There are a number of notable things I didn’t know about Dr. Lipp’s Miracle Balm before my lips and I fell irrevocably in love with it. I’m not saying I’ve changed my mind since, but for the sake of transparency, before I expound upon its many virtues, let’s get bring a couple facts out into the bright light of day:
1. It’s 100 percent lanolin, which is essentially oil from sheep’s wool, also commonly referred to as “wool grease.” Yum. If you can get over the fact that you’re rubbing an unshowered sheep’s hair grime on your face, it’s incredibly moisturizing.
It’s also water repellant and has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties, and is quite similar to the oil produced by human skin; that’s why it’s such a dreamy match for us humanoids.
WAIT WAT?
If you’re a mom, you’re probably rolling your eyes right now; lanolin has long been used as a nipple moisturizer for nursing mothers to combat the less-pleasant side effects of nursing. Which brings us to our next point.
2. This product was originally (and still is) marketed as Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm. It’s the same product that’s sold as the Miracle Balm in that it’s 100 percent lanolin, but one might suppose that a nipple balm, helpful as it may be, has a slightly narrower appeal. We see you, Dr. Lipp.
The tagline of Dr. Lipp Original Nipple Balm, which is “For dry skin, luscious lips and glossy bits!” suggests that you can use it on pretty much every and any “bit” that needs it, and I concur.
Dry elbows? Nipple balm! Dry patches of skin around your mouth because you’re probably being too aggressive with your at-home chemical peel? Nipple balm! Weird sore inside your nose from having a low-grade sinus infection for two years? Nipple balm! (OK, not really. Consult your doctor on that one, sheesh.)
And as someone who is lipstick-inexperienced, let the record show that applying a dab of this stuff over some intense lip color makes everything a little less intimidating. And again, your lips will be pillows—glorious, sheep-goop pillows.
As it’s a UK-based company, the only mass-market purveyor of the Miracle Balm in the US is Birchbox, though you can purchase the Nipple Balm through Amazon.
