Vanilla Extract for Natural Lip Care

Vanilla planifolia

Vanilla extract is best known as a kitchen ingredient, with roots in ancient Mesoamerica. It also turns up in lip and skin care, mostly for its scent. This page covers where vanilla comes from, what it does and doesn't do, and why it shows up in lip balm.

History of vanilla extract

The Totonac people are usually credited with first cultivating vanilla. They lived in the Totonacapan region on the Gulf coast of what is now Veracruz, Mexico, in and around present-day Papantla, where fine vanilla still grows today. They prized its aroma and used it in scent, ritual, and remedies. When Spanish forces under Hernan Cortes reached the Aztec capital in 1519, the Aztecs had already brought the Totonac region under their control and taken up vanilla themselves, mainly to flavor a cacao drink. The Spanish carried vanilla back to Europe, where it stayed a luxury of the wealthy for a long time before becoming a common flavoring.

Health benefits of vanilla extract

Beyond flavor, vanilla has a few properties worth mentioning. Most of the research is early, done in cell and animal studies rather than on people, so it's best not to read too much into it:

• Antioxidants: Vanilla contains antioxidant compounds. In lab studies, vanillin, its main flavor compound, has shown antioxidant activity.
• Anti-inflammatory effects: Vanillin has reduced markers of inflammation in laboratory research.
• Scent: A lot of people find the smell of vanilla comforting. A few small studies have linked it to a lower heart rate and less anxiety, including when it was used to calm patients during MRI scans.

What does vanilla extract do in lip balm?

Vanilla shows up in lip balm mostly for its smell. A couple of things are worth knowing about what it does and doesn't do:

• Scent: Vanilla gives a balm a warm, familiar smell that many people find pleasant.
• Antioxidants: Vanilla carries some antioxidant compounds, though the amount in a scented balm is small.
• Moisture comes from the base, not the vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is mostly water with glycerin or alcohol, so it isn't what softens your lips. The oils, butters, and beeswax in the balm do that work, and the vanilla rides along for scent.

Conclusion

Vanilla has a long history and plenty of uses beyond flavoring. In lip balm its main job is scent, while the oils and butters in the balm handle the moisturizing.