MY ONE TRUE LOVE
I took my first hit at the tender age of eleven. The little white, blue-papered tube of Mentholatum’s Natural Ice was just what I needed. The pasty, waxy little stick of goo slid on my lips so easily, and smelled minty. It felt amazing. Little did I know that the interesting cooling feeling that it left on my lips would start me down a tedious road to addiction. When I began using, lip balm was such an innocent thing. It was something you would smear on when those ‘studly’ elementary-school boys were near--it made you look more womanly and glamorous. It made me feel so old; so mature. It was the only make-up I would carry around as a worldly seventh-grader. Each tube of balm I went through, (in rapid succession, might I add), would hide in the warmth of my left-hand jeans pockets, and just wait. Fast forward six years. Here I sit, at the computer, a tube of Labello Plus perched on the top of the desk, just within reach. Why? Because I might need some? No, might isn’t even a factor anymore. I know I will need to hoist up that little green tube of lip balm, slide off the top, and smear the smooth, yellow, greasy stuff across my mouth. Once. Twice. Three or more times it will glide around my lips. Filling every space in a shiny coat of glue-y, shiny vitamin-enriched goop. So, here I am, teasing myself, tempting myself, convicting myself, as I compose my paper entitled “My One True Love”. No one could guess how often I hear; “Kim, why are you so stuck on using that lip crap?” “Do you ever put that stuff down?” “Are you addicted to lip balm?” or even, “Uh, Kim, although I do not believe in lip balm usage under the terms of addiction, I do support the medicinal use of it, and my lips are kinda dry...could I borrow your Lip Chap?”. I don’t think that anyone really realizes how serious this whole ‘chap stick’ thing is to me. It is not funny anymore. It is scary, almost. I have gotten to the stage in my problem where I must reapply about every ten minutes. I cannot fall asleep at night without a generous coat of lip balm, and I keep it by my bedside, ready, for the times when I wake up and need a hit. I apply before and after I eat, drink or go outdoors, and during stressful times, I find lip balm a tremendous comfort. I have grown to wonder about his whole “addiction” thing. Also, I have my suspicions regarding whether the companies that market balm realize how easily addictive their products consumers can be. Being a lip balm “junkie” has had it’s consequences, as well. At the end of my fourth year of using Natural Ice balm, I noticed a painful rash starting on my lips. Why did that happen? I have also noticed that there are so many brands of balm on the market. Where did all this lip balm come from? My personal experience with lip balm is an interesting one, and I am set out to prove that I am indeed addicted, and that there are specific reasons for this. The earliest forms of lip balm date back to the early 1880’s. Dr. C. D. Fleet, in Lynchburg, Virginia was the inventor of lip balm. He concocted a little wax salve, which looked like a tiny, wickless candle. He wrapped it in tinfoil, and sold it locally, which represented the very primitive version of today’s popular ChapStick. In 1912, The Morton family, from the same town, bought the rights to the product for $5. Mrs. Morton melted the rose-colored ChapStick down to its liquid form, on the family’s kitchen stove. She then poured the hot wax into small brass tubes and placed them out in the porch to cool. Once the tubes were cool, she would pry the molded wax sticks out and, from there, they would be shipped to neighboring cities for sale. From there, the empire known as ChapStick was born. In 1963, the A. H. Robins Company (located in Richmond, VA) bought ChapStick from the Morton’s. They added flavor to the balm in 1971, and then sunblock (SPF 15) in 1981. The company then continued to broaden and introduce the lines of ChapStick we are currently familiar with; ChapStick Petroleum Jelly (in regular, cherry, sunblock--all packaged in squeeze tubes), ChapStick Medicated (in tubes, squeeze tubes and little tiny tubs), and in the late 1990’s, a night-time formula, a strongly medicated formula, and a tinted kind that is intended to enhance the lip’s natural color. Now, the once hand-made ointment, is mass produced, and in September 1996, the company reported that balm sales were up 10.73%; dragging in $63,000,000 in revenues. In 1989, 85,000 units were produced, which has undoubtedly increased in the past twenty years. The industry of lip-protection has turned into a booming enterprise! The recipes have evolved significantly, as well as the formulas. A basic lip balm will now contain combinations of different types of petroleums, padimate O (a greasy topical sunscreen), lanolin (purified wool grease--a fat used as a base for lip balms), isopropyl (a strong alcohol compound) and phenol (an alcohol-like solid which is naturally very toxic). Menthol (a minty chemical compound), mineral oil (a by-product of distilled petroleum--an emollient, gives balm a smoothing effect), ozokerite (a natural wax), and cetyl alcohol (an alcohol derived of fats), all of which seeming rather unhealthy, but addictive nonetheless--and supposedly helpful. I have been lead to believe that the lip balms that contain menthol and phenol are the ones responsible for the rash I get after a period of usage--perhaps the combination of my sensitive skin and the extreme drying effect is to blame. The claims of the manufacturers about how their balms will help consumers achieve ‘healthy’, ‘smooth’, ‘soft’ lips can be seen as rather suspicious, when the ingredients in their enticing, friendly-sounding creams contain what they do. How can people (like myself...) become so hopelessly devoted to this chemical-laden goo? I polish off a tube of Labello Plus (a 4g portion) in about a week and a half. Obsessed? I think so. I can’t get enough of the stuff though. I have come to realize that I might be addicted. Addict: 1. To devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively. 2. To cause (a person) to become physiologically dependent on a drug. (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1981). Well, maybe I am addicted. The first thing I do when I crawl out of bed is grab my lip balm from off my nightstand, to carry it to the bathroom so I can apply right after I wash my face. Sometimes I do not even know that I am slathering the stuff on. Anyone who dares to steal my balm is subject to feverish wrath--they should know better--no one takes my lip balm. That is what they are implying with the “habitual surrender ” and “obsession”, I guess. I have realized that I am dependent on lip balm. I cannot go even an hour without applying, and I am unable to function without it. I suppose that warrants physiological dependency. So, maybe I am addicted. I fit the bill. I am almost like an alcoholic, or a smoker; lip balm is something I need. Without it, I suffer symptoms of withdrawal. My lips peel, sting, burn and I lick them constantly. Sometimes, I even become slightly temperamental. When I cannot find my lip balm, I will resort to using anything I possibly can--just to have something on my poor, bare lips. In blind madness and desperation, I have resorted to using such things as a bit of honey, butter, lotion, water and once, even hair conditioner. I cannot be sane. Do these companies that make lip balms know what their products do to the masses? Do they realize what their seemingly-harmless ointments are doing to the innocent general public? The makers of Carmex, a favorite among addicts, have suffered through rumors that they integrate fiberglass into their medicated balms to scratch and damage lips, therefore forcing users to reapply to relieve the irritation. Carma Labs denies this rumor devoutly, but pleads guilty to using salicylic acid--aspirin--in it’s cold-sore/chapped lips remedy throughout its 56-year history. They claim that the salicylic acid is used to dry out cold-sores and reduce swelling, as well as numb pain. Since Carmex was intended for cold-sores, but adopted by habitual balm users (adored for ’s medicinal tingle and protective texture), it dries lips out rapidly and forces users to apply and apply and apply... Misuse of products, such as Carmex, formulated to heal and treat problems have a “usage loop” (the product heals, but over-application can cause relapse of the initial problem, that will eventually be cured, and the cycle starts over again...) that keeps users dependent. Dermatologists maintain that lips naturally exfoliate approximately every 28 days, therefore warranting no need for lip balm. So, why do self-proclaimed lip balm addicts use, need and want lip balm? There are many answers; each differing with each user. I use lip balm because it keeps me from licking my lips and, because I like wearing potentially drying lipstick from time to time (rough lips with lipstick are not a pretty sight). During the winter, and summer, it protects my lips from the elements, which is one of the reasons most addicts use. Also, I love how lip balm feels on my lips and when I am nervous, I tend to chew on my lips, but when they have balm on them, it curbs the urge to nibble. Lastly, I use lip balm simply because I crave it. Lip balm companies know about us addicts. They must. This excerpt taken from a website, “Lip Balm Anonymous” explains it all. “Packages of Blistex Lip Medex (their version of Carmex) have the instructions "Apply up to 4 times daily." We called Blistex about this and they said that it was because of a Government regulation which says than topical analgesics must have this instruction. But the person at Blistex (who shall remain nameless) said that we shouldn't worry about it as the product is completely safe and that we could use it "as many times a day as we wanted." Can you believe it? The company is explicitly ignoring Federal regulations! Tell your friends and loved ones now to stop using this product more than four times daily (in fact, tell them to quit altogether!). The evil Industry of Addiction must be stopped!” (Kevin C., 1995) Some balms, such as Natural Ice, say right on the packaging that they are designed for “heavy usage”. They target those who apply frequently, and acknowledge them. It is these companies that do not help the avoidance of habit. If only my addiction could be stopped but, I have tried, and came up unsuccessfully. I have tried going “Cold Turkey” but that just doesn’t cut it. I’ve tried just gradually weaning myself off “the balm”, but, the face of habit rears its ugly head and yet again, I become another casualty to my addiction. I have gone to great lengths to try to kick the habit, but nothing really seems to work. I am starting to think that maybe I should scrap the idea of quitting, seeing how my various lip balms and I have so many memories together and all...so, again, I digress. Lip balm brands: You name it, I have tried it...and used it...and used it, and eventually become allergic to it. I have gone through Natural Ice, ChapStick, Carmex, Blistex and Vaseline Lip Therapy, all of which in every variety. I have used Body Shop and Soft Lips and Avon and Vitamin E and Lip Smackers. They all were virtually heavenly at the start, but eventually stung and itched within a second of application. Labello is the balm of choice for me though. This stuff has been trust-worthy for almost half a year, which is more than I can say for most of the other treatments I have test-driven. Labello comes in many different flavors; Plus (it has extra vitamins in it), Cherry Flavor, Sport (slightly water resistant and contains sunblock), Original, and Sun (mainly sunscreen--it is a pasty white color, even when applied. Good for summer, I guess ) which are available here, and Rose (pink-tinged), Kammile (with chamomile extract to calm lips) and Med (medicated) which are available in Australia and Germany. I cannot get enough of Labello Plus. I love its smooth texture and clean smell. It is not medicated, so it does not irritate my lips. It moisturizes my lips to just the right point and provides the right ‘feel’. If I become allergic to this type of lip treatment, I do not know where I would turn, seeing how I am sensitive to every other type on the market. This is indeed risky business. My addiction is at its pinnacle now, I believe. I have been going though tubes faster than ever, and at any given point in my school day, I always have at least two tubes of Labello with me. I have become extremely dependent on this substance. For example, two weeks ago, Bye Bye Birdie was in performance. After our second-last show, the entire cast decided to all meet at Moxies’ for a snack and for time to visit. Everyone was all settled in, and having a great time, until mid-meal, I went to retrieve my lip balm out of the left pocket of my jeans only to realize, with shock, that it was not there. I panicked. This never happens. I, with shaky hands, rummaged through my purse, only to realize that there was no lip balm there, either. (My friends report that I was mumbling incoherently at the time.). My mind was racing. I could not, for the life of me, remember where I had left my lip balm, until it dawned on me: both tubes of lip balm that I owned were locked in the school--in the basement of the auditorium, in my costume bag! I must have had an insanely shocked look on my face, because many cast members asked me what was wrong. I could not believe it though! Both lip balms were in the school, and they would be there overnight and until I got to the school the following day--how was I going to sleep? Well, all that definitely put a damper on the festivities that night, and somehow, with some Vaseline and some borrowed little-kid lip gloss from my sister, I (just barely) made it through the night. I should not have suffered like I did, though. I should not be so dependent on lip balm. The thing is, I am not the only person with this problem. Celebrities like Wynona Ryder and Johnny Depp also have this affliction. I have a few friends that suffer almost to the degree I do, and there is a site on the Internet, called “Lip Balm Anonymous” . This site has helped me. It is devoted to lip balm addicts, to those who recognize they have a problem, and to those who deny it. It is filled with information about balm manufacturers, and why their products are so addictive. The site houses a huge archive of addict testimonies; Dirk B. ‘continues to live with addiction’... “I've all but given up denying my addiction. I have those little barrels of Blistex hidden away everywhere. There's one in my car (in a little pocket in the driver's footwell, along with the tire pressure gauge), one at my bedside, one on the dresser and one in my desk drawer at work. I also have a small container that fits into the watch pocket in my jeans that I take with me whenever I know that I'll be away from my other stashes for longer than a few hours...” and helps users to know that they are not alone. The creator of the site, Kevin C., has an addict self-evaluation and has even fashioned a 12-step program to help users kick the habit. Although there are many doctors that believe that addiction to lip balm is impossible, there are many that believe that dependency is a common problem. When someone uses lip balm in excess, their lips stop producing their own moisture, therefore justifying frequent balm use to maintain lip comfort. The way I see it, those professionals can call it what they want. For the past six years, I haven’t been able to live without lip balm. I don’t know of any other way to describe my affliction. For example, while typing out this essay, I have kept a tally of how many times I applied my ‘lip stuff’. So far, the count is thirty-two. That is considerably good, though, considering the topic and all my mind has been fixated upon for the entirety of the paper. I often sit back and wonder how different my life would have been if six years ago, I did not give that tempting, tantalizing Natural Ice a try. Things would be considerably different. I would have more money, chapped lips, and, most importantly, I would have an everyday, dull, unoriginal essay topic.