I am a huge fan of Studio Ghibli animes. HUGE. Yes it’s an odd way to start an article about lip balms but stay with me. Studio Ghibli partnered with a German-French distribution company to release The Red Turtle, about a man stranded on a desert island. Aaaahh, we’re getting there. It got me thinking about items that I couldn’t live without, specifically beauty-related. I’m not suggesting that a lipstick will increase your survival rate, but assuming you’d have access to fresh water and food on the island, is there a beauty product that would enhance your Robinson Crusoe life ten-fold? Any form of colour cosmetics is probably out, but how about skincare? That’s where lip balm comes into play. Tweezers came a close second, but really without a mirror you can’t be sure what you’re plucking at. A lip balm can repair your lips (handy after all that salty sea water), double up as a balm for other dry areas of skin and protect them against the elements whether you’re on a tropical island or the Outer Hebrides. So here’s a curated selection to browse:

The Body Shop Shea Lip Butter

Of all The Body Shop lip butters I’ve tried, Shea is my favourite. It is super nourishing and smells deliciously nutty. The butter keeps your lips moisturised for quite a while so no need to re-apply every hour and comes in a generously sized pot – handy if you have to make it last until a boat comes to your rescue.

Prevasore Everyday Lip Therapy

My toddler claimed this one and hid it away in his toiletry basket, so I’m guessing Prevasore’s Everyday Lip Therapy is his top choice. It stands out from the rest in that it doesn’t really classify as a beauty product but more of a pharmaceutical treatment. The clinical packaging certainly gives that impression, and as you may guess from the name, this lip treatment claims to heal dry, chapped lips and prevent cold sores. Not sexy stuff but the formula is great: it provides good hydration and as it’s a gel it sinks into lips so you can apply lipstick straight after with no bleeding. I know, that’s exactly what you need on a desert island, right?

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour® Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm

There are some products you always stock up on for fear of running out (for my sister it’s Havaianas) and this one is part of the Eight Hour® Cream range – need I say more? I have a stash under the bed. The original cream has won countless awards and is used by makeup artists the world over. The balm is as multi-tasking as the cream, moisturising lips, hands, nails and any other dry bits you come across. It comes in a pretty peach shade but is colourless when applied. A little goes a long way and you can also use it to groom your eyebrows. Not that you would be too bothered about that on a desert island.

Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lipbalm

This is my current favourite and another one that I stock up on. The texture is melting and so nourishing it instantly hydrates lips and keeps them looking smooth for hours. There is a very slight pink tint which gives a nice sheen to lips. I could wax lyrical about Clarins, every one of their products I’ve tried is amazing including their facials, but that’s a discussion for another day. If I could bring one of their facialists to the island though…

What would be your desert island beauty must-have? Leave a comment below to let me know.