Organic lip balm - lip balm discontinued by Evolution of Smooth - review by Zombirella

I am a Burt's Bees girl all the way but the shape of the EOS balm was very intriguing to me and I couldn't resist and picked one up just because of the shape. The flavor I got was Lemon and I just ended up not liking it and tossing it in the trash after trying to get used to it. That was a year ago. Then EF started carrying it and I decided to give the balm another try. This time I went out and bought Sweet Mint and Strawberry Sorbet which I loved and gave the Summer Fruit a try, it's too much mango for me but I can stand it and will use it until it is gone.

The retail store doesn't sell Tangerine so I bought it from EF with one of my latest purchases because it sounded good. I checked the EOS site and noticed that it said medicated but I decided to try it anyway. I hate to say it but this is another flavor that I just cannot like even if I try.

Upon opening the balm you get hit with a kind of stinging scent of medicated smell that sort of reminds me of muscle pain (but not the Icy Hot smell), hospitals and nursing homes. Yeah, not pleasant to my mind or my nostrils. The scent is probably due to the active ingredient, Phenol 0.5% which is found in Carmex and many other medicated balms, chapsticks and glosses. The problem I have with Phenol is that it can be drying to the lips but I'm not sure HOW drying it is at a low dose in this balm, but it is the reason I stopped using Carmex and switched to Burt's Bees (and now EOS Sweet Mint) because I love that cooling feeling. I haven't worn the tangerine enough to see if it does dry my lips out but I did feel a little dry upon applying it to my lips; it just didn't feel as hydrating as the other flavors of EOS balm I have tried. There is also a hint of cooling, medicated feeling upon application as well.

This balm also seems to feel slightly thicker to me against the other flavors that I have. It isn't greasy, it's smooth and glides on easily. Due to the round shape, it may be awkward for some people depending on the size and shape of your lips. I have full lips so I just part my lips a little and glide it on, if you have thinner lips it might be easier to follow the slogan and "pucker up, smooth on" or you may end up getting the balm on your lips as well as around them, like a kool-aide mustache you got as a kid.

Once you get passed the medicated scent you can catch a whiff of tangerine trying to come out. Sweet and medicated just aren't two scents that I like together. The medicated smell very much overpowers the smell of the tangerine. The scent remains strong and noticeable on your lips for a good bit of time.

Now to the taste, it has a bit of a sweet (and medicated) taste to it but feels tingly on the tongue. It isn't a pleasant taste and if you tend to lick your lips a lot, you will probably do less of it with this balm on.

I do think this would be a good balm when you are sick with a cold or something. If you are wanting something for every day use, I would go for one of the other flavors.

I personally don't like this flavor but my fiance seems to and he has been picking it up and putting it on when he comes over so I'm going to give it to him instead of throwing it away like I intended.

The ingredients are:
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D'abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract*, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract*, Linalool. * Organic. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth.
++++add in the Phenol 0.5% for the tangerine flavor

EOS balms have no petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, triclosan and is parabens free

With all that said, be aware that you are purchasing a medicated balm when choosing tangerine. I really think EF should have that noted on the product page so unsuspecting buyers aren't disappointed if they didn't check the EOS website before making a decision.

I would rate this balm a 3 solely based on the flavor but since I can only review one flavor and I pretty much liked the others that I have tried, I will ignore that factor and rate it a 5.

I just wasn't into the medicine like taste that this balm had. You can catch a hint of tangerine scent when the top is off but that medicine smell breaks through and strong at that. I tried to like it because I hate wasting things but I just couldn't do it. I hated the way it felt and just everything about it. My fiance on the other hand liked it so it now belongs to him, I just ask that he doesn't kiss me with it on!
It would be a good balm for someone that doesn't mind the medicinal taste or smell and would probably be a good product for winter colds.