How to Kick Your Lip Balm 'Addiction'

It's officially freezing out (unless you live in the South, in which case, do you have a couch I can crash on?), which means for the lip balm compulsives among us, the crackstick has joined the ranks of keys, wallet, and phone as something you double-check your pockets for before leaving the house. And that means it's time to have the Oh shit I'm totally addicted to my chapstick conversation again.

Really though, there's not much of a conversation to have. It's quite simple. There's zero evidence that lip balm dependency is a physiological addiction. Psychological, maybe. Compulsive, probably. It's a habit like anything else and like any other habit, can be tough to kick.

If we're really splitting hairs, a habit doesn't technically become a psychological addiction until it interferes with your daily life. To wit: You have a bad day because you left the lip lubricant at home and were too preoccupied by your cracking lips to focus on anything else. Or you keep a backup supply in multiple bags and rooms in the house so you're never caught without it. (I'm fully guilty of both of these, as well as almost every item on the 13 Signs You're Addicted to Lip Balm list that Buzzfeed naturally made.)

Still, some people will argue that lip balm is in fact a physiological addition. But they belong to the niche of people that spend time on self-help forums like lipbalmanonymous.com, are convinced the lip balm companies are scamming us all, and submit comments like this one:

Perhaps you can relate to these anonymous addicts. Perhaps you're just sick of feeling like a dolt for covertly ducking to re-apply your balm far more times a day than seems normal. Regardless, there are some

Paying Addiction Lip Service from William Denselow on Vimeo.

"target="_blank">useful things to know for responsible chapsticking.

Lip balm works by trapping in the natural moisture of your lips. You get used to that level of moisture and thus feel the urge to constantly re-apply. What's more, many brands contain chemicals that actually dry you out rather than moisturize. That soothing tingling sensation? It's chemicals like menthol, camphor, and phenol causing the protective layers of dead skin to peel off your lips. Here are some of the good and bad ingredients, compiled from dermatologist recommendations in the Washington Post, Well Community, and America Now News.

The bad actors are:

• Wax
• Menthol
• Camphor
• Phenol
• Alcohol
• Vitamin E (can cause an allergic reaction)
• Fragrances or artificial colors

And the good stuff:

• Vaseline
• Beeswax (cera alba) or ceramides (fats that help retain water)
• Dimethicone, which helps prevent drying and lengthens product life.
• Lanolin
• Cocoa Butter
• Sunscreen

The major brands—ChapStick, Blistex, Burt's Bees, Carmex—all include at least one and usually most of the drying chemicals on the Bad list—be it a marketing ploy to keep you dependent on their product or not. But for the thing that makes kicking the habit particularly frustrating, we have only Mother Nature to blame: That counterintuitive urge to lick your lips when they're chapped. We know the saliva evaporates it leaves your lips drier than they were before. But we just really want to lick.

Which gets back to the question at hand. The best way to fight your lip balm habit is probably as simple as resisting licking your lips. Maybe also invest in a tub of Vaseline, or opt for the best all-natural hippie stick you can stand. Happy lubricating.