Michigan winters are brutal on our bodies, and especially our lips. The cold, dry air makes chapped lips a universal feeling.
Almost everyone’s go-to treatment is a lip balm of some type, but do you ever feel like you are becoming dependent on your lip balm? If you don’t use it, do your lips feel even worse? That’s not uncommon.
Dr. Allison Zarbo, a Henry Ford Health pediatric dermatologist, says, “There is nothing in lip balms that I’m aware of that would cause an actual physical addiction.”
But Zarbo’s not surprised people feel that way, “When your lips are dry, and that’s an irritating issue for you, you’re going to want to keep putting something on to make it better.”
That creates a vicious cycle. It’s also possible your lip balm itself is making the feeling worse because of what’s in it.
“There are some ingredients that you want to look for,” Zarbo said. “Petroleum jelly (petrolatum) is excellent, as is shea butter, glycerin, dimethicone, mineral oil and ceramides are all good things that will help moisturize your lips and should not cause irritation.”
Zarbo said to beware of lip balms with peppermint, camphor, or menthol. They can all create a cooling sensation on your lips, but they can also cause irritation, especially if your lips are already dry.
Zarbo added, “You also want to avoid fragrances, ideally you should also avoid certain scents like citrus, mint, and cinnamon.”
Another potential cause for lip irritation is lip licking. Dr. Zarbo says she understands that it’s a natural reaction to lick your lips when they feel dry, but saliva is irritating. “Your saliva actually has digestive enzymes,” Zarbo said.
If you feel like you’re using lip balm so often that it makes you anxious when you don’t have it, or if not having lip balm interferes with your daily life, your use might also be compulsive, and you might consider discussing the behavior with your doctor.