I don’t think using it makes you use it more. Some like the way it feels and that makes them use it more, to maintain that smoothness.
Dr. Nazanin Saedi

The practical advice on the issue was provided by our own Kevin C. who said that medicated lip balms are designed to dry out your lips. It says so right on the package. And then people will use it more and more and more.

Lastly, representatives of Chap Stick and Carmex denied the claims that their products are addictive. Despite the evidence we see every day on the streets. So sad.

I am Syaft Iadge, owner of small company Sunotan and inventor and of Sunotan skin cream and Too Lips Once-A-Day skin cream.  Our company has developed a skin cream that only needs to be applied once a day to prevent sun burn and reverses sun damage and is made with 100% food grade ingredients. Our products were developed in Scottsdale, Arizona during the summer in 110 degree heat a few years ago, so we know they work.

We are located in Oakland, California and I noticed you are located in Mountain View, I was born in Palo Alto, California.  Our spokesmodel BobbI is also a Sunotan and Too Lips user.  I would like to find out if our once a day unflavored lip cream would be able to help people addicted and mostly prevent people from becoming addicted. We are now approaching Whole Foods Stores also. Our website is Sunotan.com

I was wondering if you would be interested in doing or know any of your members that would be interested in doing a commercial spot for Too Lips lip cream. An outline of the commercial is as follows.

1. Person (or persons) would be sitting in chair in a room with he face blacked out and voice altered like a person in the witness protection program.

2. The person (or persons) would explain that lip balm addiction is real.

3. Person (or persons) would then say that the introduction of once a day lip cream helps overcome addiction because you don’t take it with you. You only apply it once in the morning and don’t take it with you. I realize it can be a serious problem some but the commercial would half serious and half comedy (with the blacked out faces and altered voices)

4. Something along those lines for a 30-40 second spot.

I have attached the information that in on the product labels and the in store product displays (that feature Bobbi). If interested e-mail me back.

I don’t know what to make of this. It’s a commercial product that nicely tells customers to not use too much. That’s good.

But doesn’t this seem, well, a little tacky? The advertising isn’t high end.

Worst of all, the company intends to exploit the addiction and suffering of lip balm addicts for profit.

But, I know that times are tough and if you want to get connected I’ll be happy to pass your email to these guys.  Just email me: kevin@kevdo.com

I’m a 23 year old female and for probably about, I don’t know, 8 years or so now I have been using lip balm continuously. I apply it at least 20 times a day for sure. I switch brands just about every time I go buy another so there isn’t really a certain brand I use. But if my lips aren’t very recently coated with balm, they are very dry and cracked and flaky. I can’t wear lipstick, ever. It looks terrible because of how dry my lips are. And I drink plenty of water. I can’t seem to find anything that truly hydrates my lips.

And for the first time probably in about 8 years, I went roughly 24-30 hours without using any lip balm (not by choice, I forgot it at home) and I woke up in the morning with them raw, blood red, and as dry as can be. I will attach a photo to show what they looked like and they were much darker in person. Of course as soon as I got home I drenched them in lip balm and have been continuously applying it all day. I just feel like I’m stuck in this cycle and can’t get out.

It saddens me to hear this and to see the photograph of your lips. You’re in desperate need of medical attention! Get thee to a hospital immediately so that you can get treatment on your lips and possibly receive IV fluids your body clearly seems to be lacking.

I keep Googling to find lip balms or chapsticks that don’t have the drying ingredient in it. But every time I look it up I can’t find anything it’s just talking about you know the ingredients I just random stuff that does not lead to a list of good lip balms are chapstick. Right now I use Vaseline Lip Therapy cocoa butter. I love the way it feels. But the thing is I’m constantly reapplying. Everyone at work thinks I’m weird. I over use it too and put too much on my lips. I have major anxiety and I’m pretty sure it’s my anxiety that’s doing it.

But it’s like as soon as I apply I’ve sometimes apply a couple of minutes afterwards. Like my lips are dry or something. I’ve tried other brands but sometimes I just feel like they’re always dry or they don’t give me that comfortable feeling. And if I don’t put the lip Blum on I get so uncomfortable and its all I can think about. It’s just really annoying. I want to keep using something so my lips will be smooth. But I don’t want to apply it constantly like that. Just every now and then. Not every few minutes.

So my question is do y’all have a list of lip balms that don’t have the drying ingredients? I kept trying to look on the site but I guess I got lost. Thank you.

Medicated lip balms, those designed to treat cold sores, are the ones with drying agents. Carmex is the leading brand in this sector.

Standard “non-medicated” lip balms do not contain drying agents. They are however still potentially addictive, so use caution.

Hi there Kevin,
July 11th, 2014 I quit COLD TURKEY from my 13-year chapstick addiction! Woohoo! To you addicts, PLEASE trust me when I say the first few days are uncomfortable but nothing horrific. My trick was starting it during a weekend with no plans. I drank water constantly. Shockingly, I never went through a ‘chapped phase’ and my upper lip has been completely unaffected by this. However, it has been 6 months since and my lower lip has gone through this yucky cycle since day one. Dry, very dry, crack in certain spots peel in those same spots. Almost the same cycle as when I worn chapstick! My only relief from it is picking the dry parts and exposing soft, skin underneath it. TERRIBLE I know but I’m at my wits end!!

Also, the ‘lip line’ ON my lower lip, right in the middle, is very deep and noticeable 24/7. It’s very embarrassing because I wear lipstick on special occasions and it looks like a crazy scar when the lipstick settles in it. I’m concerned because my lips never went through that ‘white powder donut phase’ where they got bone dry. I feel like my lips need to kind of dry out completely and then they’ll crack, and peel, and expose beautiful lips once and for all. I drink tons of water daily so maybe that’s why only three little spots on my lower lip dry out. Should I try small amounts of my Fresh brand lip treatment balm? Wait it out? I’m so frustrated and ready for smooth lips! I already did the hard part!

Oh fyi, I’m 22, never smoked, have only worn Fresh lip balm once for a photoshoot and have a large lower lip.

I’m about to buy a costly ‘lip treatment’ from Sephora. What do I have to lose?

Ugh. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s the nasty lines I get after applying lipstick. Even without, they’re visible.

Best,
Laken B.

Thank you for sharing your story. It’s an example of the kind of trauma that can affect addicts even years after they stop abusing lip balm.

I’m not an expert on lipstick and maybe some of our female readers can chime in. It does sound like you’ve never really given your lips a chance to heal, which I know can be hard for women when there is pressure to “look beautiful” with lipstick or lip gloss. Especially if you’re a model.

I would say that going back to any sort of lip balm is not the best approach, including Sephora “lip treatment.” At best you’re not really addressing the long-term problem and at worst it could start a downward spiral that eventually could lead you back to rock bottom. None of us wants to see that.

There is absolutely nothing visually wrong with your lips, at least as far as the photo you provided goes. They look very sexy to me.

While lip balm isn’t addictive in the actual, traditional sense because it doesn’t contain ingredients which generally cause physiological dependency – a spokesperson from mental health charity Mind said it’s not something they’ve come across – compulsive application is “a thing” and tantamount to an OCD. As Joel Rose, director of OCD Action, explains “the minute you define it it becomes a thing, the compulsion becomes real”. And if you like to apply lip balm 70 times a day, then you may be displaying compulsive tendencies.

Rose might be complaining that those of us in recovery from lip balm addiction are “playing fast and loose with language”, but when I was using Cherry Chapstick dozens of times a day it wasn’t because I felt a psychological desire to sooth. It was because my lips burned and I felt pain that could only be addressed using lip balm.

Still it’s nice that the Guardian article keenly plays it down the middle and acknowledges that regardless of the reason there’s pain out there for people who habitually use lip balm.

Are you one of those people who applies it multiple times a day? Yes. Do your lips still feel chapped? Yes. And yet do you continue to apply it despite evidence suggesting it’s not helping? Yes. Then you might have a problem.

Hallelujah!

Have you heard Eos lip balm?  My wife can go for a day or longer without thinking of applying more. Before that she was six times a day or more.

We just added an EOS page to our website. It’s great to hear your wife is reducing her lip balm usage, though I’m not sure I’d assume it has anything to do with the ingredients in EOS. The egg-shaped container seems to me to be less portable than traditional tubes so it’s possible that’s a factor in the reduced usage.

Just wondering if you know why Chapstick stopped making  ChapStick overnight lip treatment?  Does it have anything to do with the ingredient Dimethicone and is this harmful? Thanks Pat

ChapStick Overnight

Chapstick Overnight was designed to be taken at bedtime and it’s product use was described as: “Nourishes and conditions lips with a long lasting nightly moisture treatment. Contains 8 different moisturizers - glides on easily/angled tip. Helps prevent and temporarily protects chafed, chapped or crackedlips and helps moisturize and condition while sleeping.”  Yet another attempt by the Balm companies to keep your lips held hostage by their products now 24 hours a day.

As for Dimethicone, it is described as having side effects such as “burning, stinging, redness, or irritation may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly.” So, while in theory this product has been declared “safe” you may still need to see a doctor. Doesn’t sound like a harmless ingredient.

It does appear that this product has been discontinued. A post by ChapStick on Facebook back in June 2013 indicated the product was still available.  But it is no longer listed on the ChapStick website.  Perhaps the product didn’t sell. Or perhaps our side won a small battle against the Balm companies who will not be satisfied until every single person is using regularly.

Hi Kevin,

I love your website.. Just brilliant. I always thought I was alone with this addiction.

I started using when I was 13 years old. I am now 53! Forty years of slathering grease on my lips. I started with simple Blistex chapstick and  gradually moved on to the heroin of chapsticks: Blistex DCT (not a stick, it’s a little pot of chemicals). I have chapstick everywhere…. Several in my purse, my nightstand, my desk…. I have to use it  every couple of hours during the day and once or twice in the middle of the night. A few times I left home without it, panicked, turned around and drove back to retrieve my stash.  I worry about running out so I stock up. Most retail stores have stopped selling this DCT brand (my chapstick of choice)  so I have to order it on line from amazon. I have about 20 tubs at the moment.

My husband teases me about my chapstick use and doesn’t believe it’s an addiction. My family look at me strangely when I whip out my goop at the dinner table. My friends think it’s just nerves… But I know the truth: I am terrified of withdrawal. Why? I went through withdrawal twice years ago and it was a nightmare. I sensed my chapstick use was excessive so I thought it was time to break the habit. I tried to stop cold turkey. To my horror, each day my lips got drier and drier and cracked and bled and shriveled. They looked and felt awful.This went on for 2 weeks and did not get better. So I finally gave in. I stuck my finger into the blistex pot, scooped some lifesaving goop and slathered it on my painful lips. Instant relief! All symptoms disappeared. I felt normal again.

Since my terrible withdrawal experience, I tried to switch brands. Something more natural from the health food store. They don’t work! Only DCT does the job.

I just wanted to share my story to emphasize that this addiction is real and can last a lifetime. Although I am fearful about trying to stop again I may try your 12 step program. Thanks for creating the website.. I had a good laugh and then here I am fessin’ up!

Regards,
Debbie

Sent from my iPad

I’m glad you found something on our site humorous, though I’m not sure what that would be. But, your story certainly illustrates the long-term dangers of using lip balms.

Blistex DCT is yet-another product in a long line of addictive products. Billing itself as “Daily Conditioning Treatment for Lips”, the product oozes addictive propaganda from it’s website. Some balms try to hide their addictive properties by saying they should be used when lips are chapped, but not DCT. The website text reads in part “DCT keeps your lips in perfect condition every day of the year, in all climates, through all activities.”

In other words, once you start you’re hooked! For the rest of your life! Think we’re joking? Have you forgotten Debbie’s story and her 40 year addiction?

Debbie’s story about only feeling “normal” while taking lip balm is not uncommon, especially after such a long time of usage. Given that weaning and cold turkey don’t seem to be effective, I’ve referred Debbie to a local LBA chapter where she can get the help she so desperately needs.

I saw your Blistex report page. Seriously? Quit using Blistex all together just because you can use it more than 4 times a day?? Why does it matter?!

Because the next day it’s five times, and the day after that six. And so on and so on. Next thing you know you’re using a tube a day!

It doesn’t happen to everyone, but for us addicts we are all too familiar with the downward spiral.