Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15 Crush and Buff Review, Swatches and Ingredients Analysis

Jane Iredale's LipDrink Lipbalm expanded its range to include two new colours, Buff and Crush, a few months back for Summer. I guess I'm a few months late, but I guess lipbalm is kind of a year-round kind of product, so it's never too late, right? The addition of some colours to their lipbalm is pretty welcome, because up to now, the LipDrink Lipbalm came in only one shade, a clear one, so for those who want some colour to their balms (that includes me!), this is a welcome move.

Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: Two new hades, Crush and Buff

I figure I'm in the best possible position to test these lipbalms and other lip products that claim to be moisturizing, because right now I'm on isotretinoin for my horrible acne (sigh), and one of the side effects of isotretinoin is that you get dry lips. So I've been on the hunt for anything and everything that claims to give my dry, peeling lips some respite, and I just had to review these!


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: Claims to feel more moist on the lips than a traditional balm
And for this review, we'll start off at the usual place - the ingredients list! We'll then go onto some swatches, and my own personal experience with the product.

Unfortunately the packaging doesn't have the iingredients list, but they were easy to find on the Jane Iredale website:

Active Ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 1.75%. Ingredients: Vegetable Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Lotus Corniculatus (Lotus Flower) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Coconut Alkanes, Stearic Acid, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract, Alumina, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil.
May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499) Red 7 Lake (CI 15850)(Aka 202)

So from the ingredients list, we can see that the Titanium Dioxide at 1.75% is what gives the product the SPF15. Cross-checking with the BASF Sunscreen Simulator, it seems like the 1.75% of Titanium Dioxide alone would provide an SPF of ~3.7. I'm guessing that the inclusion of Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, which is claimed by one of its suppliers to act as an "SPF booster", also helped to increase the SPF value of the final product.

If the product interests you solely for the SPF, do remember that SPF is measured by using 2mg of product per cm2 of exposed surface area. So, in order to get the SPF15 stated, you have to apply 2mg/cm2 of lipbalm to your lips (i.e. 2mg of lipbalm for every cm2 of exposed lip surface). In practice though, we'll likely be under-applying and getting less than the stated SPF. But, some SPF is always better than none, so if the alternative is using an SPF-less balm, this is always better. You can also increase the SPF protection you get from the balm by applying liberally, too - more product on your lips means you get closer to the 2mg/cm2 standard.


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: The SPF15 is derived from Titanium Dioxide, and likely Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
Other than the SPF ingredients, there are various plant-based oils which primarily serve as emollients (Vegetable Oil, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil), Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate (which, other than being an SPF booster is also an emollient), Copernicia Cerifera Cera (aka Carnauba Wax, which is fairly common in lipbalms and lip products), and various other plant extracts (Lotus Corniculatus (Lotus Flower) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Coffea Arabica (Coffee) Seed Extract, Rubus Fruticosus (Blackberry) Fruit Extract), which may be of interest to consumers who like their products with plant extracts. There is also the inclusion of Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, which is likely there to help scent the product, otherwise you might end up with a lipbalm that smells waxy and unappealing.'

So, looking at the formula, we can see that this is a very emollient formula, designed to really form a barrier on the lips, to prevent further water loss from the skin on your lips. (The proper term you'll come across in the science literature is TEWL, or Trans-Epidermal Water Loss, is the term describing water loss from skin, and it's a major source of skin dryness and contributes to aging as well.) For those who like their products have plant extracts, you'll be pleased to see that the product does indeed have a slew of plant oils and extracts.


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: A highly emollient formulation consisting of plant oils and extracts
The two shades added to the line are Buff, a neutral nude shade, and Crush, a plummy shade. Both are really gorgeous colours, and will be quite flattering on most skintones. Buff is a go-with-anything type of colour, while Crush would look better on cooler skintones, but then again, given how sheer lipbalms are, you'll end up with just a hint of colour, so in practice, either shade would look pretty flattering on.


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15 Swatches: Buff and Crush
In the swatches above, I actually made multiple passes for the colours to show up, and as you can tell, these are pretty sheer. Crush also looks like a purple-plummy shade in the tube, but actually swatches out to a shade that is more rosy than plummy, and thus would also be pretty flattering.

Texture-wise, these were a little hard to apply initially (probably to do with the ratio of oils and waxes in the product and things like that), but once I swiped a couple of times they were great. They also were really good at preventing my dry lips from getting too chapped or peel-y, and generally helped my skin to feel nice and smooth. They also had a slight citrus scent, which I attribute to the Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil in the formula.


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: Buff on my lips
And now, lip swatches! Above, is Buff. You can tell that my lips are really dry in these swatches (as opposed to my usual lip swatches), so I guess my lips are perfect for testing lipbalm on! Anyway, I have fairly pigmented lips and Buff adds just a slight hint of rosy nude colour. This is great for everyday wear, and for that "no-makeup" look, as it helps to add some colour without being obvious at all.


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: Crush on my lips
And above, Crush. Like Buff, it is also quite sheer and provides just a hint of colour. The shade here is more of a very slight rosy shade with just the littlest bit of plum. Again, it's also perfect for a "no-makeup" look. On my fairly pigmented lips, it enhances my natural lip colour in a very subtle way.


Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm SPF15: Despite being pricey, the lipbalms have good formulation and pretty colours
So, would I recommend the Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalms? I think yes! Although these are a bit on the pricey side at SGD$21 each, if you can spare the budget for them, these lipbalms have a few things going for them: the highly emollient formula, which incorporates a great range of plant oils and extracts, the lovely universal shades, and the little bit of SPF you get from this product (not great, but better than nothing, especially considering that most lipbalms are SPF-less). The emollient formulation also helps the lipbalms to be effective at forming a barrier on the skin to prevent further water loss, which means this would be great not just for those with dry lips, but also those who live in cold or dry climates too. Of course, whether you want to spend as much on a lipbalm (especially if you're of the "lipbalm is lipbalm, it doesn't matter which brand it is" school of thought), but if you do have the inclination, these aren't bad at all.

Recommended?	Formulation	Packaging	Ease of Use	Effectiveness
Yes, if you don't mind the price	9/10	8/10	7/10	8/10
The Bottom Line: Despite being a tad pricey, Jane Iredale LipDrink Lipbalm has an emollient formulation with plant oils and extracts, nice sheer colours, and SPF15.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)