Review: Blistex Simple and Sensitive

When I realized I was allergic to beeswax, Blistex Simple and Sensitive was the first - and only - beeswax-free type of balm I was able to find at my local grocery store. I remember standing in the aisle, forlorn, examining ingredients on packages of everything, trying to find something that used candelilla wax; I looked at familiar brands and unfamiliar no-brands, and this was literally the only item out of twenty-five or so options.

I used to frequently use Blistex's minty medicated balm, so even if there had been another option, I likely would have gone with this one anyway. Its list of ingredients is blessedly short.

Here's the deets:

Non-Irritating: 
With no flavors, fragrances, colors or unnecessary sensitizing ingredients, Simple and Sensitive's hypo-allergenic formula is rigorously tested and clinically proven to be gentle 
on lips.

Only Six Ingredients: 

• Cocoa Butter, a lush tropical extract with serious moisturizing properties.
• Sunflower Seed Oil, a nutrient-rich oil selected for its comforting qualities.
• Jojoba, a naturally derived emollient that helps smooth and soften lips.
• Vitamin E, a highly beneficial antioxidant.
• Microcrystalline Wax helps give the formula an appealing feel and form.
• Phenoxyethanol, a necessary preservative to maintain freshness.

Bingo, no beeswax! I bought it, but had to come home and Google Microcrystalline wax to make sure that wasn't just code for "beeswax; PUNKED YOU."

At the time, this was a godsend to me. I could get it at the grocery store (which was important to me), and it was 99 cents.

Flavorless and scentless, this is hypoallergenic, which is great. It's what I think of as usable. But this really made my soul cry out for the flavors I missed. Imagine a glue stick that isn't sticky any longer. It's moist, but not terribly. It feels a lot like rubbing a scentless, flavorless, un-sticky glue stick on your lips. When you lift the tube to your nose and smell it, it does have a vaguely plastic, nothingness wax crayon type of scent. On your lips, it doesn't smell of anything. I don't find it very moisturizing or pleasant to wear, but if your lips are chapped or you're like me and just really need lip balm, this will suffice, and the price is great.

I have two of these, one of which I carry in my purse. The other is stationed by my bed. I don't reach for it specifically, but I think it's nice to have them around.

TL;DR: This is okay and I use it sometimes, but I wouldn't say I like it, either.