But as soon as it wears off, you need more.
The cycle repeats all winter.
Are you practicing responsible skin care, or have you become addicted?
The Rumors
Lets get specific about the wordaddictionfor a minute.
Even the most dedicated lip balm users probably dont have this key in of addiction.
But how much is too much?
(Hey, Ive got mine.)
That would be awfully convenient for the people who make money selling the stuff.
Rumors about lip balms have probably been flying for as long as lip balms have been popular.
But first, lets talk about how lip balms are supposed to work.
How Lip Balms Work
Lip balms contain oils and moisturizers that aim to soothe your dry skin.
Skin cells are born at thelower layers of the epidermis, and migrate upwards while they shrink and flatten.
This keeps water from escaping your skin, and other substances from finding their way in.
When skin is dry, skin cell production speeds up.
(Theres a good explanation of this process inthis online dermatology textbook.)
When your lips dry out, there arent many ways to restore that protective barrier besides applying a balm.
For chapped lips in wintertime, that usually means cold, dry airnot something thats easy to escape.
So yes: Moisturizing the skin on your lips really does keep them supple, like lip balms promise.
If your lips are chapped and you use a balm for a few days, theyshouldrecover.
If they dont, its likely due to other factors.
Lip balm sometimes (not always) contains substances calledcounter-irritants.
Some people find them soothing, some irritating.
In truth, theyre both.
Heres how it works.
Personally, Ihatethese products; they just add annoyance without really removing pain.
But everybody is wired a little differently.
The same folks who swear by Biofreeze tend to find medicated lip balms like Carmex to be soothing.
Menthol,phenol, andcamphorare typical counter-irritants.
Carmex contains all three.
Natural lip balms often contain peppermint oil for the same purpose.
These ingredients can have a side effect ofcausing mild dryness or inflammation.
Counter-irritants arent the only potential problem, but they are a big one.
Other possibilities include:
the balm contains something youre allergic to, like oils or fragrances.
the balm contains alpha-hydroxy acids or salicylic acid, both of which arechemical exfoliants.
Petroleum jelly is a classic example; many oils and waxes also fall into this category.
Emollientsfill in the gaps between skin cells to make skin feel smooth instead of rough.
These include some oils, alcohols, and esters.
Humectantsabsorb water, helping to pull moisture from the deeper layers of skin into theepidermis.
Honey,glycerol, andureaare all effective humectants.
Urea containing lotions aresome of the best moisturizersout there.)
If theyre already dry, something with all three types of ingredients is probably a good idea.
Lip balm and lotion formulation is part art and part science.
The ingredients which influence the skin barrier function need to be identified, the researchers concluded.
In the meantime, some trial-and-error is necessary.
I have two favorites: First,Burts Bees Honey lip balm.
It also smells amazing.
Its designed to be more emollient than most balms, but has some barrier function too.
Choosing a lip balm is a personal thing; what one person finds soothing another may find drying.
Illustration by Nick Criscuolo.
