Lip balm or lip salve is a wax-like substance applied to the lips to moisturize and relieve chapped or dry lips, angular cheilitis, stomatitis, or cold sores. Lip balm often contains beeswax or carnauba wax, camphor, cetyl alcohol, lanolin, paraffin, and petrolatum, among other ingredients. Some varieties contain dyes, flavor, fragrance, phenol, salicylic acid, and sunscreen.
Overview The primary purpose of lip balm is to provide an occlusive layer on the lip surface, sealing in moisture and protecting the lips from external exposure. Dry air, cold temperatures, and wind all have a drying effect on skin by drawing moisture away from the body. Lips are particularly vulnerable because the skin is so thin, and thus they are often the first to present signs of dryness. Occlusive materials like waxes and petroleum jelly prevent moisture loss and maintain lip comfort while flavorings, colorants, sunscreens, and various medicaments can provide additional, specific benefits. Common ingredients in lip balms include beeswax, candelilla wax, and carnauba wax, which help create a protective barrier. Lip balm can be applied by a finger to the lips, or in a lipstick-style tube from which it can be applied directly. In 2022, the global lip balm market was valued at US$732.76 million. The market is predicted to grow at a rate of 9.28% within the next five years and is likely to reach US$1.25 billion by 2027.
Production Production for lip balms includes the following stages:
Raw materials are checked for its quality (cosmetic products must comply with strict safety standards) The ingredients are dosed, melted, and mixed (this stage involves special equipment) This mixture is treated in a vacuum to remove bubbles The mixture is crystallized for about 48 hours The mixture is then remelted The mixture is cut into pieces which are shaped as required The lip balm is packaged into a casing
History
Early lip balms Since 40 BC, the Egyptians made treatment for lip care, which was made with a mixture of beeswax, olive oil, and animal fat.
United States In the 1800s, Lydia Maria Child recommended earwax as a treatment for cracked lips in her highly popular book The American Frugal Housewife, Child observed that, "Those who are troubled with cracked lips have found this earwax remedy successful when others have failed. It is one of those sorts of cures, which are very likely to be laughed at; but I know of its having produced very beneficial results." The invention of the lip balm was first formally invented in the 1880s by physician Charles Browne Fleet though its origins may be traced to earwax. Fleet later named his lip balm product "ChapStick". In 1872, chemist Robert Chesebrough discovered and sampled a new petroleum jelly, initially describing it as a "natural, waxy ingredient, rich in minerals from deep within the earth" which could be used as a solution for skin repair. He then distributed his product under the name "Wonder Jelly" before shortly changing it to "Vaseline". In the early 1880s, Charles Brown Fleet created ChapStick. However, due to the lack of sales, Fleet sold his formula and rights to ChapStick to John Morton in 1912 for $5, who saw the marketing potential in the brand. After making the purchase, Morton commissioned Frank Wright, Jr. to create a design for the logo of ChapStick for $15 in 1936. In 1972, ChapStick tubes concealing hidden microphones were used during the Watergate scandal. In 1937, Alfred Woelbing created Carmex to treat cold sores in Milwaukee, though the occurrence of World War II would slow the production and sales due to the lack of lanolin. In 1980, Carmex underwent a product change by converting its packaging into squeezable tubes. In 1973, Bonne Bell created the first flavored lip balm and marketed the company as Lip Smackers. The company would later collaborate on various different-flavored lip balms including Dr Pepper in 1975, the Wrigley Company in 2004, and The Coca-Cola Company in 2006. Bonne Bell also collaborated with Disney to produce lip balms with various princess characters in 2010. In 1991, Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby created their first beeswax based lip balm solution through their company, Burt's Bees. In 2020, it was reported that Burt's Bees had used 50 percent of recycled material to package various products and that 100 percent of the products were recyclable. In 2011, Evolution of Smooth (or commonly known as EOS) created a spherical-shaped lip balm as well as describing its 95% organic ingredients.
Cannabis infused lip balms With the gradual legalization of cannabis in the United States, some companies have produced lip balms containing doses of THC or CBD oil. The lip balms were infused with a low dosage of THC in order to prevent the occurrence of any psychoactive or related effect.
Notable brands Burt's Bees Blistex Carmex ChapStick Labello Lip Smacker Lypsyl EOS Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm Vaseline Aquaphor Nivea
Dependency
Addictive ingredients Some physicians have suggested that certain types of lip balm can be addictive or contain ingredients that actually cause drying, the accuracy of which has been debated by many professionals. Lip balm manufacturers sometimes state in their FAQs that there is nothing addictive in their products or that all ingredients are listed and approved by the FDA. Claims regarding potentially irritating ingredients in some lip balms have been disputed, with no evidence supporting extreme allegations. However, some experts such as dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey state that some ingredients in lip balm directly causes sensitive lip skin which may lead to addiction. Dermatology professor Marcia Driscoll also adds onto this argument by stating that aroma ingredients found in flavored or scented lip balms have the potential to irritate skin.
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