Since I was young, I always had badly chapped lips. I used every kind of unguent out there to try to keep them moist, but the underlying problem was never cured. The underlying problem was that the skin on my lips just constantly flaked and peeled away. Lip balms only kept the peeling skin moist, but didn’t stop the peeling.
The balm I’ve been using for eight years (Dr. Dan’s) suddenly started irritating my lips and surrounding skin, so I had to give it up. To soothe my irritated lips, I switched from shower body wash to CeraVe facial wash for dry skin and used it on my face and especially my lips. Startlingly, the chapping on my lips started to go away. Then I went out and bought a tube of CeraVe healing lip balm, and the chapping literally disappeared.
So now for the first time in decades my lips are healthy and are not “delaminating” nor are they sore from loss of skin. I can’t quite believe it. I subsequently read that products with ceramides and hyaluronic acid are recommended for people with really dry skin, and that’s what these CeraVe products have. I am sold.
ETA: I opine that the reason my lips were so chapped is because I am of Norwegian heritage and have lived all my life in a dry Mediterranean region (California). When we travel to the Pacific Northwest, my lips and cuticles always feel much better.
Hmm, I use Cerave wash too, and my chapped lips have also improved. However, I attributed it to having quit lip balm. I’ve been using only petroleum jelly.
No kisses for anyone! I haven’t brushed my teeth yet.
This is a discussion (argument) I have had with my wife for quite a while.
It may be a bit conspiracy-theory, but I suspect that a lot of the lip balm formulations are designed to provide short-term relief, but actually worsen the problem long term. So that people will keep buying them.
I’ve had a reaction to certain lip balms and had to switch, but it was fairly obvious. Also, my personal experience agrees with snopes. Most lip balms help reduce chapping in my lips, and do not make it worse. (They don’t give a ton of short-term relief, either. But they can prevent chapping in the winter.)
It is true that lip balms with certain ingredients can exacerbate dryness. Fragrances, flavorings, salicylic acid, eucalyptus lanolin can cause irritation.
Whether that’s intentional to make a consumer reach for that product over and over. Perhaps not.
Not everyone reacts the same to those irritants.
Many years ago, I tried Burt’s Bees lip balm. I soon developed irritation around the borderline of my lips, with stinging and burning. I threw the balm away and the irritation cleared up. I used Dr. Dan’s for years with no problem, but one day about three weeks ago I developed irritation again. It reminded me of the Burt’s Bees issue, so I looked up the common ingredients between the two. One stood out: beeswax. Google says beeswax can really bother some people, as the residual pollen in it is an allergan. Although this doesn’t explain why I had no issue for years with Dr. Dan’s.
Whatever. The new regime has been a miracle cure and I’m very happy.
I always keep a tube of Blistex nearby. I never know when chapped lips will strike but I found that Chapstick and other petroleum balms treated the symptoms, but Blistex would actually cure the problem in a day or so. I wonder if it’s a similar mechanism.
I’m contact, i find that chapstick cam exacerbate chapped lips, and my lips have been in much better shape since i switched to Burt’s bees balm.
I briefly used a lip balm with clove scent. I loved the scent but sadly became sensitized to is and my lips would burn when i applied it. And now i can’t use the clove soap, and even Clive in food has gotten problematic.
Yeah, I hold the theory that many lip-balm formulations are “addictive” in that they provide temporary relief but nothing long term. So people keep buying and applying… (although I see my theory has been criticized somewhat upthread)
I’ve never used lip balm, but a teacher when I was in junior school suggested the oil from sebaceous glands on the sides of the nostrils is an effective lip balm, and it comes free (and organic!)
