# Why do tubes of lip balm contain so little actual balm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2005, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370 "2005-04-08T09:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/1 "2005-04-08T09:13:09Z")
It seems like they do, anyway. The tube is a smidge longer than two inches. The actual balm is probably about a quarter inch. Why so little usable product? ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/2 "2005-04-08T10:47:58Z")
Its a scam. The manufacturers maximize thier profits by selling as little as possible for as great a price that they can get. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/3 "2005-04-08T12:40:50Z")
Stop and think a bit here… Hm, moist substance, in contact with your lips. Germ transfer to balm from lips. Most people I know carry the balm around with themselves rather than keep it in the fridge. Germs like warm moist environments… Actually, you are supposed to throw away all the ‘makeup’ that comes in contact with eyes and lips directly every 6 months. I know more people that have makeup they use regularly that is over a year old [some forms of eyeliner can seem to last forever] I use Desert Essence Lip Rescue with tea tree oil constantly, the tube is more or less transparent and the balm thus enclosed is almost the entire length of the tube when I buy it. A tube costs me $2.99 each and will last about a month. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/4 "2005-04-08T12:59:59Z")
What brand are you using that only has a quarter inch balm in it? I’ve never come across one, and I’d be pretty pissed to do so. A [tube](http://www.thesage.com/images/prod/1023400.jpg) will hold approximately .15 ounces of balm, give or take about .25 mL due to filling process. The last mL is the hardest to get in without spilling the whole $@\*# tube if you’re filling them by hand, so I do notice that lots of small companies, like those you’ll find at craft fairs or local health food stores, are a smidgeon shy of what a company like Burt’s Bees or Chapstick can do with an automated filler. **aruvqan** , while what you say about spoilage is true in theory, I have to admit that I have balms I’ve made and filled myself under less than perfect manufacturing conditions, and not a single one has gone rancid or grown bacteria or mold colonies, even after a few years. Bacteria needs more than moisture, it also needs a food and water source, and there’s no sugar in most lip balms - even the sweet ones are sweetened with artificial sweeteners, and there’s no water, or your stick won’t stay solid. Makeup is infinitely more complex chemically, and may perhaps offer a better growing medium, but I’m far more concerned with my mascara and liquid lip color than a solid lipstick. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/5 "2005-04-08T13:05:46Z")
Well, I don’t know the exact measurement; it’s probably not a quarter inch. But it is a small percentage of the tube’s capacity. And I do realize that the tube has to be long enough to hold in your hand, and there has to be room for the device that pushes up. Actually, I think that should have been my question: how much space does that doohickey take up? ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/6 "2005-04-08T13:18:42Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Stop and think a bit here… > > Hm, moist substance, in contact with your lips. Germ transfer to balm from lips. Most people I know carry the balm around with themselves rather than keep it in the fridge. Germs like warm moist environments… How cute that you think it’s done out of an altruistic desire to keep the consumer healthy. Why not shrink the over-all package, and safe costs on the packaging then? Because these companies spend a great deal of time and money in the science of making it look like you get more than you do. My favorite example is the retooling done on Reese’s cups a number of years ago. The top diameter stayed exactly the same, which is what everyone will notice. The side wall angle, however, was increased, the bottom diameter decreased, shrinking the volume by a minute amount. But hey, it all adds up! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/7 "2005-04-08T13:20:54Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > And I do realize that the tube has to be long enough to hold in your hand, and there has to be room for the device that pushes up. Actually, I think that should have been my question: how much space does that doohickey take up? Very little. About an eighth of an inch. So I guess the real answer for you is that your lip balm manufacturer may be ripping you off, and you might consider switching brands. Unless - was this a promotional tube? If it was a sample or a promotion for some other product, maybe they’d fill them less because you weren’t actually paying for the product. Other than that, I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/8 "2005-04-08T13:25:36Z")
It’s Blistex. Not promotional. It may just be me. At this stage of my life, I don’t know if it’s the pH of my skin, or if it’s a fetish, but I just can’t let my lips go dry. So I may be using it at a faster rate than the average consumer. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/9 "2005-04-08T14:15:00Z")
Well, you can always do the following experiment: next time you open up a fresh tube, twist the bottom so that rod of balm is fully extended and see how long it is. I just did this with my almost-new tube of Chapstick, and the length of the balm was almost 2" long — i.e. the length of the tube. So if you’re only getting 1/4" in the tube, then yeah, Blistex is ripping you off. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/10 "2005-04-08T15:54:45Z")
The five-odd tubes of various Blistex products I have laying around all had a good 1.5" of balm in them when I got them. Blistex lip balms are noticeably softer than the competition, so maybe you’re just using more than you think you are. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/11 "2005-04-08T16:13:58Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > It’s Blistex. Not promotional. > > It may just be me. At this stage of my life, I don’t know if it’s the pH of my skin, or if it’s a fetish, but I just can’t let my lips go dry. So I may be using it at a faster rate than the average consumer. There tends to be a reaction to lip balm – the more you use it, the more you need it. My advice is to phase it out. You can prevent chapped lips by drinking more liquid. I stopped using lip balm years ago, and rarely have a problem; when I do (usually when I have a cold and can’t breathe through my nose), a bit of petroleum jelly works just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/12 "2005-04-08T16:16:27Z")
::: shrug::: I always manage to lose the damn tube before it is empty. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/13 "2005-04-08T16:40:50Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > ::: shrug::: > I always manage to lose the damn tube before it is empty. I can’t remember if I’ve ever actually gotten to the bottom of a tube of Chapstik. I just recently threw out a tube I’d had for several years. It had fallen out of the medicine cabinet, bounced off the sink, and plunked right into the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/14 "2005-04-08T16:53:59Z")
I always lose mine, or leave them in a hot car, or something. But toss your Blistex and go to Burt’s Bees. That stuff is a miracle product. (Er, but I think _all_ their stuff is a miracle product; I wrote a thread on it once.) ---
**Author:** ![odaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e0b2c6/32.png) [@odaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odaran)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/15 "2005-04-08T18:51:01Z")
Contents sold by weight not by volume, some settling may occur during shipment. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/16 "2005-04-08T21:44:33Z")
Chapsticks are like sunscreen and packets of mints you keep in the car, in that you NEVER EVER finish them before you lose them or they go all icky and you chuck them out. So who cares how much is in them - you’re only going to use a quarter of it before you lose it and buy another one, and then miraculously find the first one you bought. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/17 "2005-04-08T22:00:24Z")
Well, I sure as heck don’t lose mine! Because I use them constantly. Thanks for the tips, guys! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/18 "2005-04-08T22:02:16Z")
It doesn’t contain much lip either. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/19 "2005-04-08T22:56:29Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Actually, you are supposed to throw away all the ‘makeup’ that comes in contact with eyes and lips directly every 6 months. I know more people that have makeup they use regularly that is over a year old [some forms of eyeliner can seem to last forever] I own (and use) an eyeshadow from 1968. Got it from my older sister. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370/20 "2005-04-09T03:24:36Z")
This brings to mind a How Much Is Inside Adventure from [www.cockeyed.com](http://www.cockeyed.com) in which Rob & Co. see how much is in a tube of lipstick. It was way more than expected. In fact, the tube held enough to cover his subject from the midcalves down in lipstick. And he didn’t even get out a lipstick brush to get out the bit left in the tube! Interested? Look here: [http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/lipstick/lipstick.html](http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/lipstick/lipstick.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-tubes-of-lip-balm-contain-so-little-actual-balm/298370.md?page=2)