Testimony Archive
Testimony Archive
This is the page where we keep the older testmonies we've received from all around the world. We know this page is long. It shows you just how addictive lip balm is!
Dirk B. continues to live with addiction, refusing to get help.
I've all but given up denying my addiction. I have those little barrels
of Blistex hidden away everywhere. There's one in my car (in a little
pocket in the driver's footwell, along with the tire pressure gauge),
one at my bedside, one on the dresser and one in my desk drawer at work.
I also have a small container that fits into the watch pocket in my
jeans that I take with me whenever I know that I'll be away from my
other stashes for longer than a few hours (when I go out to a club for
dancing or a show, when I'm at the beach, at a festival, on a plane...).
If I run out of lip balm, or can't get to my stash, I get antsy. Pretty
soon I'm desperate--looking around for a cheap substitute, anything.
I've used hand lotion, heck, I've even stooped to butter in a fit of
desperation. Kinda like hardcore alkies and Sterno...
Thank god it's socially acceptable and legal.
Yours in addiction, Dirk B.
Sharon B. has since seen the light, but penned this when she was off the wagon.
Top Ten Reasons to Be a Proud Addict:
#10. Soft lips are next to Godliness
#9. No one like cracks near their lips
#8 Beavis and Butt-head buy Banana-flavored Balm
#7 Balm me up Scotty!
#6 Balmers (not bombers) make better lovers
#5 Lips without balm are not all they're cracked up to be
#4 Two Words, "Balms Away"
#3 B-A-L-M = Bad Ass Licking Mothers
#2 Boutros Boutros Balmi
#1 Women always ask, "Are you happy to see me or is that lip balm in your
pocket?"
Greg W. found encouragement via our Web site.
I had been using Natural Ice Medicated Lip Balm (SPF 14), which is
manufactured by Mentholatum, for the past several months. I liked the
cool feeling I got when I slathered it across my lips once or twice a
day. After a while, it was the first thing I did when I walked into the
office in the morning. Pretty soon I bought an extra tube to keep in the
car. I found that when applied outdoors or in the car on those cold
mornings, the sensation on the lips was even cooler.
After a few months of social lip balming, I found that my indiscriminate
use of Natural Ice was not enough. I found that I could get more bang
for my buck by using Mentholatum directly. On the lips, under the
nostrils, then eventually.... yes,... up the nose.
I've tried to cut back. I keep telling myself, "as soon as the winter is
over, and the dry heat from the furnace is off, I can stop this"
Sure,...more excuses.
I only hope LBA can give others the kind of encouragement you've given me.
New Zealand's Julie B. needs to read the 12 steps and go cold-turkey.
I would like to warn all of those in New Zealand that the 'Nectar' shop
produces a strawberry torte lip balm. I have some in my drawer at work -
my flatmate gave it too me. WHAT DO I DO!!!! I NEED HELP!!!!
I am trying really hard to wean myself of this horrible little jar of
pink vaseline but when my lips get that really dry sandpapery feeling I
don't know where to turn. Please help me.
Nyk F. left an addicted girlfriend. Nyk, next time try love and support!
Well, I would like to relate: It was so interesting to see the workings
of minds similar to my own. You see, one day it hit me, and hit me
hard...
I myself have never used lip balm, but a girlfriend of mine does, and it
was with horror one day that I noticed how she behaved "under the
influence".
She would buy the cherry flavored stuff, because her lips were sore
(little did I know what wretched condition had caused this) and slap it
on. Then, 'cos it tasted nice, lick it off. This caused immediate
discomfort and required another smearing. If this is not an erosion of
our conscious freedoms, i don't know what is. I feel very strongly that
the hypnotic control that surrounds such a product must be some kind of
government conspiricy...
The worst tragedy was that my poor girlfriend was so nieve, so unaware. I
had to leave her in search of more pure pastures, you understand?
Melissa M. bears of the scars of addiction.
I was so relieved to hear that I was not alone in this world of addiction. I
am from Rhode Island and there never seems to be a reason to be without lip
balm. In the winter it is necessary due to the cold temperatures and snow.
In the summer there's the sun and heat to worry about. And there's always
other reasons for the seasons in between. I don't know for sure how long
I've been an addict, but I've probably been using for at least 10 years - and
I'm only 23! My friends and family all know that I'm an addict. I don't want
to blame them, but they enable me! The past 2 Christmases, I received
several containers of lip balm as gifts. Needless to say, these were the
favorite things I received both years. My lip balm of choice is Lip Medex by
Blistex in the blue tin. I don't like the sticks as much, they go on a
little too waxy. I need the soft. smooth kind to ease my pain.
I do have a
lip balm horror story for you. As most addicts do, I have a stash
everywhere, including my car. One summer afternoon, I came out of work to my
car that had been sitting in the hot sun all day. I reached for my container
to coat up for the drive home, and much to my dismay, as I opened my
container, the all of the melted, now-liquid lip balm poured out all over my
leg! I was not so much bothered the burn on my leg as I was the idea of
driving home without my fix! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to share
this with those who understand! Please write back! I need all the support I
can get! Thank you!
Rachel A. should read the 12 steps and attend LBA meetings.
I just wanted all of you out there with a lip balm addiction that you are
not alone. I too have a problem and have even tried using Lip Smackers
that tastes and smells gross like chocolate raspberry but I still can't
beat the addiction. If I go without it for more than 45 minutes I start
to go through withdrawls and my lips instanly get chapped and I become
very aggitated. To tell you the truth I feel sick and disgusting if I'm
not wearing any lip balm. So if anyone has any words of encouragement for
me to beat this problem please let me know.
My best friend has the same
addiction so we will try to beat this thing together. Today I forgot my lip
balm at home and it drove me crazy all day long. I kept on asking people to
lend me some but no one would contribute to my addiction. I think it is just
something I'm going to have to live with. Thanks for the support though, but
I don't think anything can help me now. Well I got to go re-apply so e-mail
me if you think you can help stop the insanity that I'm going through.
Dan G. needs help. Read our self-test, Dan!
My sister and I have been reading the accounts of addiction and find many of
the stories to be like my own. I was driving home from work on a hot summer
day when I reached for my trusty tin of Carmex that had been sitting on the
dash. Much to my horror when I cracked the canister and open molten 'mex poured
all over myself and the steering wheel. After the burning subsided on my
chest I then had to deal with the wheel which was now coated with the
slippery, but medicated, mess. I neared died that day but continue to use.
Do I need help?
Outlawing lip balm won' stop Kia M.'s problem and it won't help yours. Get into a 12-step program!
I must admit to almost feeling reassured by the testimonials on your LBA
page - it was a relief to know I'm not alone.
One thing I have to comment on: Bonne Bell has a lot to answer for when it
comes to young women with LB problems. Lip Smackers were my road to ruin
(though I didn't know it when I started - they seemed as innocent as
anything else in my xmas stocking). I still own a Dr Pepper one... My
younger sister is also falling victim to lip balm addiction via heavily flavoured lip balm,
which is sad to see. She's getting into mixing - vanilla and strawberry
together, say - something I never did. It's tough to watch.
But it's tough for me too.
While I'm able to stay clear of the Lip Smackers gift packs and so on now,
it just means I've turned to more socially acceptable lip balm in my adulthood.
Labello has been a thrill, and I've just started getting heavily into
Carmex - I squeeze my lips into the pot most of the time; I'm so desperate
for the fix that I can't be bothered with a finger.
I suppose I should confess to also having a lipstick problem.
I like the really unctuous, sheer ones, too; the more balmish, the better. I
think I first started going for the colour when I got off the kiddy
strawberry/cherry/etc stuff.
Anyway.
Bonne Bell, and others of its ilk, should take more responsibility and
quit marketing to children. I'm going to write my MP, and see if
its distribution can be limited along the lines of tobacco and liquor.
Get help Lisa H.!
It all started one day, when I bought my first 3 pack of Lip
Smackers...I didn't realize that I had a problem, until one day
when a friend of mine and I were getting ready for a party. I
opened my drawer to get a comb, and she stopped half-way through
her sentence with a look of shocked horror on her face. I
looked down in my drawer and realized that she was horrified
and disgusted by all of the Lip Balm I had in there. I put on
lip balm every night, in the morning, after breakfast, and
hourly during the day. My favorite kinds are, of course, Lip
Smackers, and Virgin Lip Balm, 'cause they come in really cool
neon colors. (Which, by the way, give your lips a really funny
look if you use too much.) And that is my true lip balm
story.
Nomi H. is close to stopping!
Reading your site forced me to confront a fact I'd rather not
think about: I'm addicted to lip balm (in my case, Vaseline).
Like many of the addicts who've sent in their stories, I started
at a young age with Chap Stick and Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. In fact,
when I was a young child, my grape Chap Stick smelled so appealing I
actually took a bite of it. Yuck! In junior high, my friends and
I collected and traded the Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. My favorites
were 7-up and Sour Grape.
As an adult, I have eschewed flavored lip balms in favor of Vaseline.
I have two jars of it at home, and tubes in my purse and backpack.
I use it at least three times a day, though I try not to use it much
more than that. One day I somehow ended up with no Vaseline, and it
was agonizing waiting until I got home that night to use it.
Several friends have told me that I should stop using Vaseline; that
it doesn't really make your lips less dry. So far I have not heeded
their advice. In fact, I gave Vaseline to my boyfriend in an effort
to get him to stop licking his lips.
I noticed that at least one respondent mentioned the corners of his
mouth cracking painfully. I occasionally have that problem, too.
Lip balm wasn't helping it at all. A nurse suggested hydrocortisone
cream, and the problem cleared right up. Unlike lip balm,
hydrocortisone cream does not appear to be addictive.
John K. can't deny he is addicted.
It all started innocently enough. I can remember my father always had
that smooth black cylinder of Chap Stick in his pocket. Even though I wasn't a
balmer, I worshipped him for using the official lip balm of the NFL. Where
other kids wanted to suck down a pack of Luckys or to quaff a Schlitz, I ached to
twist that knurled end and...
Here the seeds of my destruction were sown. Before long I was
squandering all of my allowance on Chap Stick. I had to get a paper route to
feed the beast. It was the 70's, Dr. Pepper Chap Stick was hot and the girls
slathered on copious amounts of strawberry lip gloss. It seemed that any clown with a
dollar thought he could buy his way into my scene. But I held them all in
contempt, I had moved onto Carmex.
F
For a long time it was good. That inviting little pot was always there
to share the good times and the bad. In the last year, however, the beast has
started to destroy what control I have left. The heady scent Carmex's camphor
is still magic, but it just isn't enough. I've started mixing balm cocktails.
Usually, I combine my Carmex with Vaseline Lip Therapy, but Blistex will work
in a pinch and for special situations I have an unlabeled pot of balm that I got
from a dermatologist.
For years I wouldn't acknowledge my addiction. I can't deny the beast
anymore. I even switched from the Carmex pot to the squeeze tube. Though the
purists will cringe, I find it helps me hide my stash. (especially from other
balmers) I am resigned to my fate. I can only hope that together we can stem
the tide of abuse and save our children from demon lip balm.
I think Joanie M. wants to quit.
I have had a lip balm addiction for 9 years now. I tried to quit about 6
years ago and failed miserably. I went cold turkey and my lips became
cracked and bled when I smiled (which wasn't often). When I resorted to
salad oil from a restaurant salad bar, I called it a defeat.
After seeing your web site, I have renewed hope! So many of the
testimonies ring so true for me: carrying balm with me wherever I go,
supplying balm to my friends, having multiple sticks within reach, and
craving that "hit."
I just had my wisdom teeth taken out, and during the surgery the oral
surgeon had to apply lip balm to my lips for me! This was a new low,
even for me!
I plan on quitting some day. I hope you do soon, as I plan on checking back
often for support and guidance.
ps. I'm sending this note and URL to another addict I know -- hoping she
too will be able to come out of the Lip Balm Addiction Closet.
Birdy L. writes about her friend, who won't recover until she herself wants to. Stay supportive!
I always knew that this friend of mine, Marianne S., used a lot of lip balm,
but I didn't realize how serious her problem is until I came across your
site. Immediately, I faxed her your recovery program, but she isn't ready for
quitting yet, claiming "yes - I'm addicted, and I'm proud!!"
She explained to me that her main kick is that everybody knows she's always
carrying lip balm, so anyone in need will frisk her thoroughly to get it, or
even (the horror!) get a fix directly from her lips.
So, apart from the mere physical addiction which is bad enough, she's
obviously become dependent of balm as a sexual artifact and bait. I'm sure
she could do without - I mean, the lights at our main hangout are quite
dimmed, anyway - but she won't listen to me.
Please give some advice, addressed directly for her. I think she's more likely
to take it from someone who's been there & done it!!
Concerned and caring - Birdy
Stella M. found hope here!
Hi, my name is Stella, and I'm a lip balm addict.
It all started when I was in sixth grade. My supposedly-upstanding Catholic
school wasn't strict enough to deter me and my friends from indulging before school,
after school, at recess, and even during class. Those wee sticks of flavored salve
were all the rage in the 80s, and retailers made the junk readily available for
defenseless kids who don't know any better. At first I stuck to the basic mint, strawberry, and cherry stick varieties, but soon I was on to the exotic stuff: bubblegum-flavored roll-on, cola, and my favorite -- Sugar 'n' Spice.
When I started attending a very competitive all-girl's high school, lip balm
in small pots was the only cosmetic of choice, mostly because we were too stressed to
deal with anything more. It wasn't uncommon to find an assortment of at least 3 or 4
different flavors in someone's backpack, and trading pots or taking hits in groups was
even more common.
My lowest point was when I once mixed my own pot of tinted balm, using a
near-empty container of Lip Medex and stirring in various dregs of lipstick I scraped
out of the tubes with a toothpick. It worked well, and it looked nice, but I really
think I hit rock-bottom. I still rue that day.
Now that I'm in college, I've become a closet balmer. I only balm up in the
privacy of my home, and my parents don't confront me about it because they don't
understand the gravity of my addiction. There are several pots and sticks of the stuff in my room, and one pot of coconut-flavored balm is next to my keyboard, beckoning to me as I
type this. I carry a couple pots in my backpack, but it's pretty cumbersome to root
around in there during a class, so that deters my daytime usage, thankfully. I'll admit,
albeit shamefully, that I rejoiced when Blistex came out with its Lip Tone product,
because I could pretend I was wearing a regular lipstick when in fact I was balming all
over the place.
I'm glad I found LBA when I did, because I need to fight this addiction and
stop the insanity.
Peter V. sees an addiction connection.
I'm so glad I accidentally found your website! I have found Carmex to be incredibly addictive for the past three years.
I never really thought it to be a problem. It just seemed like it became
part of my grooming process. My best friend who lives in Northern
California introduced me to this stuff and we both have yet to quit. We
never identified it as a problem.
I am very shocked to hear that this addiction could possibly lead to
further harder drug usage or addiction. This link could definitely be
possible as an addiction makes an individual more susceptible to other
addictions. I can attest to this.
Julie A. has recognized her problem!
My name is Julie and I am a Balmaholic. There, it's out! I've said
it!
Despite living in Scotland, I visit the U.S. regularly. How grateful I
was to see from your site that I am probably not alone in going into
drug stores at all times of the day and night and thinking nothing of
buying half a dozen little pots of Blistex Lip Medex. Oh, that
delicious little nip! Oh, that cute little blue pot.
Thank you, LBA, for making me feel that I am not alone.
Casey R. is creative with her addiction.
My name is Casey and I'm from Austin. I have been using lip balm since
I was about 6 years old. Mine was always a powerful addiction ever
since the very beginning. I have never been able to go anywhere
without my Chap Stick. Once, when I was at my Grandma's house, I lost
my Chap Stick and was forced to result to running to the bathroom every
half hour to use my Grandma's industrial sized vat of Vaseline. Then it
was announced that the family was going out to dinner. I panicked, God
knows how many hours that could be. So I carefully (I'm about 9 at
this time) smeared a large glob on the back of my hand, determined that
if I was careful, it would last me through the whole night. I live in
mortal fear of being without my Chap Stick for more than an hour. I
cannot wear anything without pockets. I live for that reassuring
feeling when you pat your pocket and feel that comforting lump. I know
you've been there. You leave the house with you're lips properly
protected, and just for the sheer comfort of it reach into your pocket
for your trusty tube of Chap Stick. And its NOT there. Instantly,
you're lips become chapped, just with the thought of coming hours
without it. I don't know how many pleasant outings have been ruined by
my single minded obsession with greasing up my lips.
Almost all of my friends are also addicts. I feel a special
camaraderie with these people that understand what it feels like to be
deprived. We all carry around several assorted flavors and giggle with
glee when somebody pulls out a new flavor. As soon as I see somebody
else put theirs on, I have to also. Unlike other people's testimonies
I've read, I carry around one tube. I am now an expert at transferring
it absentmindedly when I change clothes and such. In fact, I have lost
several tubes by leaving them in the pockets of pants I was trying on
in stores.
I'm just glad there's a place for people like us to go, to find
comfort, humor and possibly banish this wretched specter from our
lives.
Mike J. proves how stressful recovery can be.
I've kicked the lip balm thing, too. Man was that rough..almost ripped a guys arms off the other day for offerring me a hit of Chap Stick ...cherry flavour...
Madeleine C. is not alone.
Thank heavens for your message! I felt so alone in this addiction. It is such a relief to hear that I am not some freak of nature. Perhaps there is a genetic link...? I think the Web site will really help in the cure.
John A. quit the hard way!
Thanks! I thought I was alone in this addiction. I've tried ice-packs,
soaking in lemon juice - and finally taking mega doses of vitiman B stress complex.
Now it only hurts when I laugh - and boy do I hurt :)
Carol K. shows the Industry of Addiction is no joke!
My addiction came from my toxic parents. When I was a little girl, my
mother bought me a cute little flavored lip balm from Avon. It's been
downhill from there. I grease up first thing in the morning, even
without getting out of bed, even before I put my glasses on! I realize
now I have my family snared in the hell of being my enablers. My husband
has gone out at midnight in the blinding snow to score me my brand of
choice, Carmex . My daughter has gone without food and shoes so I could
have the evil stuff. I have gone so far as to use straight Vaseline out
of the jar and even Neosporin and Crisco when the Carmex ran out. My family, God love them, has tried an intervention, but to no avail. But
now through the miracle of the Internet, I have found hope. I know I am
not alone and I can beat this monkey on my lips. My inner child and I
thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Now we can have closure and get
on with life. God bless you!
We caught Mike C. just in time.
Thank God for LBA. I thought I was alone; that I was the only one
addicted to balm. Over the years my balm use has gradually increased to
3-4 sticks a day. I can handle that OK, but lately, I've been binge
balming. 10 to 15 sticks over a 2 hour period. The balm is so thick
around my mouth and nose, that I pass out from lack out oxygen. This
morning, after a binge, I was shocked to find my lips and face covered
with lipstick. I must have done a tube of the stuff in my stupor. I'll
never forget my reflection in the mirror this morning. Then tonight I
find LBA. Coincidence? I don't think so. Higher power more likely!
Jerry S. is on the road to recovery.
I have to admit, I too have a problem, and it is getting out of control.
There is balm by my bed, in the bathroom, the living room, and next to my computer. I keep a tube by the door so I can take a lip-full as I leave my house - and once I get in my car, I use even more. I used to tell myself it was because we moved to the desert that I started using so much more, but now it is starting to scare me. I'm afaid that my use while driving might cause me to get in an accident, or even worse, I might drop the cap and smear the stuff all over the car seat. Thanks to your organization I am going to get help - soon, real soon.
Joseph D. knows about the Industry of Addiction.
I realized I was addicted to the stuff years ago when I found myself using it all the time. But it never seemed to help; I always needed more. I tried different brands before finally noticing that I didn't have a lip balm problem until I started using it - sort of a hygienical catch-22 I guess... It was then that I realized that the money-making plot of these companies must be to make us NEED their balms. If it worked, we'd only buy it once! I immediately discontinued my use of all lip balm products and now use it only on special occasions.
Chris M. found hope here!
I abstain from other substances ie. liquor, crack, playdough,
but once I saw your page, I realized that I have an addiction
far worse than anything else. And now that I know, I guess on some level,
I've known all along. Since I realized the addiction, I'm becoming
paranoid. Whenever I break out the Chap Stick, I feel that everybody is talking about me and my problem. Somehow they ALL know. I've lately found myself yearning to be a woman because they have that lipstick that doubles
as lip balm. Nobody talks when they put on lipstick. It's so unfair.
Thank you though for making me confront my problem. I've heard the
whispering behind my back in the past but I just denied it. I can stop, man.
Honestly. And I'm going to...tomorrow.
Thomas I. got "scared straight" (no pun intended).
I've been using lip balm for years now. I've tried and done them all:
Chap Stick (all flavors), Blistex , Medex , you name it. I've also tried
combinations of the above; I used to be particularly fond of using Blistex
on my upper lip (where I could smell it better), and strawberry Chap Stick on
my lower lip. Then one day, quite by accident, I got K-Y Jelly on my lips
and my life was changed forever. Its texture was soft as silk, the taste
sweet, and the gloss like nothing I'd seen before! Ever since I've been using
K-Y , which unfortunately I've found to be far more addictive and high
maintenance than petroleum jelly-based products.
Last week, I met a very nice gorgeous guy who invited me over to dinner.
When I arrived at his appartment, he asked me to take my jacket. When I
handed it to him, a tube of K-Y Jelly fell out, and landed on his foot! He
looked at me like I was some kind of tramp! I tried to explain to him that I
used on my lips, only to watch his look turn to horror. I could only excuse
myself and leave with the shreds of my dignity. Please help me! I don't want
anything like this to ever happen again!
Andrew A. is starting his recovery.
Thank goodness I found you! I thought I was alone, a freak in a world of
people without need of balm. Here is my story:
My name is Andrew A. and lip balm has always been one of my best friends.
It's been there with me through almost everything. Unfortunately, it's never
there when I really need it. Do I really need it? Right now, there are three
different kinds of lip balm right here on my computer table. Let me tell you
how they came to be here. Last weekend, at 12:30 in the morning, I ran out of
lip balm. I cannot be without out it, so I got in my car and drove to 7-11 to
buy some more. All they had was Chap Stick Petroleum Jelly. I purchased it and
opened it in the car. I put it on, but quickly became unhappy with the way it
seemed to disappear. I proceeded to drive to a Mobil station where I bought
some Carmex. It cost a lot, but I needed it. Again, I wasted no time in
opening it and putting it on. For the moment, I was satisfied. I felt like I
was in good shape until I saw some Chap Stick Ultra SPF30 in the store the
next day. I'd never seen it before, so I bought it. I like it. If I don't
take it with me when I leave, I freak out. I get sweaty and I can't
concentrate. I once forgot it at work and I resorted to using some olive oil.
I need help. I know I've got a problem. A friend of mine, Marina, has shared
her disorder with me as well. She always has at least three flavors with her.
I hope that my story will let others know that their compulsion is not a rare
thing. I support them and will be here to share my progress.
Bill E. works at a Canadian University Psychology department.
Anyway, I noticed your Lip Balm Anonymous page and thought that it
should definitely be WWWoWWWWified (Weird, Wild, Wacky or Wonderful World Wide Web
sites). Things were getting pretty bad
around here - there was not a dry chapped lip in the whole place.
People would lock themselves in their offices with their Blistex and
simply not come out all day. Grad students who were sharing offices
would typically get into fist fights after one would try to sneak an
application from a shared tube. Eight faculty members in our department
had retired last week alone to persue their, umm, pastime fulltime,
shall we say. Chap Stick pushers were hanging around outside the
building - it was awful. You'll be happy to know that merely one week
after displaying your page, folks around here have pretty much shaken
the lip balm habit and have gone back to their regular uninterupted
smoking and drinking routines...
Abby F. is beating her addiction!
I've found a place, a warm and friendly place where I, and my addiction,
are loved and understood. It all began back in third grade with a
seemingly innocent tube of regular flavored Chap Stick. Then it
progressed. My addiction branched out to raspberry flavor, cherry and then
mint. The chap stick brand was my poison. Now I'll take whatever is
readily available. I'm not only a user.... I'm a dealer. I've gotten
friends, family members, co-workers, even my dog addicted. I have a
"super size" tube of Bonne Bell's Grape Ape Lip Smackers in the top drawer
of my nightstand for middle of the night emergencies. In every coat I
own, lies a tube. The jacket flavors and brands range from chocolate
flavor from Avon- my personal weakness, medicated Blistex for the really
stressful days, and more Bonne Bell. In my jewelry box is my
coveted watermelon Bonne Bell. This is the one I most easily get people
addicted to. I suppose it's the colorful exterior and the smooth,
melon-flavored emollient within. In the side pocket of my car, I have a
tube of the old standby- Chap Stick. This is how I got the majority of
family members addicted... in the safety of a car. They fall prey so
easily, it's almost sinful. Now I feel accepted and loved here, at LBA. I
am getting help. I'm down to one tube a week. Thank you, LBA. I couldn't
have done it without you.
Megan B. is starting her recovery at age 13!
My addiction started 3 years ago, when I was 10. My first memory of
lip balm, though, was at the early age of 3, with Avon Ice cream
flavoured. It was packaged to look like a cone full of ice cream .I
was hooked from the start, on Bonne Bell Roll-On Lip Shiner, in Banana
Berry flavour. I guzzled it, I was so addicted. Now, I use Lip Lix,
also by Bonne Bell. Finding the flavour never lasts long enough, and I
end up coating my face with the stuff. It is colored, too, so I have
color all over my face. I spent 3 days with out it. Perhaps the first
step?
There is hope for John D. if he looks for help!
I did not realize I was addicted to Chap Stick until my co-workers began play tricks on me. When I wasn't looking, they would remove my Chap Stick from my
desk drawer and laugh as I searched in vain. When I left the room they would
return it to my drawer. I provided them with many hours of amusement as my
drawer is very unkempt. It took me a few days to figure out thier game.
This didn't deter me. I use it in massive quantities. I prefer Blistex Mint
and I am truly disappointed when the store carries only original Chap Stick. I
have also addicted my six year old son recently by placing three sticks in
his stocking and telling him they were a gift from Santa! I'm not ready to
give it up. Is there any hope for me?
Karen G. feels peer pressure to stay addicted.
My name is Karen G. and I am addicted to any type of lip balm. My all
time favorite is Chap Stick Medicated. It gives you that soothing
feeling that we all need and deserve. I do not have a problem and will
not quit. My friends often make fun of me for my constant us of
Chap Stick . I carry around my lip balm with me everywhere. When ever
I need a "fix" I just whip that tube out and smear it on my lips. One
of my friends jokes that my Chap Sticks are collectables because I have
so many. I don't know when the addiction started and I'm not ready to
give it up. Besides other "addicts" often rely on me for a quit
"fix." How can I let them down and stop carrying around my lip balm.
If I lose one of my many tubes of lip balm I'm devastated and go on a
extensive search until it is found. I'm sure that when I hit rock
bottom I'll go clean but until then I have no problem and am fine.
Rob W. should not ignore any addictions.
A friend sent me your URL, and I am having trouble deciding whether
to laugh or cry.
I am an addict. I admit it. I started using about 10 years ago,
and a day hasn't gone by that I've gone longer than a few hours
without an "application."
Frankly, I don't know that I'll seek help at this point, as I'm not
ready to acknowledge that my addiction is a problem. (I figure I
may be spending $100 a year on the stuff, which is less than I spend
on other addictions I'm ignoring...)
But it is good to know that the page is here, should I need to seek
support.
APS needs to quit, now that she admits her addiction.
Although I have hundreds, I'll just share the most godawful experience I've
ever had in my life regarding the loss of companionship of my Cherry
Chap Stick. My boyfriend and I were in the airport in Cancun, awaiting our
flight. As it came time to board the plane, I realized my purse was missing.
I didn't care about my money, licence & credit cards, makeup, or asmthatic
inhaler, but damn, MY CHAP STICK WAS GONE. Sure, I had one in my beach bag,
and two in my luggage, but they had already been checked! I frantically ran
around the airport, realizing I may miss the plane, to buy Chap Stick. But, to
my horror, they did not sell it. I had to board the plane, and I practically
went into epilepsy throughout the entire flight to DC. My boyfriend tried to
talk soothingly to me, but no comfort was to be found. I somehow made it
alive, but when the time came to collect luggage, I was practically killing
people to get to my bags. After knocking several people over and out, I
retrieved my bag, dumped it out, and finally found solace and piece of mind
when my parched lips were coated with Cherry Chap Stick. I'm proud to say that
I am alive today despite that life-threatening experience, and always make
sure I have at least 1 Chap Stick in my pocket - and purse- at all times. Yes,
I am addict. Yes, all of my friends, coworkers, and family know it. And no, I
don't care.
Aryls J. is not ready yet.
I must confess I use both Chap Stick and Blistex - and I have no intention of quitting either one. I don't need or want any help from fellow sufferers; please don't plan any interventions for me. I know your intentions are good ... but I'm not ready to give up this vice just yet.
Colvin C. learned enabling behavior.
I am 43 years old today. I have been addicted to Chap Stick for most of those
years. I'm not sure how old I was, but I was no more than 4 or 5 when my
mother first put a tube of Chap Stick in my pocket and said "never go
anywhere without this, use it often and you will never have dry, cracked,
chapped lips". I have always done just as my mother advised. I have never
regretted it. I not only still proudly use my Chap Stick, but I now have 3
children of my own, all teenagers, and all addicted to Chap Stick. When I
die, I want the mortician to apply a generous amount of Chap Stick, to my
lips and put the remainder of the tube in my pocket to go with me, just like
my mother advised.
Remember, keep your lips soft, you never know when somebody might want a
kiss.
Steph E. tries (to no avail) to cover-up her addiction.
I tried to deny my addiction for a very long time, rationalizing that
since I used expensive, boutiquey lip balms, I was different. I dropped
a boyfriend when he objected to the scent of the Body Shop's Honey Stick.
I did it with friends, claiming it was only social balming, sharing a
stick with my roommate. Recently, I have been covering my Bath & Body
Works Cherry Lip Balm with Clinique Black Honey Gloss, hoping that I can
convince those who care about me that it's just lipstick. They see
through my pathetic ruse. Cold turkey won't work, as I just stage
midnight raids on the Vaseline jar. I don't think I can ever kick this
thing.
John D. says :-) We say :-(
Yes, I admit I have a problem. I have been faithfully using Bonne Bell's
LipSmacker for five years now. I have a collection of flavors, and currently
I have around twenty different lip balms. I get upset when one is missing,
or I see someone has borrowed one of my "lipjunks". The first time I
accidentally melted one in the dryer I cried. They really mean a lot to me.
I don't think I will do anything about my problem in the near future because
even though addiction can lead to bad things I haven't experienced any bad
side affects so far. My lips are nice and soft and always flavorful :-)
Nancy watches daytime TV instead of getting help.
My name is Nancy and I too am addicted to lip balm. It all started when I
was a child growing up in the cold, cold Northeast. There were times when my
lips would be so chapped that I would be raw all the way to my chin! I
didn't know my tongue could reach that far. Then, I discovered lip balm.
The relief was instantaneous! I didn't know I had an addiction until I was
watching the Oprah Winfrey show one day and Oprah said there were people who
were addicted to lip balm--what a revelation! I've tried to do without, but
I just can't do it--I'm thinking about it right now. I must end this
confession right now--got to go look for my chap stick!
Tamarleigh G. has a problem and no lip balm substitute is going to solve the problem. Don't put anything on your lips!
I just want to point out to lip balm addicts an important health issue.
If you must use lip balm at all, try to find one which is NOT
petroleum-based. Petroleum is about the worst thing you could put on
your lips. Try to find one which is beeswax or vegetable oil based. I
am not advocating the use of lip balm particularly, but switching to a
healthier alternative might be a first step on the road to recovery.
There are many yummy non-petroleum balms sold all over the place.
Check your local health food store or food co-op if you have trouble
finding one. Unpetroleum is one good brand. Good luck quitting!
I use it maybe once a day. I don't think I have a problem, but
perhaps I am just in denial as well!
Here is another idea. When trying to quit lip balm, many people experience
very dry lip problems. Pure Vitamin E oil, either in a bottle or from one
of the gelcap things it comes in, spread on lips really heals them, not
just creating a dependency, like the chemicals in Blistex, for instance.
Perhaps switching to straight Vitamin E for a week or two would eliminate
the need for lip balm altogether. If I put it on once a day, before bed
for instance, I never need lip balm at all. It is the best thing for your
skin. For extreme cases, I recommend taking it internally as well, up to
1600 IU per day. I am not a doctor and this is not trained medical advice,
just what has worked for me (standard disclaimer).
Lydia M. is stopping slowly.
Hello. I know I am addicted to lip balm! It all started when I was 5. My
mother sold Avon an would always get me free samples of flavored lip balm
(even flavors that never came out in catalogs!) Then I went on to Blistex
when I was 10....it worked at first but I needed more, adolescence made me
feel the need to have even softer lips like models on TV--I then found
Carmex! The cool tingly feeling was wonderful! Now I am 18..I use my
Carmex at least 5 times a day.....when I wake up, after meals, before bed.
I have gotten in trouble for "primping" in school because of it, my
fiance has gripped about how it tastes when we kiss and friends have
started making jokes, but what can I do? Carmex is great! It is the only
"makeup" I ever wear, I used to attempt to wear it as eyeshadow for the
perfect glistening look and it worked! I have cut back on that though....I
promise! What am I to do I am a user...but a user with VERY soft lips!
Thank you for listening!
Julia R. recycles balm pots.
How revealing. I never really knew how bad off I was. Like others, I
have my stashes and have been known to go rushing back into the house for my
favorite. This is a note for the Purdue folks: Burt's Beeswax Lip Balm is
natural and does the job beautifully without additives. They also
contribute to my addiction by having a recycling program for empty lip balm
tubes. Their address is: Burt's Bees, Inc., 308 W. Hillsboro St.,
Creedmoor, NC 27522. It's a Burt's moment frequently for me now that I'm
almost weaned from Carmex. My brother, another addict, once suggested using
earwax when you're in a pinch. I've not tried this act of desperation and
am not sure if I'd find enough to quench my desire. Thanks for the
revelation.
John S. uses despite knowing he's addicted!
I am addicted to Chap Stick. I carry my Chap Stick everywhere I go and when I
don't have it I become a nervous wreck. I came up
with the idea of Chap Stick on a rope, so that I could always have my
Chap Stick on me. I thought I would send "Chap Stick" some mail with
my idea in the hopes that the company would "buy" it. This way I would never
misplace my Chap Stick, because it would be worn with pride
around my neck. No more searching in pants pockets, vanities and other
secret hiding places.
While searching for the Chap Stick company I came across your page. I had to
chuckle to myself because it was me written all over
again. People just like me, ADDICTED! I can't stop or I guess I could, but
what the heck. Will it kill me any faster than my other bad
habits? Oh' by the way, in my opinion, I think that plain Chap Stick is far
better than any other of those pathetic lip balms. Carmex,
Blistex, and especially Bonne Bell are nasty to me. I think they taste bad.
Yes, I lick my lips and rub them together constantly so that I can apply a
fresh coat as soon as possible. I can't even go to
sleep after sex without getting up and putting more Chap Stick on. Maybe I
should put some next to the bed. Of course the cats will knock
it over and I'll have to get up anyway. Unless Chap Stick does come out with
my Chap Stick on a rope, then I could tie it around one of the
bed posts. I also could hang it around the rearview mirror in the car, but
it would probably melt it the summer, nothing like hot
Chap Stick smeared all over your face. Done it a million times.
Thank you for letting me run on about my addiction, I feel better knowing
there are other junkies out there besides me, as I reach
into my pocket for more Chap Stick.....But it isn't there, gotta go!!!
Ryan W. got his fiancee hooked!
My Carmex problem first started at an 8th grade church camp. Up until
then, I had used only occasionally. My parents would give me a hit here
and there to combat chapped lips, but I never really thought I would
become addicted. Until the ride home from the church camp: My lips were
so chapped they were bleeding, and, while the other kids were buying
candy and donuts, I spent my last dollar on a jar of Carmex. It was all
downhill after that. I actually have a note from an ex girlfriend that
says, "Love Always, Jen. P.S. -- LAY OFF THE CARMEX!!!!!" (this is true)
Currently I have two bottles in my car, (these are placed upright so
that, when the Carmex melts because of the summer heat, it won't seep
out the side of the cap - I have many times driven down the road with a
bottle of completely melted Carmex held in front of my car's air
conditioner to make it a little more solid), one in my coat pocket, one
on my dresser and one on the windowsill. (which is right above my bed,
of course!) There is also a bottle or two in the bathroom. I didn't plan
on having this much Carmex... I would just need a hit here, a hit there.
I'd be at my parent's house, and see a jar of Carmex on the counter.
After taking a hit, the jar would end up in my pocket. My mom would
replace the jar a few days later, and I would somehow manage to end up
with the new one, too.
My fiancee is now addicted, and uses constantly. "Ryan, can you hand me
the Carmex?" has now become a daily question in my life, right along
with "Good morning" and "I love you".
I don't want to quit... It's too much of a rush. Life without Carmex
would be hell. Kind of like cookies without milk. (Seen the
commercial??? I imagine a cupboard full of Carmex jars.... but.... ALL
EMPTY!! AAAAHH!!!)
Lisa M. opened her heart to LBA: Yes, it is bad, Lisa!
I never knew I had a problem, until the first day I surfed the net. The
first topic I ever looked up was "Lip Balm", of course. I wanted to know
where I could add to my collection of (this is absolutely true) 73 lip
balms, where to feed my addiction. And that's when I found LBA. At first
it amused me, then began to scare me.... I couldn't have a problem with
addiction, it was just a fun "hobby", right? ........ right? I took your
test, the results came up positive for Lip Balm Addiction. And I have
friends who, after coming to my house to check out this website, are coming
out of the closet as well.
I think the problem started when I was in pre-school, in my stocking at Christmas one year I found a little Tootsie Roll-flavoured stick from Santa. And later, the Easter bunny left two little Avon sticks, one raspberry and one mint, and the caps were shaped like the tops of cute little ice cream cones. (why do I remember this so vividly?) Later came Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, strawberry in fact. The Body Shop's strawberry and apricot and kiwi and cherry..... I can remember having all the flavours that they offered at the tender age of 12. Then Labello, and then "Kissing Potion" in bubble gum and cherry flavours, those that after the little rolling ball was popped out of the applicator would flow onto the lips like silk......... oh, those were the days. Now, 16, in high school, I have cultivated a wealth of product knowledge and a discriminating palate for lip balm. In fact, I have three palettes here at home, of different assortments of Natural Glow Lip Treats. Each has about 5-7 flavours on it, which was convenient for locker use........ and when me and my friends were tired of the same old same old we got into mixing. Banana-mango-cranberry-blackberry is my favourite. We even had a special expression for the effect we got when too much was applied at once (overdose) : DRIPPEN' (pronounced drih-pen).
I can't say that I have a Carmex or Chap Stick problem, because they sting my
lips and don't give me any taste satisfaction. In fact I don't have a
problem with any one kind of lip balm in particular. If I see that a lip
balm is almost gone, I stop using it as frequently - I can't bear to throw
out an empty pot. Don't get me wrong, I don't have balm from 1982 or
anything like that, but I like seeing my big basket of gloss and necklaces
and balm and sticks and palettes and pots and dabbers and roll-ons and tins
and tubs and tubes - and want to keep it that way. And believe me, I have it
all. If I'm in a store and I see a lip balm flavour or brand I don't have,
I buy it. Name any flavour, I've got it: apple-melon, orange, mango whip,
raisin, cranberry, plum, candy apple, chocolate, honey, blueberry, lemon,
everything. In every format, with sunscreen, medicated, aloe vera, vitamin
E. I don't know if I'm a lip balm addict or not, maybe it's some sort of an
Imelda Marcos thing......? For me, Lip Balm is just a fun, delicious,
carefree indulgence - but....... I have at least two lip balms in every coat
pocket, one for colour, one medicated for if my lips get chapped, and one
for taste. Last season when I got out my spring jacket and found a couple
pots I had thought I lost, I got this wonderful high. Is that bad? I also
make sure I wear pockets to pop in a lip balm, and I always check to make
sure I have some before I leave the house. Even if I'm going next door for
ten minutes, I have to have it. Is that bad? I keep some on my bedside
table and put it on before bed. There's some in every purse I own. My
pencil case has four. In my bathroom, by the computer, in the kitchen, in
the car, in the pool house. When I find I have none within reach or have
forgotten it, I get really cranky and it ruins my day. I start to lick my
lips, and just have a nagging feeling that they will get chapped and dry and
sore. I borrow from friends if this happens, and being addicts (?)
themselves they sympathize and immediately offer me their personal supplies.
They understand. We, in essence, are both our own support group, and
"balming buddies". Is that bad? I get very depressed when my mom calls me
into the laundry room with a scowl on her face, and shows me a load of wash
with lip balm stains all over the clothes..... oops, forgot to take it out
of my pocket again. But I don't feel sad that the clothing must be washed
all over again, or that my mom is mad at me, I feel devastated that I just
lost a very dear friend to the effects of heat. My lip balm. I actually
develop pseudo-relationships with them, example: Before I left for a trip
to France I bought a jar of Soapberry Shop's Mango Whip in the airport to
ensure I had enough for the flight. The smell of that Mango Whip never
fails to conjure up images of that trip, I'm serious...... Is that bad? My
friends and I all share the same characteristics in our "using", but I am
the one with the most balm. This is a title I am proud of, Lip Balm Queen.
When I was younger a friend and I would make our own lip gloss, mixing white
petroleum jelly, a little food colour, honey and extracts (lemon, mint,
vanilla, cherry etc.) but I never really liked the finished product. Last
week I decided to better my formula. Here's my recipe, take note:
- dab of honey
- little bit of beeswax (buy in sheets from craft store or take from a
candle)
- "little bit more" of cocoa butter
- spoon or two of white petroleum jelly
Melt all together in a small double boiler or do what I did: form a makeshift cup out of heavy duty aluminum foil, place ingredients in it, and hold with tongs in a pot of boiling water until melted and combined. Then pour into a clean lip balm pot - I recommend a Body Shop "emptie". Variations on this recipe: Add a stub of lipstick for colour.
I hope you won't censor this letter, accusing me of worsening others' addiction problems by sharing my recipes instead of sharing only my story. I feel for those suffering silently, wherever they may be, stranded without lip balm for minutes, hours, days, whatever. I am sorry for those who have lost a loved one, be it vanilla, cherry, SPF 22 or passion fruit. I have pity for those who realize they loved not a person, but the taste that lingered on their lips after a kiss........ to you, you have my empathy. At the tender age of 16, I am already a veteran, but I must implore, to you, my new LBA friends, on my knees and tears rolling down my face............. IS THAT SO BAD?!?
L. Lau writes about his daughter, a nine year-old Carmex Addict.
My daughter (age 9) has a lip balm addiction!!! She will go as far as get back
out of bed in the middle of the night to find her lip balm (Carmex) and take it back
to bed with her. I don't mind this in the winter, but she even uses it in the
middle of the summer!!! It drives me CRAZY!!! If she can't find the lip balm, then she
wants me to immediately go to the store and buy her some more. One time I went to the
store, and bought six jars of Carmex and distributed them throughout the house and
the car...in order to help her not get chapped lips in the winter time...but a
nine year old is not responsible, and I found myself going back to the store within a
month because all six jars were missing, and my daughter was freaking! I am
telling you...that stuff is addicting!!! I have jokingly said to her in her "fits" without Carmex... "Oh, are you going to go into withdrawals?" which of course I have gotten dirty looks from her--but now I realize, after reading all the testimonials...my daughter does seriously have an addiction to this stuff. I have told her doctor, and he said that she has a "nervous disorder" because she licks her lips constantly...but I am afraid
that she is going to scar her face if she don't use Carmex in the winter, and I am
afraid that when she becomes a teen, she will have a LOT of zits around he mouth because
of her addiction.......I am serious.......she needs help........how can I help her
(my poor nine year old baby) stop this serious addiction to the stuff. Tons of jars,
in the car, around the house...in her BED AT NIGHT WITH HER.... even in the
bathroom! If we go for a ride in the car, and she can't find her Carmex, she FREAKS out!!! I read those testimonies, and realize that Carmex is the hardcore LBA's Balm...she
never even went through Bonnie Bell, or Chap Stick..... One time I bought her
"Pocahontas" lip balm, but that had a rosy color to it.....and I noticed for several days
that my daughter looked like a clown....it's not just on her lips that she puts the
stuff, it's even on the skin AROUND her lips...all the way under her nose, way down
to her chin..... a gloss over her face like she just ate a glazed doughnut..... I
truly don't know how to get her to stop, and it is troubling me. I have even went as far as putting dishwashing soap on my daughter's lips to get her to quit...at one point she had even asked me to do that. She was truly proud when she had went three days without her Carmex! But, the addiction came back. I have told her that hot sauce would probably work, but I haven't ventured to use this method yet. She don't see the problem she is having.
She is sleeping at the moment, I just went to check on
her...there amidst her Polly Pockets, and Barbie's was a Carmex...and as I closed her
window...tucked in her little hand, under her cheek was a Carmex jar...... PLEASE
help!!! This is SERIOUS stuff!!!
Darren H. is a teen-addict.
Hello! My name is Darren H. and I honestly thought that I was the only chap
stick addict around. I have never met anyone in my life with the problem that
I have. I typed in "lip balm" on Net Search and I found you guys. The LBA
program sounds good. I have been addicted to Chap Sticks, Vaselines, etc.
since I was 10 years old. I am 18 now and the addiction has grown worse
especially in the last 4 years(all of high school). I would sit there in class
and apply at least 50 times a period. I wouldn't realize what I was doing,
until someone would say "Wow, how much of that stuff do you use". Once I
become aware I what I am doing, I try to stop but can't. I take Chap Stick
with me every where. I keep them in the car. I can relate to all of the
people who have responded to the LBA. I can't go anywhere with out my Chap
Stick. Most of the time I keep the Chap Stick in my pockets, but what do you
do when you want to go on an 8 mile distance run and your shorts don't have
pockets? Well, I run with a pouch around my waste and take the Chap Stick out
during the run when I have that urge that you need moist lips. I think being
a Chap Stick addict has effected my love life. One girl friend always wiped
off my lips before she kissed me. I sometime over-douse the stuff, not a
pleasant sight. Guys out there, make sure you wipe your lips before you kiss
her, because you don't want to slide off. Anyway, I really need help. I am
glad that you have this program, for we all share a common bond here. Please
write me back so I can go on with my life, i.e. kissing.
Since I heard of LBA and realized that I was not
alone, I have now found some commonality with LBA and its members and am
trying my hardest to wean my- self of the junk. Yesterday I only used it 5
times. It was not easy, but I am trying, because it is now or never. I used
the stuff all though out the time I was growing up, and I will be attending
college in 2 weeks and don't want to carry the habit there. This is a perfect
time to quit.
Maria M. tells us of her lowest point!
My friend introduced me to a new Blistex. It came in a tube that you
squeezed, you know, the fancy kind with the pointed applicator, and
promised an "advanced moisture system." Well, when we applied it we had
to stop what we were doing to enjoy our lips. We could feel those little
moisture capsules exploding on our lips, coating them with moisture. We
just sat there for a few minutes, with our lips parted, saying nothing
except the occasional, "ahhhhh." The stuff was futuristic and amazing.
Unfortunately we were using so much that the first "high" wasn't as
spectacular anymore. But I found a way. I started using The Body Shop's
Lip Scuff before the Blistex. Removing all of the near-dead skin from my
lips and revealing new and sensitive lips made the high more intense. My
friend cried when I put the Lip Scuff on him, telling me his lips were too
sensitive to begin with! Yet he didn't mind the pain once he applied the
Blistex. Then we soon found out that drinking very cold water after our
ritual added an icy kick. This was two years ago and I don't know if they
sell this Blistex anymore, but if you hear anyone talking about how good
their Blistex is "because of the 'moisture'" then you better stay away.
Elisabeth E. writes from Sweden.
I have always been happy that my addiction is lip balm, and not drugs or
overconsumption of sex or food, for example. I think lip balm must be one of
the most "kind" addictions that exists. But nevertheless, I very much would
like not to be addicted. I've been using lip balm very frequently for years
now, and one of the most stressing situations I know is when I have forgotten
my lip balm at home, with no possibility to buy a new one. And I don't like
that I might give a nervous impression when I have to put on the lip balm all
the time.
Jenny S. should have learned that lip balm is bad.
I have to say, I blame my sister for my lip balm addiction. It was she,
when I was just a tiny tot, who would smear Vaseline on my chapped lips
for me. It made me gag, but boy, could it moisturize! As the years
have gone by, I know I can always count on an abundance of special and
unusual lip balms whenever my sister is around. Usually they are
procured from health food shops, and are either made from cocoa butter
(oh God, the chocolate smell!) or almond oil - they are virtually
irresistible. Don't get me started on the Burt's Bees lip balm - it is
soooooo smoooooth.......
Gotta go - I think I have a tube of Chap Stick Ultra SPF 30 calling my
name. By the way, one of the funniest lip balm moments I have ever
experienced occurred in a former coworker's car. It was a hot summer
day, and as she blithely popped the top off of the tube, a splash of
liquefied goo ruined her new outfit. I learned an important lesson that
day.
Laura can quit if she wants to!
Hi, my name is Laura and I know I have a problem with lip balm. I just
can't believe I'm not the only one. I always suspected that I wasn't normal
in my constant use of lip-lubricating products, but lately I've begun to
wonder if it will affect my health and happiness if I don't get a grip.
Just recently, my boyfriend confessed that he hates the feel and taste of
my lip balm and told me that I don't need to be constantly applying it just
for his sake. Other lip balm junkies will laugh as hard as I did for they
know that this is a purely selfish habit.
But after I stopped laughing, he told me that my lips have probably lost
the ability to produce moisture on their own...I guess I'll be hooked for
life, now. I go totally mental if my lips are even slightly dry and I have
no lip balm or hope of getting any. A couple of times after waking up in a
strange bed I've stumbled dehydrated and disoriented (having lost my
lip-balm in a bar or under some loser's bed) into the bathroom and rifled
desperately through a stranger's medicine cabinet for something, anything
to relieve my anxiety about my lips. I've resorted to skin cream, ozonol,
and even deodorant. Truly sad.
Although I recall being pretty into Bonne Bell Lip Smackers as a pre-teen
(mostly watermelon and chocolate),I'm not picky about what I use, but right
now, I'm pretty into Bonne Bell lip tints in Black Cherry.
We think Cheryl K. really wants to stop!
I feel like I've come home at last. Reading the testimonials at the LBA
web site was like finding family that I never knew I had. It was
enlightening to realize there are many others out there with my same
obsessive behavior regarding lip balms.
My addiction started innocently enough in the seventh grade. There was
a "shiny lip" fad going round. Most of the girls I knew used Vaseline
to make their lips shiny. There were other, fancy sweet-smelling and
tasting products that we used at the time, too, but Vaseline was the one
I used most. After the shiny lip fad died down, I tried to stop using
Vaseline on my lips and found they were soon red, dry and burning. I
switched to the less visible forms of lip comfort, Chap Stick quickly
becoming my favorite.
I found I don't like wearing lipstick because it comes between me and my
Chap Stick. Over the years, my obsession has grown. I'm 40 years old
now and have given up the pretty and frivolous for the functional. No
more sweet smelling and tasting lip lotions and potions for me! Give me
good old sturdy, dependable Chap Stick. I'm way too serious about my lip
balm needs to go for anything else.
I have a Chap Stick everywhere I could possibly be. I keep a tube at my
sister's house, my mother's house, by my bedside, in the car, in my
computer desk, in the kitchen drawer, in the pretty jar on the living
room coffee table, and on and on. I never let any of the tubes get
empty without having several replacements on standby, because that
panics me.
I had read this web site a few days ago and gave it a laugh, thinking it
was kind of cute in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. I guess that's what
you'd call denial, because the reality of my lip balm addiction became
apparent when I was cooking supper last evening.
OK . . . now for the ultimate confession . . . It had been almost a
half hour since I'd used Chap Stick. I was fixing a simple supper,
grilled cheese, fries and salad. As I sliced off a piece of margarine
to grill the cheese sandwiches, my lips yearned for the creamy feeling
of that margarine smeared across them. I impulsively dabbed a bit of
margarine onto the tip of my finger and applied it to my lips. Ahhh!!
Relief . . . turning to horror as I realized what I'd just done!
I feel really hopeless about every giving lip balm up. I read some of
the scoffing remarks of the nay-sayers who think this web site is some
sort of exaggerated joke. Admittedly, there are worse addictions, but
this can be darned inconvenient and expensive after a while. I actually
get panicky if I can't get Chap Stick on my lips when I need it.
I've even tried getting my son, niece and nephew hooked on Chap Stick,
buying it for them and encouraging them to use it constantly. None of
the three have succumbed, but I didn't manage to get my brother-in-law
addicted, come to think of it. He's outdoors a lot - a plumber - and
always had chapped lips. I started giving him a tube of Chap Stick every
time I saw him. Now I notice he's always applying it.
Well, this has turned into quite a saga, but I wanted to share my
experiences with you. Thanks for letting me vent!
Giles B. recognizes the problem... but needs to act!
A few years ago I had a girlfriend who, I now see, was addicted to Body Shop
lip balm, in particular the apricot variety. She went mad if she ever ran out - sometimes I had to make special trips into the center of town to buy emergency supplies. She probably had 4 or 5 lip-balms on the go at any given time, stashed all round the house.
Personally, I have a mild thing for original Chap Stick. About 2 hits a day. I can handle it! Honest...
Jessica G. finds balm at gas stations.
Ironically this evening before I read your site, I pulled into the first
gas station on my way to a friend's solely for the reason of procuring
a lip emollient of any kind. "Where's your Chap Stick?" (which is not my
fave, but I use it in an all encompassing manner) I barked at the clerk.
He offered to get it for me, but I wouldn't have any of that. "I need to
choose." Well, there wasn't too much selection just a few dusty tubes of
faux Chap Stick and a lovely hanging card of tubed Carmex which I
promptly grabbed, paid for and ran to my car to smear the lovely goop on
my parched lips.( Has the phallic design of these lip balm tubes been
discussed?) I can't recall my exact age of initiation into the dark cult
of lip balm, but I do remember being enthralled in middle school with
the Village tins of lip balm (cherry and peppermint) which slid open to
reveal a thin through of balm. Even better was the large tins which
encased two lines of different flavors. Then it was the Kissing Slicks
with their syrupy goo, then glosses with a sponge applicator which my
classmates and I would pass around like a joint in class. My most
coveted product was a roll-on gloss similar to Kissing Slicks with a
Baskin Robbins label...my best friend acquired one on vacation much to
my chagrin. Now as a adult I find myself a complete lip balm slut,
brands don't matter as a much as the need for non-chapped lips. Ok,
Carmex is my favorite (its the Alum which dries your lips up, prolonging
that vicious cycle), but yet I sit here with a pot of Body Shop kiwi lip
balm, smearing it on my kisser. God knows how many tubes and pots reside
in my pockets and purse. I wear lipstick, but it just doesn't provide
the same effect when I am having a lip balm seizure. Many a night has
been ruined from lack of balm. Like a junkie I beg friends and
strangers, "have balm?" When I apply the products I go into another
state--unaware and satiated. It is not unusual for me to arrive home
looking like Diane Lane in "Wild at Heart" with a tinted balm covering a
large portion of my face. I have attempted to quit after a concerned
friend cornered me with my problems, but it is not the right time. I
mean its winter, its windy and cold and I think I need to go because
that Kiwi smelllllllllllllll...............
Richard R. needs encouragement to start his recovery. Go for it, Richard!
I'm an addict too.
Thank you for your web site. I had no idea until tonight that I was an
addict and that there are so many of us out there. I know I'm hooked but
don't have the courage to start a recovery plan. I have a tube of lip balm in
every coat pocket and keep Vaseline in 4 or 5 locations through out the
house. I can't be far from a fix!!! I've printed your 12 steps and will
read and reread the testimonies.
If you answer yes to any one question, you may have a problem, Jennifer H.
I have always considered my self a "functional" lip balm addict. Though
I have used Blistex for 15 years, and more recently Softlips, on a more
than regular basis, it has never caused problems (other than friends
making jokes about my keeping these companies in business). I MUST have
lip balm...however, I have never gone to any extremes to get it. I took
your self evaluation for fun, and found that I answered YES to very few
items. So I guess that it has not gotten out of hand yet. LBA experts
would say that I am in denial...that's ok. At least my lips look and
feel soft and no one is hurt in the process.
Kelly K. got her child hooked, but is seeking help!
Hi, my name is Kelly and I am a Lip Balm addict. My lip balm of choice is
Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. I have close to 30 of them. I thought it was just
a phase when I started buying them when I was in 4th grade - I am 30 years
old now. I had the jumbo size ones that they don't sell anymore, and some
had a string on them to wear around your neck so you would never lose them.
I have using dreams about those jumbo Bonne Bells. My favorite kind is pina
colada, followed closely by blueberry. Although Bonne Belles are my LB of
choice, I need to admit that I am powerless over all lip balms, including
lip stick. I am a lip stick junkie. I have literally close to 100
lipsticks. When I am depressed, I run to the mall for a fix. When asked
what I want for Christmas or my Birthday, I ask for lipstick or Bonne Belles.
Now I must tell you the worst part. I know addiction is a disease, often
hereditary. I have a 3 year old son, Max, who is also an addict. I feel so
guilty. He has a little Lancome bag that he has all of his "lips" in, (as he calls
them). He likes rootbeer and bubble gum. My god, he couldn't have bought it
for himself. He has no income, he can't drive, and even if he could get to a
store on his own, he isn't tall enough to see the cashier. I am totally
enabling him in his addiction. This addiction has caused problems with my
husband. He gets mad at me because when we get our charge statements, there
are Lancome, Origins, Estee Lauder, etc. (you name it) charges all over and
they are ALL from lipsticks. It's easy to hide my Bonne Bell purchases
because they are cheap and I pay cash. I know I am somewhat in denial of my
disease. My best friend has a lot of lip balms, and her life isn't
unmanageable. I don't know what to do. I need at least to get a sponsor,
but I will be stuck on the first step for awhile, due to my denial, although
I can clearly see my addiction has made my life unmanageable. Thank you for
letting me share.
Days later, Kelly sent us an update.
Hi, this is Kelly, and I am addicted to Lip Balms. I have a confession to
make. Right after I sent in my testimony the other day, admitting that I am
powerless over lip balms, I immediately logged into Bonne Bell where I sent
them 6 new flavor suggestions. Am I somewhat in denial? I go back and forth
thinking I have accepted the 1st step, but apparently I haven't. I have
asked my higher power for the WILLINGNESS to accept my powerlessness. I
guess that is all I can do for now. I know they say "One Day At A Time" but
with me, these past few days, it has been one minute at a time. My lips feel
dry and peeley, and I need something. I was thinking of putting good old
Vaseline on my lips, but wasn't sure if that was a relapse. I am trying to
keep it simple, but I literally crave my pina colada Bonne Bell. My 3 year
old keeps tempting me - "Mommy, want some lips" he says while holding an open
container in my face. "No thank you" I say, and he looks at me as if I am a
lunatic. We have always used
together and I think he is annoyed because my not using is making him look at
HIMself and HIS using, and no one ever wants to use alone. Thanks for
letting me share. I feel much better now.
Kathrine R. knows the source of her addiction!
For a while now, I have had a nagging suspicion that I am addicted to Lip
Balm.
It wasn't until I found myself at your web page that I realized what I had
suspected was true.
I have an undeniable need to use Lip Balm. I can't walk out of the house
without at least five kinds of Lip Balm. It is so bad that I can't even stick
to one brand, I have to have one of each. Sometimes, if I'm running short on
Lip Balm because my washer has eaten them, I will walk out of the house
WITHOUT
LIP BALM! This results in my constant nagging of fellow friends, even
strangers
for Lip Balm. I will be so desperate to use Lip Balm I won't even be safe
about
using other people's balm! I have also been known to mix products! My problem
is getting out of hand!
Unfortunately, I know what I must do, but I can't bring myself to quit. I
NEED
LIP BALM! The roots of my need goes back to my childhood. My mother always
told
me never to lick my lips. Of course, being a child, I deliberately disobeyed
and the habit stuck. Because of the incessant lip licking, my lips get
extremely chapped. Thus, the addiction to Lip Balm. Also, I am a clarinetist
and the constant playing can sap all water from my lips. I don't know what I
can do! How can I continue a normal, healthy life as a clarinetist without
chapped lips and Lip Balm? I have tried the technique of just ignoring the
pain
and dry lips, but it affects my playing! Please Help!
Brad R. found hope here!
Hello. My name is Brad, and I'm a Lip Balm addict. I first started by using
the
Vaseline intensive care for chapped lips. From there it didn't take long.
Carmex
is now my poison. At times I find it difficult to go without my Carmex for
more than
15 minutes. I found out about this site from a friend after I mentioned to
him that I
can't stand going without my Carmex. I realize now that there are many more
people just like me who can't go without their fix. In the morning, during
school,
in my car, at work, after meals, before I go to bed, it doesn't matter I need
my
Carmex. Sometimes I even awake in the night to use my Carmex. I can't get
away
from it. I have two tubes and a can in my car, the same in my locker, a tube
by my
bed, and I never go anywhere without a tube in my pocket. Knowing that you
are
here makes me feel much better about my problem. Maybe now I can start to
deal with my problem now. Thanks a lot.
Mindy C.'s addiction causes problems at with friends and lovers!
I have been using every kind of lip balm since.....Well I don't know.
Since I can remember. But I don't think I want to quit. I like it too
much. I carry it everywhere. If I don't have it I ask even
strangers(which isn't healthy) if they have any I can borrow. At the
current time I have about 8 tubes. One for each jacket, my backpack, my
pants, my purse, and my car. It is out of control. Well I don't think
I can quit but I will try to cut down. Believe it or not when I'm
intimate
with my boyfriend I will stop everything to go find some Chap Stick. In
the middle of the night I will turn on every light wake all my roommates
up until I find some.
Anonymous has drug smuggling techniques
As far as the gateway effect, you might be interested in a little trick
I learned of (haven't tried it myself): Apparently, a fresh jar of
Carmex makes a perfect cocaine dispenser--dig a hole in the Carmex
itself, pour in an amount of cocaine, smooth over the top, put it on a
radiator for a couple of minutes, then mush it around some. You can
apply the cocaine-infused Carmex to your lips and supposedly this works
pretty well, as well as being almost 100% detection-proof.
I guess your lips would get pretty numb, though, which wouldn't feel too
great.
One of my own principal balm addictions is something I picked up in
Germany called Almisan. White tube, blue lettering, neutral translucent
substance. Very lanolin-y tasting. The interesting thing is that when
you twist the knob on the end to raise the product, the entire column of
balm turns with it! The secret is that unlike Chap Stick, the screw
post doesn't drive the soft balm directly, but the plastic base of the
column. This also makes the action much more reliable in hot weather,
when Chap Sticks sometimes fail, the screw-shaft losing purchase on the
softened product.
Emma S. is not alone
I am a Swedish girl who really have a problem with lip balm. I use it
every day, several times every hour. My friends tell me that I am using
too much lip balm (mostly Lypsyl and Labello). I have been using
lip balm all my life, but the last two or three years have really been
terrible. I have to apply lip balm not only one, but three or four times
every time I eat, when I am going to bed, at school...Well I guess you
understand if you too have a problem. I thought that I was the only
person on earth with this problem. I suppose I am not. I was really
happy to find your page, I feel a kind of relived. I hope to stop using
lip balm.
Sweden's Roger H. is starting his recovery!
When I was eight or nine years old, my lips would dry out in the Wintertime
(I live in northern Sweden). So, I bought a stick of Sweden's most
common brand (Lypsyl) and started using it. I remember, very vividly,
standing
on top of a hill with skis strapped on, applying lip balm in the bleak
winter sunlight.
Some years later I was confined to a hospital for a stomach problem, and
I remember calling a nurse (possibly at night) and urging her into
fetching me some. She must have been shocked by my desire, because I
really needed it. Then, just recently I had to do military service and
wherever I was, lying in a muddy pit with an AK5, sleeping in a stinking
tent with 15 other guys, etc. I just HAD to bring my balm! It was simply
the most important thing: Where is my lip balm? Ahh...
So now, after reading these pages, I will try to stop. I haven't used it
as long as I've been here, for a start.
Chris is into recovery and exposing the balm makers!
My name is Chris and I'm a Lip Balm Addict!!!
I am writing to let everyone know about some new threats to our recovery.
There is a brand that I did not notice on the LBA page. It is Natural Glow.
Natural Glow makes lip balms in two different pots. One container is round
and small with a twist-off lid like Carmex, and another is a large, oval
metal tin with lift-off lid. The twist-off variety lip balm pots come in
dangerously attractive aromas like Clear Blackberry and Clear Tropical Fruit.
The Lip Treats in tins with the lift-off lids have such flavors as Coconut
and Watermelon. Natural Glow also makes a roll-on lip gloss, and automatic
lip gloss with a wand applicator, a matte lipstick, and stick gloss (among
others), all in tantalizing flavors and colors. It used to be pretty easy to
lose the sticks, or leave them in the car so they would melt. Then I
discovered the pots of 'lip shit,' (that's what I call the finger-dip-in
stuff) which, even if they melt in the car or beach bag, only become easier
to shmeeeear on my face. In fact, I think there is something especially nice about applying WARM lip balm! The roll-on and wand applicator lip glosses are effectively
impervious to heat AND cold!
Another company that has made my recovery especially difficult is Bonne
Belle. A lip balm stick with a special lid is made to be hung from a
necklace that they provide. How can I stay away from my lip balm if it is
always hanging around? Actually, I don't even need a special lid to carry my
balm around my neck; I have a special lip balm holder (made by Super Coil)
that is made to carry any stick gloss the size of a Chap Stick. It also holds
my keys! I would like to share the info on the back of the package: "The Lip
Balm Holder on a break away neck lanyard also holds a set of keys. Whether
you live in a warm or cold climate, the elements take their toll. Everyone
can better brave the elements with their keys and lip balm conveniently at
their fingertips."
Shirley H. is on the road to recovery!
I never knew something so easy to use would be so addictive. I thought
there were laws preventing such things from happening. I guess I was
wrong. About a year ago I realized my addiction. I reached into my pocket
where my lip balm is kept, but it wasn't there. I checked my other
pockets, my bag, the floor around me, but it was no where to be found. I
had left my 4 reserve tubes at home (after cleaning out my bag). I was so
desperate. I ended up asking people around me, some of whom I didn't
know, for some. Some people gave me strange looks, but others just shook
their heads. I eventually found some, and although it wasn't my
favourite brand, I had found great satisfaction. Now I am happy to say
that since that day I've been cutting back on my use, and my cravings
aren't as bad. I want to thank my family and friends for helping me
through such hard times. They were very understanding. And, for all of
those people out there...you too can overcome the addiction.
Eric M. has gender issues
I know this sounds kind of strange, but I eat lip balm. I love the taste
and the texture. My favorite flavor is The Body Shop's Honey Stick.
People are like, a guy wearing lip balm? He must be gay! But I'm not!
Lip balm is addictive. I answered those forty questions, and over twenty
of them were yes! Oh, poor me. I wear lip gloss too. I love the feeling.
Sometimes I wish I were born a girl. They can wear lip gloss without
feeling like they shouldn't. It's sexist against guys! Please help me. I
have a problem and I'm not afraid to admit it. I AM addicted to lip
gloss.
Mike T. now needs the doctor again!
When I was sixteen my doctor gave me a prescription for a medication
that makes your skin less oily. He warned me that while I was using it
my lips might become extremely dry. After being on the medication for a
couple of days, I went out and bought a tube of cherry Chap Stick. My
lips became very dry, and I started to apply the Chap Stick constantly.
My friends began telling me I looked like I was wearing lip stick.
Still I could not stop putting it over using
it. I was determined to stick to a flavored
lip balm. I discovered the berry Blistex tubes at the supermarket.
Instantly, I noticed the tingle as I rubbed it on my needing lips. I
was hooked.
I have been off the medication for a year and a half now, but I am
no where near being off my Blistex. I smear it on at least once every
hour. On average I run through about one tube every three days. At
night, before bed, I cake it on with a little Carmex, too. My sweet
smelling lip balm is placed by the side of my bed because I know I will
wake up multiple times during the night to coat on some more.
Last night at a concert my tube ran out. Man, I wish they had
meters on them to show if the were almost empty! Anyway, I couldn't
stop licking my lips. The whole concert was ruined because all I could
think about was getting more Blistex. My lips actually hurt without it!
It was then I realized I had a serious problem, but I know I'll probably
never stop using.
Weird testimony from Sibbo (his brain is obviously fried)
i am addicted. so? JOY IN THE GUTTER!!! JOY IN THE GUTTER!!!
HAHAHAH!!!!
i love carmex and when i was little i ate bubble gum lip smaker RIGHT
OUT OF THE TUBE!!HAHAHAHAHA!!! i think i have some vanilla downstairs.
oh yeah
Rachael writes:
I am here to thank you for acknowledging a problem that I think others are
trying hard to cover up. That problem is lip balm addiction. I myself
became a lip balm addict about two years ago. I never used to worry much
about my lips, but I noticed that my best friend had started carrying lip
balm around with her. She always stuck it in her little pocket (the 5th
pocket in jeans) and pulled it out several times a day. I started noticing
it and though it looked like a good idea, so I went a got myself some. It
all started with Bonne Bell Lip Smackers in Vanilla. Now I am a truly crazed
Lip Smackers fan. I try to own as many different flavors as I can at a time.
Right now I have Red Raspberry, Starfruit, Strawberry Banana, Passion Fruit,
Pina Colada, Watermelon, Vanilla, Chocolate, Peach, Cherry, Pink Lemonade,
Kiwi, and Mango. They keep coming out with new gimmicks to keep my (and the
other consumers) buying. Their newest trick is to sell only certain flavors
in packs of three. To get a peach Lip Smacker, I am also required to buy two
flavors I don't really want, Pink Lemonade and Cherry. This is a plot to
make us spend more $$$. But we do buy them because we must. The idea of
never owning and truly enjoying the taste of that fresh peach balm across our
lips is too much to handle. So we cave in. The same thing is true for
several flavors other than peach. I just hope that the lip balm industry
never realizes the link between their tubes of balm and the handiness of that
5th pocket in jeans or they might start cross-promoting and getting money
from Lee, Levi's, the Gap, Bongo, etc. to show their handy fifth pocket as the
coolest way to carry lip balm. And the addictive cycle will continue
forever...
Heidi B. needs to break free from her addicted friends!
My problem started when I was just 12 years old and esculated rapidly
during my visit to the USA 2 years ago(I'm Australian). While there I
discovered the heaven that is Passionfruit Lip Smacker. Since that
fateful day, my dependency has become ridiculosly huge. I have every known
brand of Lip Smacker and carry at least 2 with me at ALL times. I am
fastidious about applying and the thought of dry lips makes me shiver in
contempt. Worse of all, I carried my addiction back with me to
Australia,where it has affected people far and wide. My of my friends now
are habitual users and I dont know what to do!
Akimi shows balm leads to the "hard stuff."
I had heard about this page on the local radio station and had found it
humorous that there is a whole website devoted to this addiction I have
always known I've had. However, now that I have read the others' bouts with
LBA, I am frightened that I may be worse off than my fellow addicts.
I cannot even remember when I started, I just know that I was "using" way
before the other kids around me (me and Drew Barrymore, both). And I have
never stopped! I didn't go for the Chap Stick, either. It just didn't
"seal" as well as the other, "glossier" products. So, for me, it was
Vaseline early on, but I'm not talking about Vaseline Lip Therapy...I'm
talking about using Vaseline straight out of the container. Yeah, pure
petroleum jelly in a jar!!! Fortunately for me, they have come out with the
more compact tubes of Lip Therapy for when I am on-the-go, but I keep that
master jar at home and use from it every chance I get. I brush my teeth,
then I brush my lips so I can get a smoooooth Vaseline application. I wear
it alone, I layer it under and on top of lipstick...
And lately, my addiction has taken a more horrific turn: I am approaching 25
and just recently read an interview with Jennifer Aniston in which she
revealed she dabs Vaseline on her eyelashes before bed to prevent wrinkles
from forming while she sleeps. So, you can only imagine what I have been
doing lately. When will this insanity cease?!?!?
Jennifer F. is on the right track!
I thought it was cool and fashionable. So I put it on my mouth. Now it
gives me a headache, and it makes me hungry. Torture! I need support. I
almost don't want to give up the lip balm. But alas, I know I need to
learn to use lip balm responsibly...
Joseph T.Penned this little ditty:
Lip Gloss Junkie
She was a lip gloss junkie,
Some of that shit she put on her lips was funky,
We're not just talking Chap Stick,
No not this chick,
Sauerkraut flavored lip balm,
Or anything else she could get her hands on,
Five layers thick,
It just dripped off her lip,
She used so much it gave her a cold sore,
But still she used more and more,
She was a lip gloss addict,
She would have convulsions if she didn't have it,
She used so much she got cancer of the lip,
Man I told her to lay off that shit!,
Now both lips are gone,
And her lip balm days are done,
Well I guess it's her loss,
She should of laid off the lip gloss-
Barbara C. knows about the Industry of Addiction!
It was with great relief indeed that I found your organization. I
have been an addict for the last eight years. (I call lip balm "stick"
and, like many others, have "desk stick", "car stick", "purse stick",
"bedside stick", "coat pocket stick", etc.).
What really makes me angry is an article I read about two months ago
in Glamour Magazine. In it, the article supposedly exposed beauty
myths, one of which they claimed was the "myth" that lip balm is
addictive! I want to warn everyone out there that magazines like this
are obviously subsidized by the lip balm lobbyists to keep addicts like
us in denial. In fact, I have heard rumors among other addicts that
they believe that the lip balm PACs are getting stronger balms on the
marketplace by bribing FDA officials.
This has got to stop! I urge everyone to write their members of
congress to demand the outlaw of subliminal lip balm advertising and a
complete and exhaustive investigation into its manufacture and passage
through regulatory agencies.
Mike J. has problems staying on the wagon, but he's trying!
It's been a rough year. I stumbled, I fell, I couldn't get up. Thank Rao
for the little electric thingy I wear. I admit it. I backslid. But it
wasn't my fault! See, I'd just gotten married and was honeymooning out
west. It was June, we were in the desert southwest. We'd already been
through Texas and were well into New Mexico when my lips dried out. Not
just dry, mind you, but the kind of dry were little peels of skin were
coming loose and, like a maddened dog chewing at an injured limb I was
peeling it off with my front teeth. More salt, more pain. It was
driving me wild. Grabbing the wheel of our car from my wife's hands I
slowed us into the last remaining spot at a Shell station and sprinted
for the door. With a wild look in my eyes and my lips pulling back in a
feral growl I lunged for the Blistex, mint flavoured with an SPF factor.
I didn't even wait to pay for it, I cracked it open and spread it on
with an abandon rivaled only by liquor starved Englishmen in the desert
upon seeing a pub.
Glorious, glorious relief!! I handed the attendantron a fiver and left
the change. I kept that little tube of relief with me for weeks,
slatherring at need. It wasn't until we had returned to the righteously
humid midwest that my lips began to rehydrate and I began my
recovery...again. After many weeks of withdrawal I was once again balm
free. My doctor has stated that I must remain in places with at least
80% humidity and clouds. *sigh* Never again will I be allowed to see the
sun blasted hills and mountains of Arizona and New Mexico.
The east is not free of need either. The temperature is now in the
single digits and the wind chill is 20 below. I feel my lips
drying....god help me!!!!
Wintech writes:
A few years back I purchased my first carton of Carmex. I'd heard about
possible addictions, but just blew them off and even found them quite
humorous. However, I was quite in the wrong. After about two months of
carrying the little carton around in my back pocket, I couldn't live
without it. At first it was just like a ring, you know when you forget to
wear your ring and you keep realizing you don't have it all day long. But,
then it got worse. My lips felt so dry and cracked. I would get paranoid
that I was getting a lip fungus or something. I couldn't kiss my boyfriend
with out Carmex. I just couldn't, and I couldn't. I wouldn't go out in
public without my Carmex for fear of people seeing what I thought was
horribly dry, cracked lips. Finally one day, my boyfriend told me I had to
stop. I had to get help. I told him he was crazy. I told him I could stop
anytime. Looking back, I feel I did when I tried to stop smoking. I
thought I could quit, but I couldn't. I had to go to a lip balm specialist
in a nearby town. It sounds crazy, but it actually worked. He offered me
a substitute for Carmex. It was an original creation of baking powder and
a few other herbs and spices. He told me it was a secret recipe. I had
doubts, I thought he was just a crazy quack. But I now realize that if it
weren't for "Doug" (he's asked to remain anonymous), I probably wouldn't be
alive today. Maybe that's a little extreme, but that's how hooked I was.
I can't reveal "Doug's" name or his specific tactics.
But just to everyone out there - you need to get help. You can't just keep lathering the Blistex and Carmex and Vaseline on. You have to stop sometime, and you have to realize that you need to stop. The symptoms are easy to spot: diarrhea, hysteria, head aches, paranoia, extreme pain, e.t.c. I hope I am able to help someone by giving my testimony today. Get help.
Kristine K. is right. She is in denial!
I use lip balm and am proud of it. I have a jar of Carmex and a stick of
lime flavor
sitting next to may bed, a tube with a screw on lid (so it can't melt out) in
my car, a
stick of jelly bean in my desk at work, a tube of medicated in my purse and a
stash of
every flavor, Avon and Lip Smackers put out. I use it, instead of lipstick,
when I put on
my makeup for work. I don't have a problem with it, it's not breaking me
financially,
see, unlike you addicts, I buy in bulk when it is on sale, so I save money!!
And except
for when I'm shopping or sleeping, I use flavored balm, because it smells
fruity and when
I kiss my fiance he feels it on is an aphrodesiac. Now how can that be bad?
I know you
will say I'm in denial, but I love Lipbalm.
Eileen R. isn't ready yet!
My name is Eileen and I am way too well known among my friends as
someone who always needs Chap Stick. One high school I went to had
one of those goofy senior wills sections; I was presently willed a
life-time supply of Chap Stick.
It's been way over ten years since my "inheritance" and there's been
way too many instances where I wished those damn "senior wills"
weren't a sentimental joke.
I guess it started with just plain old Chap Stick. My Carmex phase
in my late teens and early twenties were the darkest days of all,
but it's not like things have gotten much better. I have an amazing
variety of stuff on hand all the time. I swear, I select my lip goo
to coordinate with my clothing ensemble. Going with pockets? Great,
I can bring along a medium-size container of Vaseline. Just a
small coin purse? Better tote along that strangely expensive but
small and slim brand "soft lips".
I'm not ready to give this up...I don't know how, I'm scared-but I
want to be free of needing Chap Stick. It's not fair, I have a
beautiful mouth, I really do, and it pisses me off that I depend on
this cacophony of emulsifiers to enjoy what God gave me. Has anyone
noticed that sometimes your lips just "clear up"-they are normal and
perfect, and you say to yourself, ok, great, from this point on,
I'll just stop. One wipe with a paper napkin after lunch later, and
it's please, just let me put my lips in that deep fat fryer behind
the counter, please.
Melissa S. thinks we're jealous of her. We're not!
My name is Melissa and I am an addict. I have been using Lypsol since I was in grade four. I am now nineteen and I am a
habitual user. I use it when I wake up and numerous times throughout the
day and night, usually every ten minutes or so, and when I go to bed I put
it under my pillow in case I wake up in the middle of the night and need a
hit. People have tried to get me off it but I tend to get violent. My
boyfriend went as far as to throw it out my friends car window as we were
driving down the road. I was driving and needless to say I slammed that
Grand Prix in reverse and went back to search for my Lypsol. I don't think
anyone has ever done that to me before. It would have been a violent
situation had it been anyone else. I get all my close friends addicted to
it also. All of my family, ex-boyfriends, my closest girlfriends can't live
without it. I buy it as presents for people and people give it to me for
presents. My love of my life is trying to kick the habit, however by
kissing me he gets mine so there is no point in trying to quit. I go
through a tube every six days. My brand is Wild Cherry Labello. Tonight I am
almost out so when Steve gets off work we will head to the drugstore for my
fix. To all you Lypsol users out there, don't listen to the non-users, they
are jealous because their lips aren't as soft as ours!
Liam M. started at twelve!
My name is Liam and I'll be 22 at the end of October. My addiction to
lip balm began when I was twelve in Ibiza, Spain. It was a blistering
summer and I had a really bad case of chapped lips. It was so bad that
I had to jump frequently in the pool just to soothe the chapness a
little. Eventually I went to the pharmacy and bought a Spanish lip
balm. After the chapness cleared away, I found myself still using it.
I would wake up, and still do, every morning with dry lips and start
looking for some lip balm. My friends always laughed that I had to
apply some lip balm every so often. I always had some in my pocket, and
if I forgot it... I'd get some even if I had to scrape the very bottom
of a Chap Stick tube. I liked Chap Stick, it came in some pretty good
flavors, I liked the mint one the best. It wasn't until I moved back
to the states that I discovered the aristocracy of all lip balms,
Carmex. I still remember the ecstatic feeling as it tingled every nerve
in my lips. It doesn't tingle so much now, but the smell brings back a
lot of good memories. Carmex is definitely my favorite, but I remember
trying a lip balm made of bees wax that was pretty good. Someday I
would love to give up the habit, but I don't think I can. During the
summer months I can usually go a day without an application, but during
the winter months I have to apply some every hour or so. Someone told
me that I could lose all sensation in my lips if I use Carmex too often,
is this true, because I'll certainly miss the feeling of a kiss, and the
tingling of Carmex. I'm not very worried though. I tell myself that
being addicted to Carmex is a parade compared to being addicted to
really harmful stuff like alcohol and hard drugs.
D in CA needs a fix!
Yes, dear people, I, too, am a Chap Stick addict. I use it morning, noon,
evening, and even when I get up in the middle of the night to, uh, well,
relieve myself. Without Chap Stick I feel dry, unprotected, literally
undressed. I have Chap Stick downstairs, upstairs, in my car, at work, in my
purse.
Recently I attended a family function and found that my 2 sisters'-in-law are
also lip balm addicts, although neither use my preferred brand. We thought
how funny it would be for Seinfeld to do an episode on lip balm addiction!
I crack up to think that there is a website like this. In closing, I do hope
I hear from you soon. I must go now, however....my lips are feeling in need
of a fix!
Yours for suppler lips, D in CA.
Jennifer A. needs to realize all balms are bad!
I found your page while I was trying to find a recipe to make my own
lip balm. I too am addicted to lip drug, (what I like to call it), and
have been for many years. I have often wondered if others felt
addicted to the stuff and I got a kick out of finding your home page.
I think stuff like Chap Stick and Carmex is what got me hooked. The
petroleum base in these products are the nasty culprits, I think! But
I would like to say that I don't think it is so bad if you make your
own! I have made my own several times and use herbs and natural
ingredients that don't dry the lips. And it is easy to make and makes
a great gift to fellow addicts.
We rarely get such a strong opinion as we got from Cory C.
So I am addicted. It doesn't affect my life! I am perfectly happy with my
lip balm use, and even though I have at least four different kinds in my
backpack, and at least one in my coat or with me where ever I go, I am okay
with it. I love my lip balm, and I am proud of my excessive use of it!
LIP BALM LOVERS UNITE!!!!!
What's so funny about our page, Jettkarm?
I'm coated right now--but then again, I always am!--I LOVE your page and
have found it's the only humor page that I have repeatedly visited, in
one guise or another.
Thank you for taking the time and having the great sense of humor that
you do...in spite of my crippling lip balm addiction, I am a happier
woman...I have laughed, so hard I've cried...but thank God lip balm is
waterproof!
--Jett...emBalmed...but who says you have to die to have a heavenly
time, eh?
S. White writes from from the land of denial:
I have to admit, I do use lip balm everyday. But the important thing is, I
don't abuse it. I started this "addiction" two years ago. My first choice was
the wax-based Blistex, but after a friend told me that "Wax is for candles,
Vaseline Advanced Lip Therapy's for lips" I decided to make the switch.
And oh, was I pleasantly surprised.
It really is true, protection does last for up to six hours, if you put
enough of it on. I find that if I put it on right before I go to sleep, my
lips aren't dry in the morning.
For me, Vaseline Advanced Lip Therapy has worked wonders. It doesn't dry out
in a half-hour, like wax-based Blistex.
Sure, it may make you look a bit silly in public, but if you want moist
lips, it's worth it.
Your Web Page has yet to show me any scientific evidence that any of the
ingredients in Vaseline Advanced Lip Therapy might be detrimental to my lips,
so I'm just going to keep using it.
If you lick your lips constantly, because you enjoy the taste of some
wax-based, flavored lip balm, then I can see why it might be detrimental. I
personally believe that many people have problems with lip balm because they
use them TOO MUCH.
But there are people out there who truly need lip balm, and who do not abuse
it, whom I feel your website does a disservice to, in that you so quickly
condemn the use of ALL lip balms, for any and every application. (Did you read that we're not opposed to balm use for medical purposes? -Ed)
While I applaud your Web site and the take comfort in the fact that I am not alone in my addiction, I am not ready to lay down the blessed tube of wax. I admit that I have performed worse on tests, faked orgasms, and have experienced many near car accidents all because of my preoccupation with the timing of my next fix. But oh the joy of lip balm... can I live with out it??? It is everywhere... I carry three tubes on my at all time, I have them strategically located in my kitchen, bathroom, bed room, car, coat, boy friend's house and living room. Its been with me through it all. Thanks for being here for me though. And good luck to those struggling to overcome their addiction.
Stephanie is hurt financially but doesn't care.
My name is Stefanie and I have over 30 Bonne Belle lipglosses. Although a financial drain, I do not see this as a problem, in fact flavored lipgloss can help people to lose weight!!! That's right, if I have a craving for chocolate, I can go up to my bathroom and get out my Chocolate Milk lipgloss to give me a lift. I also love Bath and Body Works lipglosses, which not only have great flavor, but also an SPF of 15. So all you users out there, don't fret lipgloss is our FRIEND!!!!!!
Rachel F. needs to go all the way!
I cannot tell you how excited/relieved I was to find your Lip Balm
Anonymous Home Page. It is so comforting to know that not only I
am the only person with this problem, but also that there is hope
for me. I must first come clean---the stories on your server all
pale in comparison to mine. I have been dependent on lip balm since
I was a young child. Within the last 6 years I have become completely
addicted. I will not leave my house without at least three of them
in my pocket or bag, and I make sure that each of my coats have one
left in the pocket for emergency situations. I leave the cap off of
it on my desk all day, so that it is ready whenever I need it. I keep
it open on my night stand so it is ready to go for those crucial night
time applications. I even keep lip balm in the pocket of my bathrobe in case
I
need a fix while I am in the shower. I leave lip balm in the glove
compartment
of my car, in the desk at work, and at the homes of my friends in case an
emergency situation arises. And I don't dabble in the Chap Stick--I am
hooked
on the expensive stuff. I have been buying "Lip Doctor" and Loreal deep
moisturizing balms. I have recently become hooked on the new lip balm
at the Gap as well as those sold at stores like Bath and Body Works and
the Body Shop. I have tubes, pots.....you name it I have done it. I apply
lip balm at least once every five to ten minutes. My roommates can always
tell which glasses I have drank from because I leave a lip balm ring around
the rim. I can never get away with stealing a sip of anyone's drink, for
the taste of my lip balm is so easily detected. I always make sure that I
am wearing something with a pocket to put my lip balm in. My friends
recognize
my problem, and have even hidden my lip balm from me in an effort to break
the cycle of my addiction. But I ALWAYS have a secret stash somewhere. I have
noticed that my friends are all very conscious of their lips when they are
around me, it is like being around me makes them put lip balm on too. All
of my friends buy me lip balm too. If they see a new exotic flavor they set
me up. But my most treasured lip balms are those that one of my friends
bought me as he traveled around Europe, I have lip balm from France,
England, Greece, Spain, Germany, and Italy. My lips get around. So as you
can most likely surmise from this point, I have a true problem. I am only
21 years old--help me before it is too late!!!!! I would appreciate any
feedback and suggestions. Although I don't think I will ever be able
to completely give it up, I know I have to cut it down to only a few times
a day.
Rachel F. is now on the road to recovery!
Rachel F., the one you referred to as "needing to go all the way" to
break her addiction to lip balm, has successfully gone 24 hours without
lip balm! Maybe this is the first step for me....
Rubato A. has to live with her actions as an addict. Make amends if you can!
I was driving on a cross country trip. I became more and more obsessed with
the dryness of my lips...until I could think of nothing else. I reached and
reached all over the car as I was driving across I-40....hopelessly,
helplessly, desperately trying to seek the soothing feel of the balm on my
lips. I couldn't find it. Finally, I took my hands off the steering wheel
completely....searching in my purse until ................waking up in the
hospital days later to find that I had caused an accident I would never be
able to live down. I can't even discuss the details. It's too horrifying. I
can't even think about those poor people who drowned in all that maple syrup.
As I slowly came to grips with who I am...I began to recover. I still have
dry lips. It's a problem, no doubt about it. But I've learned to drink more
water and to utilize safer ways of caring for my lips. I'm free.
Wayne V. found salvation here!
Gosh, I never knew one could be addicted to lip balm until after I read
the Lip Balm Anonymous pages!! I knew I had a problem. Suddenly, I HAD
TO HAVE a tube of lip balm or a jar of it near by. I cannot go without
lip balm for very long without my lips drying up and when I try to
smile, they crack. I can't possibly NOT use it because I work around
many people all day and when my lips get chapped, they peel and have
white old skin around and my trying to bite them off causes more
chapping from spittle touching it. Gosh, my friend's use to say it was
probably a vitamin deficiency on why my lips always got so red. Some
even teased me saying are you wearing lip stick? (I'm a heterosexual
male). Now I believe its all coming together.