“No, lip balm is not as addictive as drugs or drugs,” warns Malte Schmelter, MD, a dermatologist at the Skinmed Clinic for Dermatology and Plastic Surgery at Lenzburg AG.
The dermatologist does not use strong words like addiction or addiction regarding lip balm because the ingredients do not cause psychological addiction. “It’s more about an ‘addiction’ to the soft lip feel,” explains Schmelter.
If you buy lip balm several times an hour, you can definitely talk about compulsive behavior. The expert gives an example: “If you wash your hands more often than average, it’s like having to wash.”
Why do we want to make cream all the time?
Compared to the rest of the facial skin, the lips have little or no sebaceous and sweat glands that can lubricate the skin, according to Schmelter.
“Also, the lips often protrude slightly from the face, so they act as a so-called sundeck for the sun’s rays. UV radiation, cold and very changeable weather cause the skin on the lips to become taut and brittle,” says the dermatologist. And we want to remove that dry and brittle feeling by applying creams.
How can you break your frequent practice habit?
“There is no indication of the maximum dose,” explains Schmelter. However, when using lip balm, care should be taken not to overuse for a few days.
According to the expert, it can be quite difficult to give up this habit completely, as you get used to very soft lips by using skin care products frequently. If you apply the oil too often, you will eventually lose the feeling of natural dryness of your lips. The dermatologist explains: “If you don’t embalm your lips for a few hours, they’ll dry out a bit again and you’ll want to lubricate them again.
If you don’t lubricate it and instead moisten your lips with your tongue, it can cause your lips to dry out even more.” Basically, the saliva only has the opposite effect as it evaporates, thus removing additional moisture from the lip skin.
Expert, if you want to get out of the “vicious circle” there is only one solution: “Stop and don’t lick!”
Pay attention to the ingredients
It’s not just about how often you use lip balm. Which pen you use also plays a role. There are some ingredients in the care product that are better off. “Mineral oils also dry out the lips and are classified as having a ‘carcinogenic risk’ by the European Food Safety Authority, which means they can be carcinogenic,” says Schmelter.
How can you tell if a product contains mineral oils? They are often referred to by terms such as “paraffin”, “paraffinum liquidum”, “ceresin”, “cera microcritallina”, “mineral oil” or “petrolatum” as the expert explains. “Therefore, it is better to avoid these ingredients or only be present in very small amounts.” Many natural products could be made entirely without mineral oils, and now many major manufacturers also take care of a suitable composition.
According to the dermatologist, when choosing a lip balm you should also consider that it contains sun protection factor. “Even lips can burn in the sun. Too much sun exposure accumulated over decades can cause skin cancer here, too,” says Schmelter.
As a result, lip balm can also lead to allergies, which are highly individual and can develop even after months or years of use. That’s why the dermatologist recommends: “Not everyone tolerates every product. Ideally, any skin care product used should contain as few ingredients as possible but as many as needed.