Ready to pucker up! (Blisteze Cream)

Member Name: jasminesarah

Product:	Blisteze Cream
Date:	27/09/08 (137 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hard core lip salve, when you need more than balm

Disadvantages: I keep losing mine, that's all though!

I've always suffered from dry lips - no, it's worse than that, verging on a dermatological problem, in that the skin around my lips puffs and gets tight and red and dry. It is really incredibly attractive, and actually feels much worse than it looks (even). This used to happen much more when I was younger, in any stressful situation, even when I wasn't aware of feeling stressed, like long journeys for example. It is kind of a self perpetuating situation, because it hurts and looks horrible which makes you feel depressed and more stressed, especially as it tends to happen around special occasions. (Don't all clamour for a date at once.)

Anyway, as I said, it happens a lot less these days, but back in the day I used to try just about all the lip balms and salves on the market. From medicated ones to delicious Body Shop fruit flavoured concoctions - they didn't work. At least, they gave some immediate relief but didn't help actually solve the problem, and they sometimes gave me a sore throat (from licking my lips I guess) and even better (joy of joys) the greasiness caused me to get spot around my mouth. Cue another vicious circle of misery and stress. I felt like staying in with a bag over my head.

Those of you who haven't suffered from skin problems may think this is over reacting - those of you who have, won't. However, there is a happy ending, because I discovered 'Blisteze Relief Cream'. The 'Relief' say it all! I still call it Blisteze, even though it changed to Blistex some years back (I still say Opal Fruits too, yes. Don't even get me started about Marathon.) The pack was exactly as it looks above, although these days it is slightly different and the blue is a lighter shade.

Blisteze comes in a tiny metal tube, the sort that when you take the lid off it comes out in a stream and you have to scoop some onto your finger and ram the lid back on quick! It is white, and freshly minty smelling. A little bit goes a long way, and I can honestly say that this is the only lip cream, balm or salve that has ever made my lips feel better when they are on a self destructive road to nowhere (you know, metaphorically). Apply fast enough, and the problem never happens. Although it does feel slightly greasy on the lips, it has never blocked my pores in the way that other products have.

Blisteze, sorry, Blistex, now sell myriad other flavours and varieties of lip balm. All of them are soft options in comparison to this one, as far as I am concerned. They've tried to corner the gloss and shine end of the market, but should really stick to what they are good at, which basically is life-saving lip cream. The original is described as "medicated cream for quick relief of cold sores, cracked, chapped and sore lips". It does exactly that.

Available from chemists and some supermarkets - priced at £3 - £4.

Summary: Try this if you're suffering