Insert your own joke… leave a comment below.

I recently decided that I was going to quit my 4-year Chapstick addiction once and for all, cold turkey. I hadn’t done much research on lip balm addiction, the only thing I knew was that it was a real thing, but I hadn’t seen your website until today. I’m currently in the 48th hour of no Chapstick, and the blood has started to flow out of my lips, but I’m still going strong.

My question is… how long should a cold turkey recovery take? Because while this website is certainly helping, I don’t know how much more I can take of this. If it’s a couple more days, fine. But if it’s any longer than that I might have to consider switching over to weening.

Great site by the way, informative, interesting, and humorous all at once!

Thanks Joe. We’re not sure what you’re talking about with the humor, but we’re always happy to hear from someone who is trying to kick the habit and get their life finally under control.

Cold turkey is a strange thing. There’s no set formula for how long the “withdrawal” of not having Chap Stick will last. But 48 hrs seems like well under what you should expect. I think 4-5 days or maybe up to a week would be most typical. But, seeing how your lips are bleeding, I would say that visiting a doctor might be wise.

I didnt see this on the site- I use chapstick only in the winter from cold weather. I answered no to all the self evaluation questions. Am I at risk for being addicted? Are there any brands that are “safe” to use?

I’m just an occasional user of lip balm, but I don’t want to risk becoming addicted. Can I make my own “safe” lip balm out of natural ingredients?

Natural ingredients are certainly better than many of the petroleum-based balms. But, as many have testified, natural balms can be addictive too (especially if you think using more and more is “okay” just because it is natural). So, as with any balm, use sparingly and if you feel you are using habitually be sure to address it but reducing usage or starting our 12 Step Program.

Interestingly, Dr. Reiche admitted there can be harmful effects from certain types of lip balms. She mentioned that lip balms that contain menthol or salicylic acid can make the lips feel “stingy” and may cause the lips to swell. “But if you’re a person who is using it a lot, and you have a more sensitive predisposition, you may go on to causing a permanent amoxil rash on the lips.” Lip balms with these ingredients include “medicated” lip balms such as Carmex.

I really did not think I had a addition until I took the quiz because I am on Accutane and if I don’t put any on for a few hours my lips crack and bleed and I have always had dry skin on every wear except my face (which is extremliy oily) with on exception my lips which were usually dry and I have dandruff because of a dry scalp and a rash becuse my skin is so dry (this started two day affter going on Accutane) and I usually forget to put any on until they crack but I put it on a lot and if I lose mine I just have to buy another and I put it on no matter were I am except on stage.

So do I have a addition or not?

Kara C.

Addictions of all types are not uncommon in the performing arts, so your question is important and timely. The good news is that your acne should fade as you age out of your teenage years, making your skin much more moist and less susceptible to dryness and cracking. But, given the issues, it is probably best to talk to your dermatologist about your problems with your acne medicine.

Are you addicted? Well, your rambling description might be signs of being “out of it” due to your addiction, or might just be poor grammar. It sounds like you use lip balm only when your lips are really cracked and dry, and once they return to normal you stop using. That would lead me to believe that no, you are not addicted at this time.

Hi there,

I’m starting the “weaning” process today after 39 years of always needing balm.  I have a question though. If I’m not careful, my lips will burn and get cold sores in the summer. Once I get this habit kicked, what is the best sunscreen lip protection to use?  I don’t want to re-start the need in my lips for balm, but I don’t want them unprotected either.

Any thoughts?

Thanks so much!
Julie L

I’m fairly certain cold sores have nothing to do with sunburn. As such, if cold sore are your concern I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

That said, we know that with summer approaching that sun issues are an important concern. As such, we will continue to recommend traditional sunscreens for those who feel that using lip balms with SPF factors too high a risk. As always, consult with your dermatologist.

After nearly four decades of use, it’s clear you’re gunshy about giving up the balm. This looks less like a physical problem than a psychological one, so we would recommend seeking a therapist to discuss the mental model of your balm usage.

Today someone offered me some lip balm,  I said no, it’s addictive in my experience.  They seemed surprised.  I explained why I thought so.  I figured I’d look around on the net too, seeing what others thought about this.   Of course, came across this site and many others dealing with the issue.  I was surprised not to see anyone mention the reason I had.   Now, I didn’t read your whole site, or every site of course, so maybe I missed it.

The idea about the drying chemicals makes sense.  But, I think there’s even a more simple reason that could apply to all brands.  Back in high school my biology teacher said that when you continuously apply oil to your skin, such as with balm, the oil glands will eventually stop producing the normal amount of oil.  It may take several weeks of discontinued use for things to return to a more normal state.

I think this idea explains the addiction very simply.  Stopping the balm cold turkey, of course, leads to a burning discomfort.  The discomfort and misunderstanding of how long it may take to heal could lead to a quick reapplication, just keeping the glands dormant.

Maybe you already knew this, I just don’t get why I didn’t see it mentioned anywhere on these sites.

Take care,
Rob M.

It certainly is as good a concept as any we’ve seen. Now, if we could only confirm you teacher’s hypothesis…

I’ve slowly made progress to chap stick addiction. I have a history with accutane the acne drug. I started using through out the day since I was 7 years old. I’m 18 and now I can’t even use my traditional blistex anymore. My lips now chap with the use of blistex. I’ve resorted to vaseline and cortiblam. vaseline isn’t technically chapstick so whats its risks? I want to quit and I plan to try one of your methods out. Thank you for looking my email over.
Colette

Vaseline is certainly similar to lip balm in terms of ingredients, so I would certainly recommend being cautious. That said, I think it poses a lesser risk since there isn’t (as far as I know) a favored version of Vaseline. And there is certainly more of a social stigma against using it on your lips.

You want to be sure that there are not ingredients included to dry out the lips more, creating the need for repeated and frequent use.

You want to avoid the following ingredients;

• Phenol – this treats bacteria on broken, cracked and/or bleeding lips and should only be used for a very short time until the problem heals over.
• Camphor, Alum & Menthol - very drying and creates that tingling feeling that becomes a psychological need.
• Salicylic Acid or AHA or BHA exfoliating & anti-aging ingredients – exfoliate and dries out already dry lips.
• Flavored lip balms taste great, which sets up the desire to lick your lips more often, which again creates dry lips.

Learn more by viewing Holly’s Beauty Blog.