Beauty Tips

Best Sun-Shielding Lip Balms

Your lips are especially sensitive to sun. Here's how to protect them properly.

By Stacy Adimando

We like balms with mineral-based sunscreens like zinc and titanium dioxide rather than chemical-based ones—and because you lick your lips often, apply frequently (few balms have an SPF higher than 15). We sun tested dozens, and these four came up winners.

TINTED
Alba TerraTints SPF 18 are perfect for the summer: They're lighter than lipstick but give a burst of color and come in four shades. And the ingredient list is 70 percent organic.

MOISTURIZING
Lavanila The Healthy Lip Butter SPF 8 is packed with moisture–replenishing shea and cocoa butters.

SOOTHING
Origins Cover Your Mouth Lip Protector SPF 8 made with sweet almond oil and beeswax, contains lavandin oil to help heal chapped lips.

De-puff your eyes with acupressure

These two acupressure techniques will send those bags packing.

1. Place your index fingers in the depressions a half-inch below the inner edge of your eyebrows, below the brow bone (on either side of the narrowest part of your nose), and gently press in and upward (shown, left).

2. Hook your index fingers over the edge of the infraorbital ridge (the bone below each eye) at the very center, aligned with your pupils, and apply gentle pressure on the ridge.

New Beauty Brand Helps Save the Sea

Tim Schaeffer, a veteran of the natural-products industry, has just launched Depth, a beauty brand inspired by the sea. I spoke with Tim about the company and discovered that its body washes, hand soaps, shaving creams, shampoos, and conditioners don’t just smell sweet and work well—they also help protect the ocean.

Why did you start Depth? I was a marine biologist for ten years (my wife is still one), so I wanted to create a company that could have a positive impact on ocean life.

How are your products friendly to the seas? We work with companies that sustainably source the kelp and seaweed that go into our products. The bottles are 50 percent post-consumer recycled and are fully recyclable. Our artwork is silk screened on the bottles to reduce waste from plastic labels.

What would happen if I dumped a bottle directly into the ocean? The products are fully biodegradable. They have an extremely low aquatic toxicity, so they won’t harm wildlife or upset the balance of the ocean.

Natural scents often are milder than synthetic scents. How do you create such sweet scents with natural ingredients? Instead of traditional, I use natural isolates. You get isolates by heating up a natural substance (such as castor oil, which has no smell when at room temperature) and as soon as it begins to break apart, you capture the molecules, which sometimes have scents. In the case of castor oil, when heated up, one of the molecules smells like peach.

Does Depth have a charitable component? Depth partners with Camp SEA Lab, a nonprofit organization based in Monterey Bay, Calif., that focuses on ocean education for underprivileged kids.

I love the five products—can we expect more? Yes. Other bodycare products and new suncare products are already in development and are expected to hit shelves in 2009. For now, Depth is only available at Whole Foods Markets, but the line will roll out elsewhere in late 2009.

Tip of the Day: Exfoliate your lips with sugar

To exfoliate lips, make a paste with equal parts sugar and olive or vegetable oils, then rub it on with your finger or a toothbrush in a circular motion; wipe off with a washcloth.

Tip of the Day: Try mineral makeup for sensitive skin

Makeup made from minerals doesn't contain potentially irritating and pore-clogging talc and artificial colors. They do contain a natural SPF from the minerals that helps protect skin from the sun. Try them out especially if your skin is sensitive.