigger HOWEVER it is slightly thicker and sticker).

Dupe?: The Lanolips 101 Ointment (although the ointment is thicker and stickier compared to this) Review HERE

My Skin Type: I am acne prone and have combo skin. My skin is usually tight where the cheeks and eye area is and the outer parts of my face. My T zone is oily. My skin isn’t a fan of thick/heavy formulas so I opt for lightweight formulas to prevent it from clogging up. My skin doesn’t like essential oils either and I try to avoid fragrance when I can.

Disclaimer: I am a skincare enthusiast and not a skin expert. I am not qualified to give out dermatological advice. This type of advice should only be given by a medical practitioner. Upon trying / using any of the reviewed products on the blog, please follow the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings and please seek medical advice if needed.