This Light-As-Air Balm Healed My Picked Zits — & So Much More

There is a common self-check you do when you leave the house to make sure you have all your essentials — keys, wallet, phone, mask. My checklist however includes something additional, but equally important: a balm. I am obsessive about having one with me at all times for moisture emergencies and feel naked without one. As such, I am always trying each and every one I can get my hands on. Recently, I’ve been reaching for one in particular: Glass Lizzard’s Bouncy Balm.

I have high standards when it comes to any sort of salve or balm. It needs to be travel-friendly and able to fit into any purse, tote, or overnight bag with ease and without fear of spillage. It also needs to be universally usable — for all areas of my body — and therefore without any possible irritants such as fragrance or peppermint. And, obviously, it needs to be effective at calming and moisturizing whatever area I apply it to.

I use the balm I keep on my person for everything: soothing bug bites, moisturizing my lips, as a shield on top of open zits to prevent scarring, as a cuticle softener, and so much more. Though many balms are often too thick and clog my pores, Bouncy Balm not only does everything I need it to, but it’s also light as air. Read on for how it’s become my new beauty companion.

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First Up: The Basics

Bouncy Balm was my introduction to the new Korean skin care brand Glass Lizzard. It’s a family-run line that was launched this last winter of 2020 and aims to offer products that can reassure even the most finicky and difficult skin conditions. The formulas are all clean, vegan, and cruelty-free.

I’ll try any K-beauty product once since the category is always innovating in skin care, but because of my aforementioned affinity for a multi-use product, Bouncy Balm was the Glass Lizzard creation I first gravitated towards. And I was right — it was love at first sight.

Bouncy Balm is first and foremost meant for skin barrier support. This means it has two goals: to lock in moisture and to keep out any possible irritants — think of the wear and tear your skin experiences throughout the day, from things like pollution, UV rays, and even your makeup.

The formula contains a greatest hits of moisturizing and soothing ingredients for the job. The standouts include collagen (important to plump and firm the skin), squalane (a moisturizing ingredient that’s akin to hyaluronic acid), and niacinamide (which brightens and soothes). In other words: All signs point to it being an MVP healing balm.

Why I’m Obsessed

Because I often move through life frantically, I first threw the balm into my purse without reading the ingredient label. Throughout the day I reached for it whenever any skin woe came up. The first time I applied it, it was on open zits that I wasn’t able to resist picking at. It felt so smooth and weightless I double-checked to make sure I actually put it on. Throughout the rest of the day, I applied it mindlessly to whatever other ailments showed up (including chafing on my thighs).

When I finally had a minute to breathe, I sat down to evaluate my picked pimples, bug bite-dotted legs, and parched lips. I was shook: My pores were not suffocating from any product film (something I’ve experienced from other balms), and the skin was hydrated and not at all irritated despite sweating all day. It worked to protect my open wounds and dry patches in one fell swoop.

Bouncy Balm can also function as a little-goes-a-long way moisturizer. Although my oily skin doesn’t regularly need the type of intense hydration it promises in that use, I have found myself relying on the small pot as an on-the-go moisturizer on days when I don’t wake up early enough for my full skin care routine (oops).

The TL;DR

This do-it-all balm and moisturizer hybrid plays well with my sensitive complexion despite its emollient nature. It packs easy and has become a security blanket of sorts for my finicky skin. If you want to rely on one product you can use for everything from face cream to something that tames rashes and chapped lips — and so much more — this is an all-star.