Ask the Addict - June 6, 2009
My father was a carmex user, my boyfriend a blistex guy - I try to warn him that his natural lips will lose their ability to self moisturize, but he denies that.Any ideas what kind of profits these guys make?
Amy L.
Carmex is marketed both as a lip balm and primarily as a cold sore remedy. As such, Carmex and other “medicated” lip balms actually dry out your lips as a way to treat cold sores. So, your boyfriend is wrong.
In terms of profits, Carmex is a privately held company and does not release financial statements. Paul Woelbing, grandson of Carma Labs founder Albert Woelbing, says “We sell Carmex for the lowest price possible, which allows us to make a reasonable profit.” (answers.com).
Your website contains information about certain ingredients in many lip balms that can dry lips and create a cycle of always needing more lip balm. If that is the case, why wouldn’t your “weaning” advice include a recommendation to switch away from a drying product to a product that has no drying ingredients (and then tapering off of that)? It seems like that would significantly ease the weaning process.
Moving from a medical lip balm such as Carmex to a non-medicated indeed would be useful. Thanks for the tip!
So, I’m reading about how people here think Chapstick isn’t harmful. Well, I suppose it’s not.
However, I’m 16 and I’ve been addicted to it since I was in about fourth grade, which would make me what, 10? It’s ridiculous, it started off with Carmex, hearing that it was the strongest (my lips were terribly chapped), and now it’s Chapstick, cherry flavored preferably. It’s not too bad, aside that I need it every half hour or so, on average, and when I put it on, it’s excessive, not one round about the lips, but I apply it to both of my lips about ten or more times in one application, heavily. My boyfriend hates it, everyone else just makes fun of me, it’s not so much the mockery, it’s the hassle that it is.
You say you can’t find the cause of the “addiction”.
Some people have more addictive personalities than others; Chapstick, applying it regularly, starts to replace the moisture your lips produce naturally, and so, your lips stop producing it at all. There’s the evidence right there. Some people just don’t get addicted. Some do.
I was wondering though, Kevin, if you personally still use lip balm or not?