No more winter lips (Blistex Lip Relief Cream)

Member Name: dakota196

Product:	Blistex Lip Relief Cream
Date:	02/02/06 (161 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It works

Disadvantages: If you squash it, it'll come shooting out next time you take the lid off

My poor lips suffer in winter. They don't like it at all.
BUT I have discovered the answer to my winter-lip woes: Blistex relief cream. (This apparently used to be known as 'blisteze' and was inexplicably changed.)

I used to use all manner of chapsticks even though I read somewhere that you can get addicted to them. In fact, it's suggested that what happens is you tend to lick your lips more when you use lipsalve/chapstick so they end up drier, so you use more chapstick, so you lick your lips more,..you get the idea.
Then, on a day I shall always remember, a friend suggested I try Blistex.

********Container
Blistex relief cream comes in a little squeezy tube (once you've chucked away (I mean recycled) the cardboard box). You get 5g for your money which doesn't seem like a lot but you don't need much of it at a time. It has a little red screw-off cap. One disadvantage of the packaging is its squashability - if you then open it, it can come shooting out of the tube, and it's hard to make it stop (I usually either shove the lid back on a bit quick, which really just postpones the issue, or squeeze the sides of the tube - that's my top tip).

********The product
It is medicated. In fact the active ingredients have the word ammonia in them. Some bite medications have ammonia in too, but all I can think about is that you're supposed to pee on jellyfish stings because of the ammonia in the urine (yes, I learned that from 'Friends', but it is actually true). And I can tell my brain that it's totally unrelated and I'm not spreading urine on my lips, but still the mental association is there. It's a little disturbing, is all I'm saying.
It claims to provide quick relief of occasional cold sores, cracked, chapped and sore lips, and you are instructed to apply it every hour at first. If you experience unwanted effects (like your lips smell like pee - just kidding) you should consult your doctor, and you should keep this away from kids.
It's white in colour and smells VERY medicinal, which I assume is the ammonia, but it's (fortunately) pretty tasteless.

********The test
You only need a tiny wee (pardon the pun) bit of the cream to put on your lips. It is white but it goes on clear. I found that my lips felt a bit cold, and then went very tingly. It was also a bit sore where my lips were cracked but it was a good sore, like it was doing some good. It doesn't feel sticky like chapstick can do.
I applied the blistex several times that day, and the next day, and I'd say within a couple of days my lips were healing nicely and I had the smoothest winter lips I've had for a long time. I stopped using it once my lips were fixed, and when they get a bit chapped, I start again.

********Overall
I'm a fan of Blistex. It works, it comes in a convenient little tube. Incidentally, that also makes it easier to lend to other people than sharing a chapstick, which is a bit like sharing your deodorant, I always think. Sharing Blistex is more like sharing toothpaste. It's also not too pricey considering it lasts for ages: £2.29 at Boots.

Summary: It's convenient, effective and not messy.