Rosebud Salve is marketed as an all-purpose ointment used to treat dry hands, diaper rash, and burns. Yawn. So what is it doing on our beauty blog? It’s actually one of those rare, incredible finds: a really awesome product with a million different uses that costs barely more than $5. Hell yes.
The texture is like a high-quality lip balm: solid in the tin, creamy to the touch, and never ever sticky. It has a very light rosy fragrance that’s youthful without being sugary sweet and mature without being overpowering. It comes in a durable, airtight, vintage-styled metal tin adorned with adorable little retro roses.
This is the kind of thing you can be creative with. Here’s a list of what I’ve used it as, but I’m sure there are more uses just waiting to be discovered:
1. Lip balm, obvs. It has a smooth texture and will leave your lips subtly shiny (don’t worry, it won’t have your date looking like he has been stealing your lip gloss). It’s not the best lip balm ever, but it will do in a pinch.
2. Moisturizer for extra-dry cuticles, hands, feet, elbows, etc. It soaks into your skin nicely but leaves a kind of protectant shield, so you’ll probably want to use it only as a spot treatment in the winter.
3. A soothing ointment for irritated skin, like razor burn, regular burns, rug burn (it happens), boob itch (also happens), oh-my-gosh-this-new-acne-medicine-burned-my-skin burn, etc.
4. Added glow to cheeks—for reals. One time I went to a football game in the dead of winter and the wind chapped my cheeks so bad I couldn’t even wash my face afterwards. Every moisturizer I had hurt and burned and irritated the hell out of my skin. Out of desperation, I put on some Rosebud Salve. Not only did my cheeks calm down, but they also glowed with a gentle pink shine. To do this, remember that less is definitely more. Getting your hair stuck on your cheek-gloss is a bit more awkward than on your lipgloss. Use just the soft pads of your fingertips to dab a little on your apples and you’re set.
5. Perfume solid. Put a little on your wrist for the tiniest hint of fragrance.
6. Keeps crazy eyebrows in line. Again, don’t use too much!
7. You know when you have a cold and you blow your nose a thousand times and man, it just sucks so much cuz your nose hurts AND you’re sick? Rub some Rosebud on the painful parts, outside and in (the scent is light enough that it won’t give you a perfume headache).
Final verdict:
Cost: $6
Uses: Endless.
How long the actual product lasts: Forever. I’ve had the same tin for years!
Repeat Offender?: I’ll have a tin of this near me for the rest of my life. I’m always finding new uses.
-T
