pandoo Bare Lip Balm Review

Pucker up, Buttercup! 💋

My lips can get dry sometimes, especially in winter. Shocking news, I know. I’ve been mainly using lip balms made by Nivea most of my life. Not bad in terms of results, but…

It was time to look into some more natural alternatives. Better, yet… Plastic-free. And to be fair, the ingredients in Nivea’s products are pretty great based on the little research I’ve done into them, checking out those ingredient checker websites. At least, the lip balm for men is lighting up green in this case.

Anymoose…

I got the pandoo Bare Lip Balm from a local online store called Nula here in Lithuania. I have been using it for… I don’t even know. It’s been months now. Maybe even a year at the time of writing this review. Which is plenty of time to test it and form an opinion about it.

The pandoo Bare Lip Balm was quite unusual looking for me. I wasn’t used to this before. It was the first lip balm of its kind I’ve ever tried or even seen.

For about a second, I was a bit confused about how to use it when I opened it for the first time. It’s not the same working mechanism as the conventional lip balms out there. Basically, you don’t turn it – you push it up and down.

Ingredients

At the time of ordering this, there was another option, which I don’t even remember now. What I do remember, however, is that I chose pandoo Bare Lip Balm because… well… it was bare. As in, no perfume. The most basic one available at the Nula shop at the time.

I ran this through several ingredient checkers. Needless to say, it looks fantastic on paper. Here they are actually, so you can run them through one of those checkers yourself if you want:

Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera (Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax), Myrica Pubescens Fruit Cera (Myrica Pubescens Fruit Wax), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Cera (Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax), Sorbitol/Sebacic Acid Copolymer Behenate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract

*From controlled organic cultivation

In short, free from alcohol, fragrance, allergens, parabens, sulfates, silicones, bad oils, and fungal acne and reef safe. Vegan too.

Smell and Consistency

While pandoo Bare Lip Balm doesn’t have any fragrance in it, it does smell like something. I’m not sure I can describe it… However, it’s a nice and pleasant smell. To me at least. Feels nice to sniff it!

The lip balm is overall like a hard stick of butter, but also unlike butter. Maybe more like those clarified butters out there. Ghee or something. Not as slippery as a butter stick. Hope that makes sense.

Application

The packaging is a sleeve type where you push it up from the bottom and let it slide through the surface of your lips. When you’re done, push it back… Use your lips! Or finger. Or something else. Whatever. I won’t judge.

Pro tip: Keep your finger at the bottom when you’re applying this lip balm so it doesn’t slide back in.

The lips get covered by a clear film. No colouring. They do get a bit shiny, but not too shiny compared to conventional stick lip balms I’ve used in the past. It feels nice and definitely helps my lips remain soft, healthy, and smoocheyful.

Packaging

No plastic found here! It’s basically like a carton. Kraft paper actually. Pretty solid, not flimsy. Bio-degradable too. It’s also really light. A total of 16 grams.

Price

The price isn’t that much different than some of the conventional lip balms you can find at any store. In some cases, it’s even cheaper. However, the price is higher at the local online store here compared to the pandoo website. Over one euro more.

Here’s a quick price rundown that is true in November 2024 with no discounts:

Nula shop: €5,50
pandoo website: €3,99

Where It’s Made

Looks like pandoo Bare Lip Balm was manufactured in the Netherlands. The brand itself is from Germany.

Summary

🟢 Ingredients are great and all vegan.
🟢 Plastic-free biodegradable packaging that doesn’t fall apart.
🟢 Does what it is supposed to do for the lips.
🟢 Lasts a long time for me personally.
🟢 Smells nice to me too.
🟢 Price is good.

🔴 The application due to the packaging might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I have personally gotten used to it and see no issues with that.

You could say it’s… Pretty perfect! From the ingredients and packaging to soft lips and friendliness to the planet.

Would I Buy It Again?

YES! 👀

#NOTSPONSORED

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, a health expert, or some other kind of expert in ecology, medicine, or whatever. I’m just a regular dude (albeit smart and amazing) reviewing stuff based on my personal understanding, research, opinions, worldview, and unique experiences. Therefore, do your own research and consult any professionals if you, for whatever reason, have to before making any decisions. Also, what works for me might just not work for you, and that’s okay. Try it for yourself and you’ll know.