Lip Salvation: How Dermtropics Nourishing Lip Shield Transformed My Dry Lips
Dermtropics is the local skincare brand you absolutely need on your radar, harnessing the nourishing power of wet-milled virgin coconut oil to care for Filipinos from farm to skin. Although they just launched last year, Dermtropics has already impressed us with a full range of body and hair care products. Recently, we had the pleasure of being invited to celebrate their latest addition: the Raw Coconut + Shea Butter Nourishing Lip Shield (P599/9g)!
Dermtropics Co-founder - Margaux Arambulo-Lucena
The only lip balm you’ll ever need - this is what Dermtropics claims. Sounds like a big one but after my extensive review I’m inclined to believe them! Made with organic wet-milled virgin coconut oil, shea butter, argan oil, and jojoba esters, this lip balm is formulated to transform and improve even the driest lips. Nourishing, lightweight, and long-lasting I found the slip to be light and pleasant and not at all sticky. It also has SPF 70 UVA/UVB which is essential as I didn’t even realize I wasn’t applying sun protection on some of the thinnest skin on my face.
This product spent two years in development and with the quality of the product it was two years well-spent. The Nourishing Lip Shield comes in sustainable paper packaging making it completely plastic free while still being leak proof. The natural ingredients still need to be taken care of through by keeping it at temperatures no more than 30 degrees. So no leaving this in the car (a good rule to follow for any balm product).
During the launch, dermatologist Dr. Mariel Arambulo-Cordero delivered an eye-opening talk guiding guests through the causes, secret ingredients and irritants that trigger flaky lips. Dry and flaky lips can be caused by environmental factors, lip licking, allergic reactions, and even certain products. Buyers can unknowingly use products that contain irritants like fragrances, phenols, lanolin, and alcohols which can lead to dry lips. Avoiding these, seeking alternatives, and avoiding irritants can all aid in repairing dryness.
Green beauty ambassador Rissa Mananquil-Trillo (left) with co-founder Margaux Arambulo-Lucena
At the launch, Green Beauty ambassador Rissa Trillo expressed her genuine love for the Nourishing Lip Shield and Dermtropics as a whole. She shared a personal story about how her lips tend to pigment more easily after a trip to the beach, making the broad-spectrum protection of the Lip Shield exactly what she needed to defend against harmful sun rays. Rissa also gave a pro tip: you can use it as a lip primer to help your lipstick last longer or as an overnight lip treatment for extra nourishment.
Rissa went on to praise Dermtropics for standing out from the usual for-profit companies by embracing the Triple Bottom Line: People, Planet, Profit. “Dermtropics is intentional with controlled releases and actually puts thought into creating hero products that people will use down to the last drop,” she noted.
You can say that Dermtropics is a family project made with love, with the raw coconut gentle cleansing bar being around for over twenty years before Dermtropics even launched. The ingenuity of the bar is credited to co-founder Margaux Arambulo-Lucena’s mother, Dr. Julieta Arambulo, a dermatologist who wanted to provide a natural alternative for her patients. Co-founder Margaux loved the products so much and started Dermtropics to spread the word of the health and beauty benefits one could derive from the humble coconut.
It's all in the family! Margaux Arambulo-Lucena (left) is the co-founder of Dermtropics, while mother Dr. Julieta Arambulo (center) and sister Dr. Mariel Arambulo-Cordero (right) are dermatologists working with patients to achieve healthy and nourished skin.
My Review
If you've followed some of my previous lip product reviews, you’ll know that I struggle with dry lips that are prone to chapping and flaking. This is why I’ve always leaned towards balms and oils rather than traditional bullet lipsticks. So, when I saw a path to lip redemption, I eagerly tried out the Dermtropics Nourishing Lip Shield—and now, I totally get why they claim this might just be the only lip balm you’ll ever need!
Before--
--and After using the Dermtropics lip treatment twice daily for two weeks. On my bottom lip my lip lines aren’t as deep and on my top lip you can see that it got more plump and less creased.
This product didn’t just improve my lips after two weeks; it completely transformed how my lips behave and feel on a daily basis. I no longer deal with flaking, and when skin turnover does happen, it’s easily managed with gentle exfoliation—no more patches or stubborn flakes left behind. I can now confidently wear bullet lipstick without worrying about the pigment getting caught in dry spots. I wholeheartedly recommend this lip treatment for anyone who loves matte lip products but struggles with dry lips.
