As a lover of Zelens, and all things that keep my lips happy, I saw the new Lip Treatment Oil on Cultbeauty and grabbed it. Per Zelens website: "A supreme age-defying lip treatment containing 9 plant oils infused with powerful botanicals, vitamins, peptides and other anti-aging ingredients. This restorative formula delivers instant moisture, strengthens the lipid barrier and protects against environmental damage. Helps to smooth and fill in fine lines and wrinkles while improving lip texture, plumpness and shape."
This has a slanted sponge tip applicator like the Lip Glaze and retails for $65, though I have yet to see it on a US website yet. The oil is scented mildly like vanilla, it has no discernible taste. I'm kind of glad it doesn't taste sweet or I would just eat it off all day. It feels like an oil on your lips. It's very hydrating while on. It lasts maybe 30 minutes then I find I need to put another coat on. So if you see my picture, that was what's left after two days of using it all day. You will run through a tube very quickly.
It does what it says and the only down side is the need for frequent application. When it wears off my lips are soft, but it doesn't leave any waxes or other typical longer lasting lip balm emollients behind, so my lips suddenly feel dry when it's worn off. I did try this under a waxy balm at night, which was nice. That boosted my night balm hydration level. It was like wearing a face oil under a moisturizer, it helps lock in that moisture.
Ingredients (per Zelens website):
Plant oils
Lip Treatment Oil contains 9 different plant oils.
Argan oil: Rich in omega-3, this oil helps restore lip moisture while demonstrating anti-inflammatory, healing and regenerative properties.
Squalane: Derived from Mediterranean olive oil, this botanical lipid mimics human skin lipids in molecular structure to help replenish their natural levels. Squalane conditions and hydrates lips, improves elasticity and boosts the lips’ ability to naturally repair. Demonstrates strong antioxidant properties to protect from damaging free radicals.
Wild musk rose oil: This oil has been used for centuries for wound healing. Rich in Vitamin A, musk rose oil promotes lip repair and regeneration. Contains high amounts of omega-3 and omega-6.
Jojoba oil: This oil, with potent bio-mimetic properties, improves lip moisture and forms a protective barrier for the lips.
Borage oil: Also known as starflower oil, this oil demonstrates strong anti-inflammatory properties. It soothes damaged and irritated lips and alleviates the inflammatory symptoms associated with skin disorders.
Cotton seed oil: This oil has strong emollient properties due to the high amount of unsaturated fatty acids.
Linseed oil: This oil, also known as flax seed oil, is rich in omega-3 and omega-6. Helps to improve moisture and soothe the lips.
Red palm oil: This botanical oil has excellent moisturizing and soothing properties. Rich in vitamin A, palm oil promotes natural lip repair and regeneration. It also demonstrates antioxidant properties.
Shea butter: A natural lipid extracted from the seeds of Shea tree or Karite’. Demonstrates excellent moisturising, softening, smoothing and restructuring properties.
Peptides
Lip Treatment Oil contains two potent peptides that stimulate natural collagen production and lip repair. This has a visible impact on the lip shape and improvement of lip volume and texture.
Botanical extracts
Bidens pilosa extract: Extracted from the plant originating in South America. This botanical demonstrates retinoid-like effects and thus stimulates extracellular matrix elements and increases growth factors to enhance lip renewal for long-term anti-aging benefits.
Portulaca pilosa extract: Also known as "Kiss me quick”, this botanical boosts production of hyaluronic acid to increase lip volume, hydration and softness.
Shiso leaf extract: Rich in polyphenols, this extract demonstrates antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-allergic properties. Shiso leaf acts as a powerful antioxidant defending from free radical damage. This botanical is well-known in Kampo medicine for its strong detox properties.
Vitamins
Vitamin A: Lip Treatment Oil contains retinol ester, a derivate of vitamin A that enhances cell communication, promotes collagen production and encourages the lip renewal process.
Vitamin E: An antioxidant with a key role in the protection of cellular membranes from free radicals. Vitamin E (tocopherol) is the major antioxidant in the human epidermis with strong protective effects against UV-induced skin damage.
Other ingredients
Hyaluronic acid: An important natural component of skin. Zelens uses a low-molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) with unique moisturising properties. HA improves lip moisture and helps to elevate the appearance of lip texture, shape, and volume.
Phospholipids: Major building components in the structure of any cellular membrane essential for all vital physiological processes. These natural skin-identical ingredients demonstrate moisturising, restructuring and protective properties.
Sphingolipids: Lipid molecules with strengthening, restructuring, repairing and moisturising properties. Reinforce barrier function, improve elasticity and demonstrate soothing and softening properties.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract: A natural extract from the yeast cells (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae). Increases cell respiration and metabolism, stimulates oxygen consumption and helps tissue repair and wound healing. Demonstrates anti-inflammatory and protective properties.
Sodium chondroitin sulfate: A natural molecule present in connective tissue cross-linking with the collagen. Demonstrates firming properties to give the matrix a distinct 3D structure.
