You're approaching the end of a perfect first date. After the awkward walk to the door, you begin to lean in for the kiss goodnight. But suddenly your dream man cringes away in fear and runs back to his car. Naturally, you stare at the mirror for a good hour wondering what you did wrong or if you had bad breath from that garlic bread. Alas, you find the culprit is most likely those chapped lips you're sporting. Can you honestly blame him though? No one wants to smooch that. Make sure you're prepared next time for that perfect kiss.
Pucker Up
Lip balm, also known as lip salve, is a cosmetic applied to the lips. Lip balm helps with chapped or dry lips, as well as certain lip diseases and cold sores. Lip balm should not be confused with lip gloss, which is only for cosmetic purposes (makes those lips sparkle after you've taken care of the chapped lip problem!). Lip balm contains beeswax, petroleum jelly, some chemicals you've probably never heard of, and scented oils. Some lip balms will even contain vitamins and chemicals for sun protection.
When picking out lip balm, the number one thing you probably consider is the flavor. Just about every flavor imaginable can be purchased, from normal vanilla and cherry to the odd tomato flavor. Most lip balms will be SPF 15 or higher to protect those precious lips from sun damage. You can choose from squeeze tubes, plastic tubes, and tins. Some of the tins even come with chains so you can keep it on your keychain. You can also find cute shapes like cupcakes for young girls.
If your lips are severely dry or chapped, or if you notice signs of a cold sore, try to go for medicated lip balm or lip ointment instead. The ingredients camphor and menthol will help to ease the pain and provide faster relief. Most of the major brands also make medicated ointment. Some of the top brands include Blistex, Burt's Bees, ChapStick, Lip Smacker, Nivea, and Vaseline.
Tips For Your Lips
* If you want to protect your lips from chapping or from wind burn, choose lip balm with camphor and menthol.
* Lip balm that contains bees' wax is better for simply moisturizing lips.
* For extended periods of time outdoors, always wear a lip balm that contains sunscreen.
* Resist the urge to lick that scrumptious flavor off your lips because it will rapidly decrease your lip balm protection.
* Designer brands have the same ingredients as the cheap $2 lip balm. Don't be fooled.
* Applying lip balm before lipstick, will help the lipstick go on smoothly.
