How to Break Your Addiction to Lip Balm

Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night deliriously reaching for the pot of Carmex? Do you have a tube of Blistex in every purse, pocket and drawer? Do you find yourself breaking into a cold sweat at business meetings when you realize that you left your beloved Chapstick at your desk? If this sounds like you, you could be addicted to lip balm. Have no fear, though. While it may not be easy at first, there are several ways to break your dependency on the cherry flavored Chapstick.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Humidifier
• Vitamin E ointment
• Vaseline
• Aloe vera

1. Stop licking your lips! Licking your lips does temporarily make them feel better, but once the saliva dries, the discomfort returns and it only makes them feel more chapped.
2. Drink plenty of fluids. When you're dehydrated your skin (and lips) tend to feel dry and uncomfortable. So make sure to increase your water intake throughout the day.
3. Use a humidifier in your home and office. As it hydrates the air, the humidifier will also bring moisture back to your lips.
4. Check the label of your lip balm. Some lip balms contain irritants that actually cause the problem they aim to solve. Namely, they dry you out, hence the need to use them more. These irritants may be things like camphor, peppermint, menthol, etc. Instead, look for lip balms that contain more natural ingredients like cocoa butter, various oils, shea butter, beeswax, etc. These ingredients do actually protect your lips, so you won't need to reapply as often.
5. Use creamy lipsticks. Creamy lipsticks can act like balms and prevent lips from chapping.
6. Rather than using lip balm to cure your chapped lips, try looking for other solutions that will work just as well: aloe vera, Vitamin E ointment, petroleum jelly and cucumber slices (rub some cucumber slices on your lips either before you go to bed or first thing in the morning and your lips will look and feel refreshed!).

Tips & Warnings

• According to the website Lip Balm Anonymous (see Resources below), you should avoid using Carmex. Carmex is a cold sore and chapped-lip salve that was invented in 1936 and is made mostly of menthol, camphor, alum and wax. (There are also unfound rumors that Carmex also contains ground up fiberglass!) According to this website, Carmex is like lip balm crack and should be avoided at all costs!
• Put on lip balm after showering to seal in moisture.
• Load up on food that's rich in Vitamin A. Vitamin A helps the skin heal and repair itself so make sure to include these Vitamin A rich foods in your diet: carrots, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables and whole grains.
• Be sure to see your doctor if after trying the above steps you find your lips are still irritated and dry. You could be suffering from a vitamin deficiency or another health issue that needs to be treated.