Rave: carmex lip balm
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free skin care · Sun Jul 09, 2006 4:42 am

This is a balm that you either hate or love it. it says it is balm that heals chapped lips and cold sore. I don't have cold sore or chapped lips, but I do have my lipskin balls up and dry skin that flars up. I have had a hard time applying lipstick or gloss. but this little thing did wonders to my lips. after using last night, I find myself looking at absolutely softe lips and my l/s went on smoothly for the first time in a long time. now, while I love what it did afterwards, I absolutely hated it at first becouse of its smell.too me it has a rather nasty mediciny smell, and it has tingling feeling like peppermint. however, if you can bear it, then it is a wonderful. note, if you have very dry lips, it might be a bit drying alone. I added another balm on top of it. I only wish it had a nicer smell.

free skin care · Tue May 22, 2007 9:11 pm

the only drawback is its taste.

free skin care · Tue May 22, 2007 9:43 pm

RE: Carmex. Sad

BEWARE!! The cooling greasy feeling is highly addictive. Do you really want to have to be applying it continuously...say every 10 minutes?? That looks kinda silly and it eventually dries out your lips! It is only to be used on cold sores, not the entire lip area. Believe me, I was a Carmex Junkie for a looooong time, and it takes a lot of self restraint and discomfort to get off the stuff.
A warning label should be plastered all over the innocuously-looking little jar!!! It is pure evil!

Wed May 23, 2007 1:16 pm

I can't leave the house without this item!

free skin care · Wed May 23, 2007 1:39 pm

I have a new favorite now.
I love Roc Enydrial repairing lip care. it does not have any taste or sensation. it really hydrates and the hydration last a long time.
the only drawback is that it is bit expensive.

free skin care · Wed May 23, 2007 7:00 pm

I've never tried Carmex. Has anyone compared it to Blistex Lip Medex?

free skin care · Sun Jun 24, 2007 12:52 am

I used to use it but never liked it although the prices are pretty good.

free skin care · Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:08 pm

I think this was my FIRST * spam alert * lipbalm the second was Blistex Lip Medex. I still have at least a pot of either one in the house at any time.

free skin care · Mon Jun 25, 2007 9:53 am

The thing to watch out for is that Carmex contains salicylic acid as its active ingredient, which is a drying agent (commonly used in blemish/acne medication). That's the part that's meant to dry out cold sores. So some gals may experience it drying their lips worse, and so they start putting it on more and more to "soothe" it - thus starts the cycle that led to the rumor that Carmex is addictive. That, and it has petroleum, which forms a barrier that locks moisture both in and out - so for some women, this will seem super-moisturizing, and for others it's actually quite drying. Not for everyone, that's all, and make sure you try something else if it dries/cracks/flakes/peels your lips.

free skin care · Mon Jun 25, 2007 4:26 pm

I started using Carmex in my teens and yes, my lips became addicted to it - won't touch the stuff now, if I want a lip balm with a more "cooling" effect, I'll use Trader Joe's virtuoso with aloe vera.

free skin care · Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:45 am

Agree with whoever mentioned about the taste! Yuck. Has anyone tried Kiehl's It's a bit expensive but quite good....

free skin care · Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:07 pm

i agree with ginnie, i would never use carmex because of the salicylic acid they have. they ddon't even state what percentage it is.

free skin care · Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:27 pm

Huh, I never even thought about that, as I haven't used the stuff since I was a little kid, but you're right, they don't mention it! Any time I don't see a percentage next to an active ingredient like that, a little red flag goes up for me.

free skin care · Wed Jun 27, 2007 6:40 am

i absolutely heart this lip balm! i have it in tube and tub form. the smell or taste from the tub is better then the one from the tube.

at first i couldnt quite get use to the tube form but after using it a couple of times, i grew to like it. weird of me isnt it? Laughing

my lip is very dry and especially when working in air-conditioned environment, it caused your lips to be drier. but this really helps to moisture my lips.

i kept the tube ones in office as it is easier to apply and the tub ones at home.

free skin care · Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:05 am

I love Carmex. I have a tube, Mint with spf 30.

Actually, the salicylic acid isn't really a drying agent, it's a BHA, an exfoliant. And it's not stated what the percentage is probably because it's not a significant amount. So, it's gently exfoliating your lips to make them smoother, not drying them out. Maybe if you apply it too often it can seem like it's drying them out, but really it's just over application (you wouldn't put on any BHA/AHA product on your face 10 times a day, would you?) . I use it maybe three times a day. And i have no problem. Just a thought.

free skin care · Sat Jun 30, 2007 1:22 am

ginnielizz wrote:

The thing to watch out for is that Carmex contains salicylic acid as its active ingredient, which is a drying agent (commonly used in blemish/acne medication). That's the part that's meant to dry out cold sores. So some gals may experience it drying their lips worse, and so they start putting it on more and more to "soothe" it - thus starts the cycle that led to the rumor that Carmex is addictive. That, and it has petroleum, which forms a barrier that locks moisture both in and out - so for some women, this will seem super-moisturizing, and for others it's actually quite drying. Not for everyone, that's all, and make sure you try something else if it dries/cracks/flakes/peels your lips.

Oh...really...

i have just one since many people said it is useful. And for me, it is good...but i think i will give up since i dun want to "addictive".

Crying or Very sad

free skin care · Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:21 pm

Well, I do think violetanne has a good point - just treat it like you would any other BHA treatment, and don't over-apply. I don't think it's truly "addictive", it's just that many women find it has a drying effect on their lips, and are perplexed because they don't realize that's actually how it's designed (the salicylic acid helps dry/exfoliate cold sores, so it's actually great for that purpose, but chapped lips are different).

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