Review: Lip Balm Comparison - Blistex, First Aid Beauty, Jack Black, Mario Badescu

Is your lip balm, like, super important to you? It has to be the right consistency, the right scent, and not just moisten but also protect your lips? Yeah, me too.

So you'll understand my heartbreak 💔 when they stopped producing my "perfect" liquid lip balm and I had to find a replacement. Gasp! right?

This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase after clicking a link. Images in this post courtesy of the author, Amazon, and Pixabay.com.

My go-to lip balm for years has been Blistex Moisture Melt. I used to grab a few whenever I saw them near the checkout in Target or the drug store. Over time, I'd stop seeing it there and would have to hunt it down in the proper lip balm section

As of 2016, I couldn't find it in the stores anymore and started ordering it on Amazon. *I just looked back at my Amazon history y'all ... 11 orders comprising over 60 tubes of Blistex Moisture Melt since August 2016. Should I be embarrassed or proud? I PICK PROUD.

Keep in mind, those are small tubes of .35 oz. They used to have larger tubes back in the day but did away with them before I started purchasing on Amazon. So it's been a while. And I don't just use one at a time; they're all over my house, car, purse, and office, lol. Look at me, trying to justify my habit ... 😂

I heard years ago that using lip balm just gets your lips craving more of it - and I totally believe that's true. Whenever I don't have it on, they feel SO dry (even tho I know they're really not). I drink water all day too, so it's not that I'm dehydrated or anything.

If you think I'm the only one addicted to lip balm, read David's lip balm confessions on Amazon 😂

They Stopped Making Blistex Moisture Melt

I noticed over the last year or so, when I'd go to order more from Amazon, it was getting harder and harder to find. I'd get those dreaded messages:

• Currently Unavailable
• We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
• This product is frequently out of stock

So I'd click on Visit the Blistex Store to find Moisture Melts, and find a different Amazon vendor to purchase it from.

Until the day ... when it wasn't listed in the Blistex Store anymore. AT. ALL. What?!?!

Nor was it at Target.com, Walmart.com, Ulta.com, or anywhere else on Google, after following some false leads that got my hopes up, like this:

Um, a whole $43 for one single tiny .35 oz tube of Moisture Melts? And obtw, it's out of stock. Sheez. Stop playing with my heart ...

It May Be on EBay But I'm Not Into It

In all my searches, I did see it on EBay - where I found out it's "discontinued and collectable" - but I'm just not an Ebay person. Or I have to be more desperate for an item than this to be one, I guess.

As tragic as this feels, it IS only lip balm. I don't want to prolong the misery to the point where I'm paying $10-20/tube for it on EBay. Sigh. It's time to just move on and find a replacement I can get easily through Amazon ...

Looking for a Replacement Lip Balm When Blistex Discontinued My Favorite

As you'll find from reading this blog, I'm a huge Amazon fan and shopper. That's my go-to, where I'll look first for anything I want/need, and 95% of the time, where I'll end up purchasing.

So off I went, searching Amazon for the best lip balms and lip products. Not included in my search were a lip liner, lip color, or lip gloss.

I also didn't include tinted lip balms (sorry) because I tend to have sensitive skin and therefore be allergic to the dyes. Some of the Burt's Bees lip balm for instance will give me trouble if they have a tint to them but are fine when untinted. (I have a separate lip tint anyway).

Here is why I loved Moisture Melt/what features I like, the 3 new lip balm options I've tried so far, a quick review of each, and which is my pick for the win.

 The 3 replacements I've tried - First Aid Beauty, Jack Black, Mario Badescu

Review: Blistex Moisture Melt

SPF: 15

Scent: Light, mild

Texture: Smooth, thicker, with tiny beads that you can see but not really feel

Notes: Per Blistex, "Shea butter and aloe-infused soft beads melt into lips for great moisturization."

Yep, that about sums it up. The beads melt into your lips. I don't know what kind of juju magic they have to put such a hold on me but, man, do I love those moisture beads. 

It's also about the smell (light, pleasant) and texture which, though petrolatum based like Vaseline Lip Therapy, is not runny or thin. It's a thicker consistency but still slick enough that it doesn't feel like paste.

It also stays on a lot longer than Vaseline. Maybe that's due to the shea butter and aloe? 🤷🏼‍♀️

Alas, the few remaining listings I can find for it are so outrageously priced that it's clear our time has come to part. So when my current tubes run out, we'll only have our memories ... (sniffle)

Review: Lip Balms by First Aid Beauty, Jack Black, and Mario Badescu

After browsing around Amazon for a bit, here are the 3 "Moisture Melt replacements" I decided to try out.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy

Ultra Repair Lip Therapy by First Aid Beauty

SPF: Not listed/unknown

Scent: Light mint or eucalyptus smell

Texture: More of a paste or sticky feel than the others but nice; it is definitely a thicker balm

Notes: According to First Aid Beauty, this lip therapy is a "semi-matte, non-slip formulation that helps moisturize, protect & soothe dry, chapped lips. (It has) Long-Lasting Hydration: Colloidal Oatmeal soothes dry lips while Shea Butter and Glycerin nurture and hydrate, helping keep lips feelings soft, smooth, and comfortable. 

Other than sharing those key ingredients and saying what ISN'T in it, there was no ingredient list. I checked the product description and the images provide, none of which showed the back of the tube. So that was a little frustrating.

It does not contain mineral oil, lanolin, parabens, or alcohol.

As it says, it's semi-matte so not super shiny and not a slick feel on your lips, like Moisture Melt or, say, Vaseline Lip Therapy (basically, petroleum jelly), which is quite glossy but also too thin, imho. I don't wear lipstick but I imagine this texture would work better with it than the glossier lip balms do.

I had high expectations for this to be one of the best balms but a major downside for me is that it was pretty hard to squeeze out of the tube. I don't know if I just got a bad one or what. I think I saw a review back when I was shopping that mentioned this, and that it just needed to be warmed up to dispense better. 

But, man, I don't have time for that. I need my lip balm to just, y'know, balm - anytime I need to apply it. Every time I open it. No matter the time of day or temperature outside. I don't have time to baby it; I have a family, a house, and a job. And a dog. My lip balm should not require extra attention just to do what I hired it for. #youhadonejob

"So for those reasons, I'm out." (<- do you watch Shark Tank?)

Needless to say, I won't be buying Ultra Repair Lip Therapy by First Aid Beauty again. Hey, you live, you learn. I ain't mad.

UPDATE: Months later, after using the whole tube (waste not, want not and all that), I definitely won't get this lip balm again. It's too thick and just takes too much squeezing to get out of the tube. But my triceps got a good workout, so I will miss that ;)

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm

Intense Therapy Lip Balm by Jack Black

SPF: 25

Scent: various; I got Natural Mint & Shea Butter

Texture: Perfect. Like Moisture Melt but without the beads.

Notes: Per the Amazon listing, ITLB by Jack Black "offers optimum sun protection while guarding against windburn and extreme temperatures. Superior skin conditioners and antioxidants soothe and relieve dry, chapped, irritated lips. Our lip balm contains antioxidants vitamin E and green tea, broad-spectrum sun protection, and natural emollients."

Also, "Natural mint helps freshen breath. Shea butter and avocado oil soften and condition lips. Vitamin E and green tea extract, antioxidants."

I don't know if all those ingredients are necessary but, sure, they did the trick. This lip balm has a nice smell, texture, and consistency. I didn't have to put it on constantly. My dog kept wanting to kiss me. The mint makes you smell like you've always just brushed your teeth. I'd say that's a winner.

Because it has a good dose of SPF, I'd think it would be a great brand to try if you have really cold weather in the winter months. If you need even a sheer tint or like fragrance-free lip balms, I would definitely NOT recommend the Jack Black brand. It's also not one of the drugstore brands; you have to go out of your way to purchase it online (though - good news - it being on Amazon makes that quite easy).

UPDATE: In the 6-7 months since I posted this, I've gone on to buy more tubes and have now tried all the different scents. I even got a 3-pack Amazon Black Friday deal that just came; price per tube was $6 vs normally $8.

So obviously I still love this lip balm. The only negative thing (for me) is that, because of the strong scents of citrus, mint, etc., you have to make sure and not accidentally rub your eye - or even near your eye - if you've touched the lip balm.

The mint especially will have your eye watering and slightly burning. Because it's "greasy", it's hard to get it off or out of your eye without a full wash, and then there goes that fabulous eye make-up job you did today!

Definitely an avoidable problem but if you're one who squeezes lip balm onto your finger before applying or smooths it after application with your finger, you're probably not gonna' love this brand except maybe the Shea Butter & Vitamin E. Just a heads up!

Mario Badescu Moisturizing Lip Balm

Moisturizing Lip Balm by Mario Badescu Skin Care

SPF: Unknown/not listed

Scent: Unscented, though some reviews mentioned a light coconut smell

Notes: Per the Amazon listing, this balm will "Nourish dry lips with a blend of nutrient-dense butters and moisturizing oils. Formulated with Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Sweet Almond Oil, and antioxidant Vitamin E, our ultra-rich balm melts into the skin to replenish and renew lips."

I have to mention that the list of "ingrediences" for this product is HUGE. So there may be something in there denoting fragrance and/or sunscreen but I'm not able to tell.

Overall, it's a nice, not-too-shiny texture, no smell (as far as I'm concerned), and it stayed on/had a nice consistency. At $8/tube, it's comparable in price to the Jack Black lip balm.

And the Winner in First Place for "Best New Lip Balm" Izzzzz ...

Intense Therapy Lip Balm by Jack Black!!!!!!

Wow, yay, congratulations! Jack Black couldn't be here tonight but I'll be happy to accept this award on his behalf.

But really, congratulations to me. I sought, I paid, I tried, I tested, and I decided on a replacement favorite lip balm, all by myself. I'd like to thank ... well, me. And Jack Black.

Speaking of ol' JB ... technically this is a men's brand. But who cares? Good lip balm is good lip balm. 

I look forward to trying the other varieties I saw on Amazon: Pineapple Mint and Shea Butter & Vitamin E. 

If you shop in fancy places, I noticed that Jack Black lip balms are also sold at Bergdorf Goodman, Macy's, Ulta, and Nieman Marcus. Well, la dee da and all that! (Seems to stay the same price anywhere, which is nice).

And if you buy straight from the Jack Black online store, you can choose from allllll the varieties.

Goodbye, Blistex Moisture Melt! It Was Nice Knowing You All Those Years ...

Have you ever gotten super-attached to a beauty product, used it for years, only to have it discontinued before you could stock up? Yes? (I'm pretty sure we all have). So you feel my pain. There's just nothing like a great lip balm!

I'm glad I was able to find 1 and perhaps 2 substitutes that I like almost as much. They're a little more expensive but also a larger size so it's probably about even in the end.

I hope you found this lip balm review helpful!