I reach into my purse, feeling around amid the receipts, pens and tissues, but I can’t find it. I pat my coat pocket, and jam my finger into the small pocket in my jeans. It’s got to be here somewhere, I think to myself. I unzip my bag again, groping until my fingers finally close on the smooth tube. My lip balm! I sigh with relief, uncap and run its moisturizing goodness over my dry lips, savoring the pomegranate flavor. Instantly I feel calmer. I take care to put the tube in the front pocket of my purse. Surely, I’ll remember it’s there next time.
This scene is repeated throughout the day. Sometimes the balm is plucked from the candy dish I keep on the kitchen counter. Other times, I grab the spare tube I keep by the couch. Each time I apply the lip balm a small sigh of satisfaction escapes my lips. I am addicted to lip balm.
The varieties are endless. From mouth-watering flavors meant to invoke the most decadent desserts to the tingle of menthol, the lip balm market caters to everyone. Every crisis dry lips can encounter has been anticipated. Lip balms promise to replenish condition, moisturize and even give you back the baby soft lips you were born with.
So, the question begs to be answered. Why was I addicted to lip balm and what could I do about it?
The first place I turned for answers was the Internet. I found a site dedicated to balm addicts www.lipbalmanonymous.com, which offered some insight. Two components appear to be involved in the overuse of lip balm – the habit of lip licking and the psychological lift one gets from using. It’s the chicken vs. the egg question – do I lick my lips because they are dry or do I lick because of the lip balm?
For me, the answer was clear, I always lick my lips right after applying my balm even though I usually use unflavored or mild sticks.
According to Lip Balm Anonymous, the menthol in some balms can be addicting to people who enjoy the “tingle,” but I avoid menthol due to allergies.
As for that “ahhh” feeling, it is definitely a psychological role that lip balm fulfills for me – it reduces anxiety. That moment of “everything’s OK now” is a strong motivator to keep using.
I continued my research and found some information that made me wonder just how much the lip balm manufacturers were manipulating the market – and me. According to Martin Lindstrom’s Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy, lip balm ingredients can exfoliate lips and cause drying. Lip balm makers refute this claim, stating that the ingredients are formulated to promote healing, not cause it.
I decided to try to quit lip balm cold turkey. I disliked the feeling of dry lips, and my lips were always dry if I hadn’t just applied balm. We’ll see how it goes…
One week later and the results are obvious. My lips no longer itch, burn or are dry. I stopped using lip balm cold turkey and was surprised to find that even on the first day my lips felt better. They feel smooth and soft. I can say without a doubt that my use of lip balms was irritating my lips. Now for my next experiment – do I really need all to use all that hand moisturizer?
