Beauty Sleuth #6: Am I Addicted to Lip Balm?

Who hasn’t heard the old Carmex conspiracy theory? Is it true? Can you get addicted to lip balm? Uh well, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that this is a big, old, whopping fib. But it does lead very nicely into a great blog piece below about how you CAN and SHOULD treat chapped lips!

First, let’s deal with this “addiction” thing. It might feel like you are addicted to certain lip balms or chapsticks. But you are not. Here’s what is really happening. The product probably contains menthol and/or camphor, which produce that that tingly feeling in your lips. The product you feel addicted to may also contain additional ingredients that can cause sensitivity and inflammation in the lip area. The tingling and irritation creates a never-ending cycle of “addiction”, i.e. it causes people to feel as though they need to reapply a lip balm more frequently, so it feels like an addiction. But you aren’t solving the problem of chapped, sensitive irritated lips by re-applying!

There ARE several things you can do about your chapped lips to improve the situation today and to help prevent a chapped lip situation going forward.

WHAT CAUSES CHAPPED LIPS ANYWAY?

It is human nature to lick lips. In fact, a recent study found that the average woman will consume eight pounds of lipstick in her lifetime from licking her lips. The problem is, while licking lips offers momentary moisture, the act creates a wet/dry cycle that can dry out the thin skin on lips, because you lose more moisture when the saliva evaporates.
Lips do not have oil glands. This means that they can’t stay moisturized on their own. Lipids in your skin are like glue that holds the cells together. When the lipids break down, tiny cracks and fissures appear, water sneaks out, and the drying process begins.
A side effect is that our natural exfoliating enzymes start to slow down, so dead skin, especially on the lips, start to cling on for dear life.
These tiny gaps that also let moisture out, can let irritants like pollutants and free radicals in.
Chances are that the remnants of summer sunburns, chlorine and salt water, combined with changing temperatures, aren’t doing your lips any favors either.
Sodium lauryl sulfate is the foaming agent found in most toothpastes; it can also aggravate mouth sores or ulcers and chapped lips.

Treating chapped lips can be tricky.

Although a recent study found that almost 60% of women 35-44 reported wearing lip gloss daily, layering on gloss won’t help cure dry, flaky lips. That’s because lip gloss is primarily a cosmetic, designed to color lips and add shine. While most formulas might temporarily help soothe and disguise dry lips, they aren’t formulated to improve the situation with your lips.

Gently exfoliate lips to remove dead skin cells. This will help your moisturizer better do its job. You can use a dry toothbrush, a washcloth, or even a tongue cleaner. Key word here is gently. Bonus: Lip stick will go on smoother and stay on longer when lips are exfoliated.
Then, use a lip balm. Note that not all lip balms are created equal. For example, one that has a lot of petrolatum in it, may be good at sealing in existing moisture but it won’t replace what is lost. Wax is a great protectant but it doesn’t do much to moisturize your lips — so the main ingredient should be an emollient that actually helps return moisture to your lips. Switch to a lip balm made with hydrating ingredients such as lipid molecules, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and dimethicone (seals off cracks and splits in drying lips) to improve skin, lock in moisture and protect the delicate moisture barrier. I like this lip serum.

PREVENT CHAPPED LIPS

Make sure to select a balm that contains broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect against UVA and UVB rays. I love this one and this one.
As noted above, ingredients like eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor can dry or irritate your lips.
Stay away from balms with flavors as their ingredients may sting or be drying themselves.
Switch to a toothpaste that does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate.
Do not lick your lips. Try not to sleep with your mouth open. And use a moisturizing lip serum before you go to bed.
Avoid lipsticks that “stain”, “last all day” or are too matte…these are often extremely drying.

And what about “medicated” lip balms? Basically, the “medicated” label is all marketing — there is no one ingredient or group of ingredients that makes a balm medicated. It could be menthol, vitamins, antibiotics, or a numbing agent. Again, look for ingredients like lipid molecules, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and dimethicone.

So, no, there is no such thing as being addicted to lip balm.