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Are You Addicted to Chap Stick?
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As the really cold weather sets in, more people than ever seem to turn to their little tube of lip balm or their favorite flavor of Chap Stick to avoid those cracked and dry lips. You probably don’t even think about how many times a day you apply it, you simply whip it out whenever you think you feel that uncomfortable feeling that tells you your lips are becoming dry.
Chapped lips are caused by several factors, including wind, sun, medications, dry air, and the unnaturally dry air caused by heaters and air conditioners. Of course our natural inclination is to lick our lips to keep them moist, and although this will work for about a minute, the feeling is short lived and, in a very short amount of time, will make your problems even worse. Read more about 14 surprising reasons for dehydration.
Some people apply lip balm so often they sometimes ask themselves if it’s addictive. Although lip balm does not contain any actual chemicals that cause a true physical addiction, it can easily become a psychological habit and dependency that will feel a lot like addiction.
How much is too much?
• If you are willing to go out of your way, or pay an overinflated price just to get a tube, you are probably addicted.
• If you realize you forgot to bring your chap stick with you and you cannot stop thinking about it, you have a serious problem.
• If you are applying Chap Stick more than once an hour, you are addicted.
• Do you stock up? If you live in fear of running out of Chap Stick and therefore by numerous tubes so you have some in your purse, bathroom, coat pocket, and office desk drawer, you probably have an addiction.
• Have you tried to quit your Chap Stick addiction but couldn’t?
• Have you ever lied about how much you use or how many tubes you have? Do you even know how many tubes you have?
All of the above are signs of a serious addiction to Chap Stick. It sounds funny, but any addiction can be a problem.
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There is something else you should think about; what exactly is in that little tube anyway? Did you know that some popular brands of lip balm are made with ingredients that are known carcinogens? Take a look at just some of the things that are in some commonly sold lip balms:
• Mineral Oil
• Petrolatum
• White Wax
• Methyl paraben
• Polyparaben
• Paraffin
• Tocopheryl
• Saccharin
If you read labels carefully, you can find some brands that avoid these dangerously toxic ingredients. There are plenty of natural things you can use as well to avoid the Chap Stick trap. Try keeping a few vitamin E gel caps in a small container in your purse or pocket. You can pierce the cap and spread some of the gel on your lips. Vitamin E is loaded with antioxidants that heals skin tissue and is fantastic for those times when your lips really are chapped from the wind or sun. Coconut oil is another terrific option. Not only will coconut oil add plenty of moisture, the minerals in coconut oil will make your lips softer so you might just find yourself getting kissed more often! Coconut oil also has a natural SPF of about 5, so it can help protect your lips from sun damage. You can also try natural shea butter.
Experts will tell you that lip balm isn’t harmful, but companies who make Chap Stick use certain ingredients that guarantee that you will keep coming back for more. Try some of the more natural ingredients listed above, or at the very least avoid chap sticks that contain toxic ingredients. No one wants to kiss lips covered in toxic chemicals! Find out influence of toxic chemicals on our health.
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