Lip balm

Lip balm often contains beeswax or carnauba wax, camphor, cetyl alcohol, lanolin, paraffin, and petrolatum, among other ingredients.

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.

[4] In the 1800s, Lydia Maria Child recommended earwax as a treatment for cracked lips in her highly-popular book, The American Frugal Housewife.

[8] 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.

[8] 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.

[10] In 1937, Alfred Woelbing created Carmex to treat cold sores in Milwaukee, though the occurrence of World War 2 would slow the production and sales due to the lack of lanolin.

[4] 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.

[citation needed] Some physicians have suggested that certain types of lip balm can be addictive or contain ingredients that actually cause drying,[15] the accuracy of which has been debated by many professionals.

[17] 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.

[25] Beezin' is a trend dating back to 2013 in which a person applies Burt's Bees brand lip balm onto the eyelids.

[28] Some ingredients, including peppermint oil, are known to be eye irritants which can cause an unintentional inflammatory response which may require treatment and may also cause dermatitis on the eyelids.