Are you addicted to lip balm?

Lip balm works to protect lips from drying, cracking and bleeding. However, it is also because of this effect that many people have become addicted to lip balm. So how do you know if you are addicted to lip balm or not?
A dermatologist, Melissa Piliang, said that lip balm addiction is not a physiological problem, it is a psychological problem, because when you apply lip balm, you often feel comfortable and comfort as it helps to soothe dry lips. Unconsciously, the effect of applying lip balm has affected your psychology and formed a habit.

Honestly answer the questions posed by Dr. Melissa Piliang to know if you are addicted to lip balm?
How often do you carry lip balm? Is lip balm everywhere around you? (in personal bag, car, bedroom, bathroom, ...) Do you spend a lot of money on buying lip balm? Have family or friends commented that you use lip balm too often? Do you spend so much time applying lip balm that you're late for work? If you don't use lip balm, do you feel uncomfortable or can't focus on working and enjoying life? If most of your answers are “Yes”, then you are dependent on lip balm, or in other words, you may be addicted to lip balm.

Using lip balm can be pleasant and comfortable for some people because lip balm helps lips stay smooth, moist, and not dry and itchy.
Thanks to that effect, lip balm helps to reduce anxiety and stress caused by discomfort on the lips, thereby forming a habit of using lip balm more often.
Although not a physical addiction, lip balm has an impact on the psychology of consumers, making it difficult for them to stop applying lipstick. However, if lip balm use doesn't interfere with work, relationships, or life, it's not an addictive behavior.

Sometimes, the regular use of lip balm is not an addiction but a habit. This habit forms when consumers fall into the cycle of dry lips caused by lip balm.
This cycle usually happens like this: Many people have a habit of licking their lips after applying lip balm, maybe because they are using a scented (fruity) lipstick or want to feel soft, smooth , moist lips are not dry.
However, when licking lips, the amount of saliva on the tongue remains on the lips and along with the lip balm will quickly evaporate and make the thin skin on the lips dry. And when they see that their lips are dry, consumers continue to use lip balm to soothe dry lips.
Or sometimes the dry lip cycle occurs because the ingredients in the lip balm are mildly irritating or dry, causing the consumer to use more lip balm.
If using lip balm does not improve dry and chapped lips, avoid using cosmetics with ingredients such as eucalyptus, menthol, citrus, cinnamon, fragrance, phenol, menthol , oxybenzone or octinoxate, lanolin, propyl gallate, salicylic acid to keep lips from getting irritated.

If using lip balm makes your lips dry and chapped, you need to check if the ingredients of the balm contain fragrances or fragrance chemicals, as these are lip irritants.
To improve dry and chapped lips, you should choose a lip balm with less irritating ingredients from oils of nuts such as hemp seeds, castor seeds, shea butter, mineral oil, ceramides , dimethicone, petrolatum, ...
If you have a habit of licking your lips, use a lip balm that helps prevent evaporation so you don't fall into a dry cycle that forces you to use more lip balm.
In addition, if you are often outdoors, you should choose a lip balm with sunscreen so that the sun does not dry your lips, it is best to apply a lip balm with a sun protection factor SPF of 30 or higher. To avoid skin irritation on the lips when applying sunscreen lip balm, choose one that contains titanium oxide or zinc oxide.
Finally, drinking enough water and regularly is the best way to provide moisture to the lips. And you can use a humidifier to help provide moisture in your bedroom, helping to prevent dry lips.
Using lip balm on a regular basis can lead to addiction and cause you to have persistent dry lips or irritated lips if there are allergens in the ingredients.

References: health.clevelandclinic.org, webmd.com