Chapped Lips Suck, so What Kind of Lip Balms Really Work?

Let me guess. You have some kind of chapstick in your car, your handbag, by your bed, in your desk drawer, by your front door, in your bathroom, and in the junk drawer in your kitchen.

Am I missing any places?

We're addicted to it, and the second our lips feel dry, we have one ready to grab and slather on. Aw, what a feeling!

Now, do you remember that rumor years and years ago that started with the Carmex brand decades ago? Who didn't use Carmex?

It was a silky, Vaseline-like lip balm that was basically a trend. However, we started hearing that it dries out our lips, which is why we always used it several times a day and had to buy more.

I started thinking about that Carmex rumor while I was replenishing my lip balm stash as we head into Spring (fingers crossed).

Do chapsticks actually dry out our lips? Is this temporary relief something that we just have to accept?

According to the Health website, not all lip balm products are created equally, and while there are plenty that exacerbate your dry, chapped lips, others do the job they're supposed to and work wonders.

If you want to use lip balm that actually works, then according to Health, you need to avoid the following ingredients.

• Phenol
• Menthol
• Salicylic acid
• Lanolin

I know it can get annoying reading ingredients, but such is life. You can also forget lip balm and chapsticks altogether and invest in lip oils.

That said, if oil isn't your thing, then let's get back to the ingredients your lip balms SHOULD contain to work. Yes, read those ingredients, and according to Health, make sure your lip balms have one or more of these.

• Hyaluronic acid
• Petroleum jelly
• Shea butter
• Beeswax
• Vitamin E

According to the Byrdie website, the skin on your lips is especially prone to dryness all year since they have such a weak skin barrier. So, why not invest in what's best for the health of your lips and probably even your pocketbook?