Expensive little devil it is.
Yep… you heard me right.I am a long long time Chapstick user. I feel naked without it.
Occasionally, I will forget my Chapstick or realize that it is not in my pocket.This causes me way more distress than it should. I will start freaking out and trying to figure out where I can get some Chapstick. When this happens, it seems I can focus on nothing but how dry my lips feel.
This happened on Monday of this week and made me think… “This can’t be right”.Certainly Grok never had access to Chapstick nor did he freak out over his lips. Maybe they got a little dry under certain circumstances but obviously the weren’t consistently bleeding or falling off or we wouldn’t posses lips today. The whole thing just did not feel right. I have not used Chapstick since.
It has been somewhat of a struggle. I wonder how long it will take me to get used to not slathering it on my lips every 10 minutes. it is getting better though.
Is Chapstick safe?This is a highly disputed topic. My discontinuing use of Chapstick stems mostly out of a self identified dependency on Chapstick more than any safety issues. The safety of Chapstick IS a disputed topic though.
I was able to pull up the following info on it pretty easily:
#1 – Skin Deep, the cosmetic safety database rates different chapsticks and lip balms in a range all the way from a 2 (reasonably safe) to an 8 (highly unsafe). Most seem to be towards the “very unsafe” side of the spectrum. Lesson learned… know what is in your lip balm/chapstick!
#2 – Also check out this link. Too much info to put in here but to sum it up… untested chemicals, scandals and cancer causing agents.
#3 – This sitesays that “Camphor and alcohol are effective ingredients, but they also tend to dry out the skin over time. Since chapsticks and lip balm manufacturers tend to emphasize their moisturizing abilities, this can be a sticky situation. Many chapstick and lip balm formulations try to minimize this sensation of dry lips, but they’re not always successful. Users apply a coat of chapstick and experience relief because the natural microfissures and cracks are filled with soothing emollients and/or medications like camphor. A waxy coating forms which repels wind and water, and the user feels protected. But a few minutes later, the alcohol or camphor begins to evaporate and the wax is absorbed into the skin. This leads to a feeling of dryness around the lips, which means a re-application of the chapstick or lip balm. For some consumers, this leads to a never-ending quest for relief.” That sounds very much like a possible driver to my Chapstick addiction.
I am sure there are more articles out there and problably plenty defending Chapstick too. I however, did not like the way not having it made me feel… which I identify as a danger sign for an un-healthy habit. Therefore… I am now Chapstick free.
What are your thoughts?
January 16th, 2009 - 12:08 pm
I had the same thoughts you’ve had. I quit chapstick about 4 months ago. The first two weeks were a bit rough, and when my lips felt really dry, I would rub some coconut oil on. That got me through and I found that after about two weeks, my lips normalized and now I rarely need any lip moisturizer. When I do, I go back to the coconut oil. Anecdotally, I also notice that the higher the fat content of my diet, the less dryness I have generally with my skin. I have no idea if this is just a coincidence or not.
January 16th, 2009 - 1:19 pm
You can melt out the chapstick in boiling water and fill it with coconut oil if you are so inclined.
I agree that my lips are far less chapped since I switched to a high fat diet.
January 16th, 2009 - 1:44 pm
Rachel,
Interesting, i had never though of using some more natural oils instead.
Robert,
Sounds intriuging but i would be afraid that it would heat up enough in my pocke for the coconut oil to go liquid!
January 16th, 2009 - 2:17 pm
I’m the other side of the coin….
Sometimes when I’m in the cold (business travel)….or in the sun for prolonged periods of time (day on the beach or tennis tournament)
I say to myself, “I should probably put some protection on my lips”
Well with out fail, if and when I do, MY LIPS GET CHAPPED!!! Weird or what?
I do eat a high fat diet, and I think it FOR SURE has something to do with it. Question to all of you. Are your heels chapped? Mine have turned super smooth since I started eating lots of fat about 3 years ago. And I even walk on bare feet a lot more then most.
SOG, you crack me up. Did you like my friend have the one handed move down pat? Take of the cap of the chapstick with one hand and put it back on all while swipin and putting it away?
Marc
January 16th, 2009 - 2:24 pm
Marc,
That one handed move is a a piece of cake. Funny observation though… as I read your comment, I subconciously reached in my pocket looking for my Chapstick.
January 16th, 2009 - 2:36 pm
I’m with ya. I’m a chapstick junkie- but, I haven’t been using it as I’ve been more and more primal (i.e. high fat). Also- my entire body is very dry (I’ve inherited super dry skin from my lovely mom) during these winter months, and I rarely use chapstick in the summer when it’s hot and humid.
Not sure I’m ready to give it up totally, but I do use it too much… something worth thinking about!
January 16th, 2009 - 5:12 pm
I agree w/ using more natural oils. I’ve got a friend who sells moisturizing products made w/emu and coconut oils which I use after I shower and it feels great everywhere including lips!
January 16th, 2009 - 6:14 pm
Bee,
Another thing I never really noticed… Chapstick is freakin expensive huh?
Kat,
Emu oil? That sounds interesting!
January 16th, 2009 - 8:33 pm
Ugh. I have a real problem with cold sores and if my lips suffer any sort of trauma (like chapping) I immediately break out. I’ve come to rely on chapstick to avoid this. Why does SoG have to ruin everything for me?
January 17th, 2009 - 12:40 am
SoG,
If you’re interested in learning more about Emu oil, check out this post that my buddy Nikki wrote, it’s pretty interesting:
http://nikkisblogspot.com/2008/12/emu-oil%e2%80%99s-anti-inflammatory-capabilities/
All the Best,
Andrew R
January 17th, 2009 - 11:50 am
How about just plain Vaseline? i have been using that for years and a plastic surgeon said my lips were the youngest part of my face.
I also put vaseline on my cuticles every night.
I know people who use olive oil instead of facial cream and they look awesome.
Grok’s must have used animal fat on their skin to protect from the harsh climates.
Don’t eskimos do that with whale blubber?
My grandmother used witch hazel.
January 17th, 2009 - 12:22 pm
SOG:
Coconut oil!!
Find a little jar (preferable not plastic) and you’ve got potable/portable lip balm.
I use it on my daughter’s lips and it works great and she smells like Hawaii (which she unfortunately dislikes).
If you read the labels lately on all the high-end men’s and women’s facial creams and perfumes, caprylic/caproic triglyeride or acid is one of the top ingredeients.
This is coconut oil — which contains these and other saturated fatty acids (which bind PPAR and affect potent anti-inflammatory, anti-acne, anti-psoriasis, anti-eczema metabolic pathways).
We avoid all petroleum products and are trying to phase out the use of plastics at our house (it’s hard). Vaseline has petroleum and may cause cancer… probably not a good thing to eat.
Also, survivor man smears this stuff all over his face whenever he cracks a coconut open — he luvs the stuff and says it is why island women have radiant skin!
-G
January 17th, 2009 - 4:06 pm
So, coconut oil is nice BUT some people find it drying to their skin over a period of time, it depends on how you react to it, and it does melt easy. It’s not local to most people, and being a plant based oil it is not as easily absorbed into your skin as an animal based fat (I’ll talk more about that in a minute).
Something to consider is WHY your lips/skin is dry. If it’s simple exposure to harsh weather conditions (cold wind etc) then putting any kind of oil barrier on is going to be helpful, at least situationally. If however, your whole body is dry, then it’s something that should be dealt with at least partly through dietary means (EFAs, proper hydration, adequate minerals and other nutrients etc). For some people, eating really mucilaginous foods like okra or drinking mallow/elm tea or adding elm bark to food can be super helpful.
And my personal solution to occasional dry lips is to use one of my skin healing salves on them… I use a lard based infused with plantain and elm or whatever neutral to pleasant tasting herb I have on hand. The herbs are nice because they initiate healing and promote overall healthy tissue in addition to the moistening aspects.
Keep it in a little tin (or one of those tiny glass containers that certain kinds of food or beauty products come in) in my bag or whatever and use it for first aid and for dry skin. I use lard made from whatever recently killed animal I have (bear fat is extremely healing, goat is more neutral in flavor, but most people go for pig based leaf lard) and that way I can make my own without importing weird foreign products and it is actually better at penetrating and protecting the skin than any plant based oil I have ever used (and I’ve used most of them)…. Of course, you can do a similar thing with olive (or sesame or grapeseed or whatever) oil hardened with a bit of beeswax if you (or your spouse) is grossed out by lard on your lips (although if you’re primal this is less likely to be a problem). You can also mix beeswax with the lard coconut oil to harden it up if you live in a really hot climate or insist upon keeping the salve in a constantly warm place (like your pants pocket).
I would suspect from what I know of ethnobotany and tribal peoples that people have been using animal fat as a moistening agent for the skin for a very long time indeed, that is, when there was any left over for eating.
-Kiva
January 17th, 2009 - 4:34 pm
This was informative in a very strange way! I had been using Chapstick a few weeks back quite a bit. It didn’t seem to help that much and I had to keep applying it. Vaseline seemed to work better, but it looks like that might be bad too. I was just going to take a bath with a few drops of olive oil in the water because my skin is dry from the weather. I hadn’t thought about coconut oil or lard, however, both I happen to have around. My lips are good right now, it’s the rest of me (including the inside of my nose) that seems to be dry.
Stacy: My dad uses witch hazel for everything! It’s his cure all. That and kerosene (!!!).
TrailGrrl
January 18th, 2009 - 11:22 am
I used to be horribly addicted to blistex. Evil blistex!
Now I use a natural chapstick made locally here in Columbus. I don’t use it all summer, just when it gets rough in the winter. I love the peppermint!
http://www.beenaturallipbalm.com/products.html#
January 18th, 2009 - 4:50 pm
Andrew,
Cool, I will check it out!
Stacy,
That is what my wife uses too. There are maybe some concerns with petroleum jelly though. AI like the idea of using animal fats!
Animal Farm,
I love the survivor man! I am all about giving the coconut oil a try.
Kiva,
Lard does sound totally like a good option. Maybe lard AND beeswax
Trailgrrl,
lol (kidding). I think i will stick to the coconut oil.
I don’t know about putting kerosene on my lips
Candy,
A lot of these beeswax balms seem pretty good and natural.
January 22nd, 2009 - 1:54 pm
I’ve heard good things about using a drop of honey on lips (but try not to lick!) It provides soothing moisture!
January 22nd, 2009 - 4:04 pm
~M,
I think the temptation for me to lick my lips righ into insulin shock would be too much! lol
June 7th, 2009 - 8:42 pm
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August 19th, 2009 - 11:43 am
Just came and read, this is wow! I was seek from many blogs, but here is the best, I love it.
September 12th, 2009 - 10:27 am
this is so informative. and youre all so nice! I stopped the chapstick a year ago, my derm said it could be causing my clogged pores and resulting lip outline pimples. he recommended Eco lips wih sunflower seed oil and jojoba and beeswax. but I’m still just as bad! I don’t know I I can give up all moisturizers bc of chapping but I wanna try! what do I do!!??
October 16th, 2009 - 11:34 pm
I found a Company on Colorado that makes the best lip balm I’ve ever tried! The name of the company is the Rocky Mountain Body Works and I was out and about with some friends in Denver when we ran into this really cute guy who said that he makes lip balm. How often do you meet a guy who makes lip balm and soaps for that matter. Anyway, I’m a diehard Burt’s fan and he made me a deal. He would give me a tube of his Peppermint LP and if I liked it more than Burt’s that I would surrender it. Needless to say I did and I won’t be going back! They have seven different flavors and I urge others to check them out ColoradoSoap.com
I should add that I live in Colorado and the weather here year round will chap my lips in a second and I hate when I would leave Burt’s at home…No worries now! My Lip Balm has a clip lid and goes where make keys go!
October 16th, 2009 - 11:38 pm
I found a Company on Colorado that makes the best lip balm I’ve ever tried! The name of the company is the Rocky Mountain Body Works and I was out and about with some friends in Denver when we ran into this really cute guy who said that he makes lip balm. How often do you meet a guy who makes lip balm and soaps for that matter. Anyway, I’m a diehard Burt’s fan and he made me a deal. He would give me a tube of his Peppermint LP and if I liked it more than Burt’s that I would surrender it. Needless to say I did and I won’t be going back! They have seven different flavors and I urge others to check them out http://coloradosoap.com/
I should add that I live in Colorado and the weather here year round will chap my lips in a second and I hate when I would leave Burt’s at home…No worries now! My Lip Balm has a clip lid and goes where make keys go!
December 18th, 2009 - 2:44 pm
Its another Las Vegas Winter and I too am trying to quit chap stick and I think I may die. Either that, or my lips will peel off and I will have to run down the street chasing them. This is like quitting crack. So hard.
December 30th, 2009 - 9:41 pm
I have been “addicted” to chapstick for 18 years. Today, I finally decided to quit. I would love to know how long it took people to heal when they ditched the habit.
January 23rd, 2010 - 1:00 pm
Found this post while internet-researching about quitting Chapstick.
I’m happy to say I’ve successfully quit Chapstick. I started trying last December, and right now I’m about 2 weeks into my total lip-product-ban. Just giving my lips a break, to let it grow capable of moisturizing by itself.
The first several days were AWFUL. Lips very dry, cracked, peeling, bleeding. But I stuck through it and got better. So to everyone who wants to quit: go for it and just tough it out. And yeah people will stare at your lips during the awful stage, but it’s just going to be a few days of that.
To Emily:
Give it at least a week or two. Drink lots of water.
Try using honey, virgin coconut oil, unsalted butter, or olive oil on your lips for relief.
Or keep a bottle of drinking water handy, just wet your lips every now and then.
Currently, my lips aren’t enviably kissable, kinda semi-dry with a bit of peeling, but no cracks or bleeding or pain. Acceptable enough. Next month I will experiment with organic lip balm (beeswax, coconut oil instead of petrolatum– I’ve decided to stay away from any petrolatum-based cosmetics!) to see if I can get the soft-smooth-plump lips without Chapstick’s bad effects (dependency, chronic chapped condition).
January 23rd, 2010 - 1:01 pm
P.S. Prior to quitting, I used Chapstick religiously for ten years. And it never really made my lips better, just gave me temporary relief. I’m SO GLAD that’s over!
February 6th, 2010 - 10:47 pm
I have also been addicted to chapstick or any other brand of lip balm or treatment. I cannot go anywhere unless I have chapstick with me. I have it in every room of my house so I can use it at any time. I just stopped using it today after being addicted for more than 25 yrs.
It was easier to quit smoking and I also did that for 25 yrs. I am freakin’ out right now. I can hardly take the anxiety. I just told my daughter to hide all my chapsticks because I’m afraid I’m gonna jump out of my skin and dive for one any second and I’m not kiddin’.
I had no idea so many others had this problem until today when I decided to look on the internet for help. So now I know what I have to look forward to – cracked, bloody, splitting lips. I just laughed at something on tv and it felt like my lips were being ripped apart.
I’m gonna do it though. I’m gonna get through this. Hello, my name is Judy and I am a chapstickaholic. It’s evil stuff. I am staying away from it. If you see me in an alley, do NOT sell me any. I will hold up my cross to your chapstick and it will burn in hell.
Either I beat it or they will find me suffocated with my head stuck in a vat of petroleum jelly I dove into in a moment of weakness. I just hope I can remain sane through the process of withdrawals. It’s not lookin’ good at this point.
March 12th, 2010 - 9:51 am
I woke up this with my lower lip looking a little raw in places and it even seemed a little swollen. I use chapstick like crazy and have for years! Lately though I have been using it more often throughout the day. (Only because it is more available to me as I have 1 in my purse or pocket at all times, 2 in my desk, 2 in my nightstand and one in my van – which I put on before I even back out of the drive!)I decided to look into the effects of using too much chapstick and came across your blog. I’d be interested to know if you found a better product. (I use the exact same kind as you have pictured.) I went out this morning to purchase chapstick that is not petroleum based and came home with 4 kinds to try.