Medical Chapstick addiction: do you have this problem? how do i wean myself

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Frequent use of chapstick can lead to dependency, with users experiencing dry, crusty lips when not applied. Some individuals have found that switching to plain petroleum jelly, like Vaseline, alleviates chapped lips and reduces the need for constant reapplication. Reactions to specific lip products, such as Burt's Bees, have been reported, with users noting that certain ingredients may cause irritation or dermatitis. Many in the discussion suggest experimenting with different brands or formulations to find a more effective solution for maintaining lip moisture without reliance on lip balms. Overall, there is a consensus that while some view lip balm as a necessary daily habit, others advocate for alternatives that provide better results.
pa5tabear
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I'm in the habit of using chapstick multiple times a day. This isn't a problem, apart from the fact that I'm somewhat dependent on it. If I stop applying it, it seems like the outer layer of skin will always dry out and crust.

Is this just something to deal with?

My goal is moist and sumptuous lips that never require chapstick.
 
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Years ago there was a particular brand of lip protectant that I was using quite a lot. I had the same issue you did, that it wasn't really making my lips better, but they sure felt bad when I didn't use the stuff. I started to think maybe it was the lip product that I was reacting to somehow.

I stopped by substituting another product - just plain petroleum jelly. This was immediately helpful, no more chapped lips at all. And I only applied it once or twice a day.

Just to see what would happen, I went back the first product again. Sure enough my lips were chapped right away. I think I was reacting to something in the product, like a dermatitis type of reaction.

Try switching to another brand, or better yet try petroleum jelly.
 
I agree, switch to plain vaseline.
 
Evo said:
I agree, switch to plain vaseline.
That's my wife's go-to. Chapstick and other lip treatments just don't cut it.
 
I wrote chapstick, but I meant to refer to lip balm in general.

My preference is burt's bees but I use petroleum jelly as well and it seems like I still need to apply daily or else I get chapped lips.

Do you all view it as a necessary daily habit?
 
pa5tabear said:
My preference is burt's bees but I use petroleum jelly as well and it seems like I still need to apply daily or else I get chapped lips.

Do you all view it as a necessary daily habit?
If you keep buying Burt's, you will enrich Roxanne. That's not a bad thing, because she uses her wealth to buy up Maine wild-land and sequester it. She is a nice person, IMO. I have never met her personally, but she seems willing to use her money to save wild lands in Maine for everybody. That's pretty nice.
 
pa5tabear said:
I wrote chapstick, but I meant to refer to lip balm in general.

My preference is burt's bees but I use petroleum jelly as well and it seems like I still need to apply daily or else I get chapped lips.

Do you all view it as a necessary daily habit?

Burt's Bees was the brand giving me trouble, btw. Try avoiding it for a while, see if it helps. If you google 'burts bees lip reaction', you get a lot of hits - seems it gives some people trouble.
 
Burt's Bee's also damaged my lips, it has a way too high concentration of peppermint oil.
 

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