What are the best cruelty free lip plumpers?

Ever since Kylie Jenner got her lips plumped up, the world has become obsessed with full lips! I don’t think this Kardashian/Jenner obsession is necessarily healthy, but regardless, women have been trying to get fuller lips since the dawn of time. And as we age, our lips tend to get thinner, which makes us really want to find the best cruelty free lip plumpers!

Short of having things injected or implanted, there are really two ways to plump your lips. There are lip plumpers with irritating ingredients (cinnamon, wintergreen, capsicum from hot peppers, etc), that are generally not harmful, but they STING! They work by creating topical inflammation which makes your lips swell (temporarily). My lips are sensitive and dry (and usually chapped), so I avoid this type of lip plumper like the plague.

The second type is more of a long-term treatment for the skin. These use peptides, moisturizers and other ingredients to stimulate your lips to produce more collagen and elastin. These won’t give you Kylie Jenner lips (only injections and surgery can do that), but they will help to prevent lip lines, and reduce loss of volume from the area. I’m totally on board with these kinds of plumpers.

Buxom PowerPlump Lip Balm ($17) – Big O (aka the Buxom lip plumper) is an oversized lip balm that contains synthetic peptides with long names like Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, which are designed to increase collagen and elastin, which increases your lip volume over time. It also contains moisturizing ingredients (pumpkin seed oil, beeswax and candelilla wax), along with lactic acid (exfoliant and wrinkle preventer). I don’t think there’s anything in this formula that will immediately plump lips, but it can help keep your lips looking pouty and young over time. It has cooling menthol and a pink tint.

Burn factor – mild – 3 out of 10 (I’m not sure what causes the “tingle” – possibly the lactic acid)

Sara Happ Plump & Prime Lip Airbrush ($28) – This lip plumper is my favorite of the bunch. It has zero burn, and lots of moisturizing and lip plumping ingredients, including peptides, konjac root, hyaluronic acid, and rosehip oil.The hyaluronic acid and konjac are housed in microspheres which expand on contact to hydrate and minimize the appearance of tiny lines. It also smells like roses, which I LOVE! This lip plumper is launching soon (8/14) – keep an eye out!

Burn factor – none – 0 out of 10

Elf Lip Plumping Gloss – ($5) – These lip plumpers from Elf are the most budget-friendly of the bunch, but they’re also the most painful. They are hydrating (coconut oil and Vit E) and come in five glossy shades (Sparkling Rose, Pink Cosmo, Champagne Glam, Peach Bellini and Mocha Twist). I tried Champagne Glam (clear with gold shimmer) and Mocha Twist (a mauve “my lips but better” shade). You can wear them alone or on top of lip color. Looking at the list of ingredients, I’m not sure what causes the tingling, burning feeling. There’s menthol (which could irritate for some), but I’m not 100% sure if that’s the culprit. Most of the ingredients are chemicals with a lot of syllables that are above my pay grade, but you can check them out here. You’ll probably get the most immediate effects from these lip plumpers, but you’ll definitely feel “the tingle.”

Burn factor – 7 out of 10