Ask the Addict: Vaseline?
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.
Tips from Holly’s Beauty Blog
Some nice awareness crosslinks coming in from Holly’s Beauty Blog. Today’s post covers lip balm, and while it isn’t “anti-balm” there is certainly some good advice.
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.
Guardian Coverage of LBA
At LBA we always appreciate inbound links as a way for people to discover our site and start getting the help we need. It’s just a little unclear if The Guardian’s Libby Brooks is paying us a compliment or not.
A cursory search for cruel and unusual psychological fixations leads to the online forum of Lip Balm Anonymous, a group of self-described addicts for whom the mentholated kick of Carmex and co has proved damagingly compulsive. While keeping in mind that the web abhors a vacuum and adores a parody, it is nonetheless manifest that the internet age is generating access to information, guidance and support mind-boggling in its specificity and sometimes suspect in its provenance for an ever-expanding range of secretive, sad or salacious behaviours. Got troubles? Get Googling.
Step by Step, but not the 12 Steps
Think lip balm addiction isn’t a serious problem in our schools and with our kids? Think again.
Hi, I’m 15 and have been gradually getting more addicted to lip balms for the last 10 years. It has come to the point where I can no longer go 20 minutes with out the need to apply lip balm. I find your site very supportive, however there is no advise on how to quit lip balms. Please could you post a step by step method on how to stop, opposed to your current 12 step program that does not help the user stop their addiction.
Thank you for the help the LBA has already given me and I hope I will be able to post my story when I quit in the optimistic future.
Yours sincerely, Alfie S. (addict)
Our Recovery page lists three methods: Cold Turkey, Weaning, and the 12 Steps. The first two don’t really lend themselves to the step method you’re asking for.
- Cold Turkey Step One: Stop using
- Cold Turkey Step Two: there is no step two.
Weaning inherently has a step process, but this will differ quite a bit from person to person.
There’s a reason by the 12 Steps exist. For some people that’s the only way to overcome their addictions to lip balm. It doesn’t work for everyone, though, which is why we do mention these other techniques. If you have any other ideas, just leave a comment below.
