I never used lip balm growing up. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I slowly started using it. What began as just applying it periodically turned into constant use. I would put it on when I woke up, throughout the day, and then finally before I went to bed at night. I would start stashing lip balms in my desk, my briefcase, and next to my bed to ensure I wasn’t stranded with dry lips.
One day, I had a revelation. I never saw my dad use lip balm growing up. If this was the case, why am I so dependent on it? I decided that I had to try something different to fix the problem. I resolved to go cold turkey. Even though it was the heart of winter, and I could feel the rest of my skin pinching from all the dry air, I stopped anyways since I was so desperate to break the habit.
That night, I restrained from applying any lip moisturizer. I thought I might have problems sleeping but I was fine. The problem got worse the next day but it was tolerable. After a couple days, I could feel the skin on my lips tightening and wanting to peel. The following days, my condition continued and my lips started to slightly peel on the edges. The good news is that my lips did not fully become chapped. And instead, my lips felt thicker and eventually healed. I haven’t used lip balm since. It’s been two years now. This includes not applying anything on trips to warm destinations AND a ski trip. Being on the ski slopes was the real test because I always used lip balm on previous trips. I didn’t have to worry about putting sun block on my lips because I received a little when I put lotion on the rest of my face.
Now that I stopped using lip balm completely, I realized that the more lip balm I had used, the more I had become dependent on them. This also proves my belief that the body is constantly balancing itself. If you compensate it externally, your body will adjust accordingly internally. If you put lip balm on your lips, your body senses there is moisturizer going to the area and will not send any more. On the other hand, if your lips are dry, the body does what it’s done for millions of years, it moisturizes them naturally.
If I can do this in the middle of winter, I know this can be done during other parts of the year. This test will probably be hard for women because they’re always putting on lipstick. But you could refrain from using moisturizer with lip stick and let me know if it helped. If not, at least the others who don’t use lipstick can become dependent free of using lip balm.