Lip balm – effect, application & risks

Lippenbalsam

Lip balm is a care product for the lips that is intended to make them softer and less brittle. In addition to the care effect, a lip balm can also fulfill aesthetic functions.

What is lip balm?

Lip balm is a lip balm whose main function is to combat chapped, chapped lips . Usually it has no cosmetic raison d’être, but only cares for the lips – but it can also color them at the same time. A lip balm is based on synthetic as well as natural ingredients and can also meet the criteria for organic, vegetarian or vegan cosmetics.

However, not every lip balm actually fulfills its purpose, as commercially available care sticks often contain substances that initially soften the lips, but in the long term lead to even greater brittleness and thus a certain dependence on the lip balm. The natural lip balms are often the best. While lip balm is often sold as a care stick, there are also creams that are applied with a finger or an applicator. In addition, lip balm is also used with added active ingredients for severely brittle lips and lip diseases such as herpes .

Effect and medical application

A lip balm is usually a cosmetic, more rarely a medical product. Medical lip care sticks treat lip diseases such as herpes by transporting antivirals directly to the affected area of ​​skin. Such a lip balm is also used for corner cheilitis or stomatitis . Very brittle lips with bloody cracks can also be treated with lip balm, as they occur as a side effect of some (severe) diseases.However, most lip balms are cosmetic products intended to soften the lips when they are normally rough. It contains fats , waxes and oils that have a nourishing effect on the skin of the lips and are intended for regular use until they improve. A lip balm can also offer protection against UV radiation or, more rarely, tint the lips. Typically, however, the lip balm is not a component of decorative cosmetics, since it would have to be mixed with strong pigments, which can impair the care effect.

shapes and groups

Medical lip balm is mixed with a disease-specific active ingredient, such as antivirals for cold sores. They often come in a tube with a finely tapered tip and small opening, making them easy to apply to the lips. This form can also be found in the cosmetics sector, but not as often as the classic lipstick. This allows the lip balm to be easily distributed on the surface of the lips without having to touch them with your finger. Furthermore, lip balm differs according to the softening agent – it can either be synthetic substances or purely natural products such as beeswax.

dosage

Nourishing lip balm can be applied as needed and cannot be overdosed. Depending on the degree of damage to the lips, it is completely absorbed within a few hours and softens the lips, or it needs to be reapplied. The user usually notices when it is time for a new layer of lip balm. It is best not to apply it just before eating, otherwise it will quickly peel off the lips.

In the case of medical products, on the other hand, there is a prescribed dosage, such as lip balm against herpes. Similar to antibiotics , these should be applied regularly in order to systematically kill pathogens. The doctor treating you or the pharmacist can give a recommendation on the type of application and dosage for over-the-counter lip care sticks.

Herbal, natural and pharmaceutical alternatives

There are a number of alternatives to lip balm, especially in the cosmetics sector. Since this is often mixed with substances that roughen the lips even more instead of making them permanently soft, they are not suitable for the permanent relief of dry lips anyway. One of the most popular natural ingredients that works like lip balm is honey . It softens the lips and has an antibacterial effect at the same time, which makes it suitable for extremely rough lips.

Honey is applied only a few times and will soften the lips for some time, so the application does not have to be repeated often. Herbal infusions or herbal teas such as chamomile can also be applied well against inflammation on chapped lips. If, on the other hand, there is an infection with herpes viruses or another disease that affects the lips, a medically effective lip balm should be used instead. There are home remedies for this, but they are not always effective.

Interactions and side effects

Natural lip balm for lip care usually has very few side effects. This can be different with synthetically produced lip balm. Especially new products that have hardly been tested for tolerability can have side effects. These include reddening of the lips and mouth, blisters, aggravated brittleness and even bleeding cracks. These, in turn, can also become inflamed and lead to serious problems.
To rule out such a risk, the lip balm should be discontinued if the lips become even rougher than before after the first application. While lip balm does not have to be effective immediately, it must not worsen the condition of the lips. Of course, lip balms with pharmacological active ingredients can also interact with other medications. If there are any, they can be found on the package insert for the product or can be requested from the doctor or pharmacist in individual cases.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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