Crack, peel, bleed, ouch, burn, ahhhhhh (Chapstick Lip Salve)

Member Name: mattygroves10

Product:	Chapstick Lip Salve
Date:	08/07/05 (629 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It works . It heals chapped and cracked lips

Disadvantages: Tastes nasty, feels greasy, it's relatively expensive, and might be hard to find in the UK

Ah...winter - just a few short months away. Frosty cars, a bit of snow, the flu season, and, of course, chapped lips. Perhaps your chapped lips are caused by cold and wind, or perhaps yours are caused by colds and flu. Whichever, they are uncomfortable, unsightly and painful.

Perhaps you're very conscientious, and wear lip balm at all times when outside. Perhaps you remember to use extra balm or Vaseline when you have a cold. Well done you! If, however, you're like me, your face remains 'au natural' until such time your lips are a peeling, bloody mess. Clearly, the normal run-of-the mill waxy or 'gelly' lip balm just won't cut the mustard as it were. What then?

You now need something stronger. You need something medicated. At least I do - especially when I'm in Philadelphia in the winter. East Coast USA winters are bitter, therefore, after just a short period of time, my lips dry out, become chapped and ugly. So who'm I gonna call? Bring in the CHAPSTICK MEDICATED, purchased in the US at CVS (sort of like Superdrug).

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Appearance, packaging and cost
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In the States anyway, you can get ChapStick Medicated in both a .15oz stick, or in the .35oz (10 grams) tube - that's what I have. CVS (www.cvs.com) are currently selling this product at $2.19. An extensive (and frustration) search on the web tells me that you can, if you're lucky pay around £2.00ish for the same product here - my advice - wait until you're in the States to buy ChapStick Medicated - or bribe me to bring some back for you in August! STOP PRESS - Boots (www.wellbeing.com) apparently stock this under the name 'ChapStick Medicated Gel'. They are selling it at £1.99 for 10 grams. The tube is encased in clear plastic, and is displayed on a bit of card. For some odd reason, it's called a 'lip salve' here, and a 'lip balm' in the States. Whatever.

Whew, what a relief - you CAN buy it in the UK, so reading this op won't be a complete waste of time.

So in front of me, sitting on my rather messy desk, is a tube of ChapStick Medicated Lip Balm, purchased in the US. It's around three inches long (including the cap) and vaguely triangular in shape (think miniature toothpaste tube). Removing the cap reveals the 'Special Angled Tip' (an angled tip with a small hole in it to allow the product to be dispensed onto your lips.

The logo appears on the front of the sky-blue tube (across the length) - the logo is white against a black background, printed in a sort of italic font. Underneath is the word MEDICATED in red, capital block letters against a white background. In much smaller print below that is the claim that this product 'relieves pain and itching of fever blisters and cold sores. Also prevents chapped, cracked lips.'

Turning the tube over, I get the list of active ingredients. I don't usually report on the ingredients, but since the list is short, I will, since it will give you an idea of what the product resembles:

67% Petrolatum - that'll be why it resembles Vaseline - it's mainly petroleum jelly
1% Camphor, 0.6% Menthol and 0.5% Phenol - that'll be the medicated part then - that's what causes that tingling 'burn' upon application, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The more mathematically inclined amongst you will realise that only adds up to 69.1% - beats me what makes up the other 30.9%. Answers on a postcard, please.

Under the ingredients list are the American contact details (remember, I bought this in the US - I assume the product that is available in the UK has the UK contact details - duh), the net weight and the barcode.

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The Product - smell, feel, taste
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Opening the cap, the smell of menthol/camphor immediately hits you - before you've even squeezed the tube. It's not unpleasant, but definitely medicinal - which is, I supposed, what it's supposed to be (remember, this is ChapStick MEDICATED).

I've squeezed the tube gently (my tube is half empty, so a slightly harder squeeze is required than would otherwise be...), noted the translucent yellowish tinge to the gel itself (again, think petroleum jelly) and run the 'special angled tip' over my lips.

The initial sensation is like Vaseline - somewhat greasy petroleum barrier jelly type feeling (c'mon, work with me on this - you know what I mean!) Very soon after (about a second), you get that tingling, slightly cold/burn sensation that menthol gives - the smell and feel of Vicks Vapour rub - you really do feel that you've used a medicated product.

The taste is somewhat nasty. I know you're not supposed to eat it, but it's on the lips, for crying out loud - it's inevitable that a bit will attach itself to the teeth and tongue. Now, back when I used to smoke, I'd light a cigarette - big mistake. It coats the end of the cigarette in petroleum jelly, and ruins the whole smoking experience. Perhaps that was a good thing - I don't smoke anymore LOL.

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The Product - but does it work?
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You'd think with the nasty taste, the somewhat greasy texture, and the rather expensive price (keep in mind that you can buy 100g of plain old Vaseline Petroleum Jelly in Boots for £1.39), I wouldn't be recommending this. But I do. Because it works.

Remember, I don't use a lip treatment until my lips are in a REALLY bad state - you know, when you wake up in the morning, yawn, and find you have three or four bleeding slits in your lips. Relief from that kind of stiffness and pain is immediate. And after two or three days of regular use, my lips are once again more or less normal - no more pain, sores, or blood (coming out, anyway). And, let's face it, that's what counts. That's why I bought it in the first place.

Also, a tube of Vaseline creates an unsightly bulge in one's coat pocket; this little tube fits discretely in any pocket. And it does last - I've had this tube now for a few years. Yes, you read correctly, YEARS. So I'm happy.

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Summary - the good, the bad, and the ugly (as seen on TV - OK, as seen on Advantages and Disadvantages above)
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THE UGLY - um...well, it IS vaguely urine coloured.
THE BAD - tastes nasty, feels greasy, it's relatively expensive, and might be hard to find in the UK
THE GOOD - it works!


Well, that's about all folks. How much can one say about a lip balm/salve/medicine? Oh, yeah - just one more thing. Like, it seems every other product in the world, ChapStick US has its own website - you can have a play at www.chapstick.com.


Cheers,
Kate

Summary: This stuff comes in a tube not a stick...industrial strength!