Yes, it’s true. My parents know it, my friends know it, even my professors know it; I am addicted to chapstick. It has been something I have been dealing with since middle school, and like most addictions, began after a horrific event.
I was 15, fresh off a breakup, when I began to notice how dry my lips were. I tried using more chapstick, but it was to no avail. My lips soon created slits in the corners of my mouth, then began spreading a dry patch around my entire mouth area. I eventually went to the doctor, where she told me I had a form of Impetigo. She told me that my chapped lips had somehow become infected, and it was spreading along my mouth. I was treated with antibiotics, which I then had an allergic reaction to. Eventually, it cleared away. School was hell for me at this time because now I had people staring at me because of both my face and because I had been recently broken up with…middle school is great, right?
(Picture of a child with Impetigo, slightly similar to what my mouth looked like)
From that time on, chapstick and I have been inseparable. I always have AT LEAST one chapstick in my pocket, one in my house, one in my car, and one in my backpack. On vacations, I usually bring at least 4-5 chapstick with me, as I am very prone to losing them as well. For holidays, I am usually gifted quite a few by my loved ones (enablers, I know). My life, basically, revolves around chapstick.
(Me…just, me.)
I’m sure you’re thinking that I MUST be a chapstick snob then, right? I only use the “high quality” chapsticks or have a select few that I find suitable for my lips? Truth is, I could care less what kind or what flavor chapstick I own. I will use ANYTHING if it means my lips are hydrated. I do, of course, have ones that I prefer over others.
Classic Cherry by ChapStick
I have used this chapstick for the longest and like it quite a bit. It has a great flavor and adds a tiny pop of color, all while hydrating my lips.
Aquaphor Advanced Therapy
I use this when it’s the dead of winter and my lips are really craving some moisture. It is scentless and flavorless and does its job very well. All at an affordable price, too!
Blistex Nurture & Nourish
This chapstick…THIS is my favorite chapstick in the whole world! The way this chapstick makes your lips feel is amazing, and the flavor is the best I have ever experienced. Sadly, I think they have discontinued this kind of chapstick, because I find it almost impossible to buy. This kind, though, will always be my favorite.
Now that I have spilled my secret to the world, I hope you find peace with the little addiction you have in your life. Everyone has something they can’t live without: chocolate, Netflix, gum, music. As long as it doesn’t hurt you or anyone else, there’s nothing wrong with it. So long and keep those lips hydrated!