These concentrated beauty balms make light, moveable work of your skincare routine.
If you’ve used and loved a cleansing balm, part of the appeal can probably be attributed to their ability to dissolve away even the most stubborn makeup and SPF with ease while leaving your skin feeling soft, supple
Often appreciated, too, is the set, unmessy format. A balm won’t spill in your bag, you won’t accidentally pour out more than you intend to and the concentrated formulas please people who don’t want to pay premium for products that are mostly water.
The pace with which consumers have gravitated towards balms has been noted by skincare brands, who have recently extended a balm base to a wide array of skincare products. Active serums, foundations, fragrances and even sunscreens become mess-free mavens when batched in balm form.
Broadly speaking, a balm is concentrated, solidified salve that delivers the product directly to the skin via carrier oil and wax blend. Generally coming in smaller and set formulations, balm-based products come in handy in situations where full-sized liquid variants might prove cumbersome or riskily messy.
Whether you want something transportable to travel with, to store neatly on your desk or carry around in your handbag, our edit of treasured and tote-able topicals are up to the task.
Why we love it: As longtime fans of Kiehl’s best-selling ultra-lightweight facial barrier cream, we were excited to see the brand rework the invisible, fragrance-free formula into stick formula for on-the-go application and top-ups. It offers the same long-lasting hydrating properties in a transport friendly stick.
Key ingredients: Squalane, a cosmetically elegant moisturising ingredient helps hydrate skin, without being heavy or greasy. Ceramides come along for the ride too, reinforcing the building blocks that help support skin’s barrier fend off environmental aggressors.
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Advertise with NZME.Suitable for: Sensitive skin that braves the elements.
Best for: All-day moisturising and barrier strengthening.
Why we love it: Topical Vitamin C products claim to benefit photoaged skin in a broad spectrum of ways: brightening the complexion, reducing the appearance of dark spots, helping even skin tone and also acting as an antioxidant. With daily application this stick will last you about a month, which may not sound lengthy but because L-ascorbic acid-based Vitamin C products are prone to oxidising and becoming ineffective, one that won’t be wasted might be a savvy choice.
Key ingredients: A 15% concentration of Vitamin C.
Suitable for: Vegans, this has synthetic beeswax.
Best for: Mess free application.
Why we love it: This concentrated retinoid treatment softens and plumps fine, dry lines and over time works away at deeper set ones over time. The easy-to-use stick format means you can apply with precision to areas of concern - e.g, forehead and frown lines, crow’s feet, lines around the lips, and smile lines.
Key ingredients: 1% retinoid helps accelerate cell turnover to help smooth lines and wrinkles and hyaluronic acid delivers soothing hydration.
Suitable for: Sensitive skin. It’s allergy-tested, fragrance-free and Clinique says this balm is gentle enough to use twice a day, but if you’re new to retinols introduce slowly.
Best for: Targeted application.
Why we love it: Mini versions of sprayable fragrances are easy to come by nowadays, but there’s something uniquely pleasurable about the tactile nature of solid perfumes. This solid version of the soft and intimate Glossier You scent is encapsulated in a water-free wax base that gets massaged into your skin, melting the smell in close. The delicately musky fragrance, with notes of pink pepper and iris is gently intensified by the warmth of your own body. Apply to areas of friction (elbows and knees) to extend the throw, or apply more sparingly and save for those you allow closest.
Key ingredients: The silky skin feel can be attributed in part to the inclusion of Zea Mays in the formula, a corn starch that helps cosmetics spread easily without greasiness.
Suitable for: Keeping in the glovebox, in your handbag or on your desk.
Best for: Lovers of intimacy.
Why we love it: Deodorant balms are a popular form of whole-body deodorant, formulated for use anywhere you sweat, not just under arms.
Key ingredients: An exfoliating papaya enzyme gently sloughs away dead skin cells, helping fight ingrown hairs; a citric acid ester neutralises odour-causing bacteria and tapioca starch absorbs excess moisture to help keep underarms dry.
Suitable for: People who want an aluminium-free deodorant.
Best for: Fans of warm, fruity, vanilla scents.
Why we love it: Eight skin-loving ingredients are whipped into this solid serum-boosted skin tint that provides buildable sheer-to-light coverage in 16 flexible shades. Its silky texture feels weightless against your skin and blends seamlessly into a naturally glowy finish. The brand recommends applying to bare skin, starting in the centre of the face and blending outwards using your fingertips - it doesn’t get much easier than that.
Key ingredients: Sodium hyaluronate, which can be thought of as a cousin ingredient of hyaluronic acid, helps your skin hold on to water, aiding plumpness and elasticity. Emollients caprylic/capric triglyceride and coco-caprylate/caprate lend a skin-friendly silkiness to the formula.
Suitable for: Any skin that could use a boost of radiant coverage.
Best for: Sheer satin skin finishes, midday reapplication that doesn’t require a brush.
Why we love it: By now we all know how important (crucial) proper sunscreen application is. But a desire to not mess up your makeup continues to provide a mental roadblock to re-application for some. This clear sunscreen stick, with a demi-matte finish is here to help.
Key ingredients: A hydrating watermelon extract delivers a boost of antioxidants and hydration alongside a SPF re-up.
Suitable for: Spray-free SPF top-ups.
Best for: Stashing in your summer bag, so you’re never caught without SPF.
Why we love it: This moisturising matte lipstick-meets-balm hybrid imparts a sheer kiss of colour with a subtle blurring effect. Apply one swipe for a fresh and natural look referred to by French beauty lovers to as “bouche mordue” (just bitten) or build up for a bolder red lip.
Key ingredients: Emollient dimethicone helps this balmy lipstick feel silky smooth, leaving an ever-so-subtle gloss and forming protective barrier on your lips. It’s a polymer that also helps fill in fine lines, meaning it has a very slight plumping effect.
Suitable for: Animal-loving French beauty fanatics, the brand is “leaping bunny certified” cruelty-free.
Best for: Faking a natural flush.
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