Addiction is a bad thing, no matter what form it takes. Whether it’s vaping, alcohol, shopping, or video games, addiction can grip you and refuse to let go. But have you ever thought about a chapstick addiction? It sounds silly at first, but my addiction to chapstick is very real. Thinking about it constantly. Freaking out if I can’t find it. And, even buying a new one if I forget it at home. I go through tubes of chapstick so quickly that it’s almost embarrassing.
The Depths of My Chapstick Addiction
My chapstick of choice has always been Carmex. I’ve tried other brands, but I always come back to Carmex. For birthdays or Christmas, my friends and family would give me absurd amounts of it because they all knew that I always had a tube handy. And I was always applying it—anywhere from 2 to 6 times an hour! I’d apply so much that it would be all around my lips and chin.
I’ve never struggled with addiction in any other form, but Big Chapstick had me in the palm of their hands. My lips couldn’t go without some sort of moisturization at all times. I tried several things to help with the dryness, but I had used chapstick so religiously for so long that there was no hope of stopping. Honestly, I didn’t even want to stop.
Fighting Big Chapstick
As my boyfriend and I started making lifestyle changes to become more natural—avoiding seed oils and other unnecessary additives or chemicals—I became more aware of my overconsumption of chapstick. It started to hit me how unhealthy it must be to ingest everything that chapstick is made of.
My boyfriend begged and pleaded with me to use chapstick less, saying that eventually, I’d be able to stop altogether. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really couldn’t just use it less. My lips craved it so badly, and then it was all I could think about. I also learned that Big Chapstick uses drying agents in their formulas to make their products addictive. They want us to feel like our lips continually need more.
Searching For A Healthier Alternative
Going cold turkey wasn’t an option for me, so we knew there had to be a healthier option—something that actually does what lip balm is supposed to do for your lips. My boyfriend was on the hunt to find me something better, although I was extremely hesitant about it. He made me promise to try this new, healthier chapstick for at least three weeks. If, at the end of those three weeks, I didn’t feel like it worked, I could go back to using my beloved Carmex.
My boyfriend loves watching Brendan, the creator behind Santa Cruz Medicinals. He had bought their products before and was always happy because everything was formulated simply and with the best ingredients. Brendan also sells a lip balm called Bee and Beef Balm, which is exactly what it sounds like—just beeswax and beef tallow.
Does It Break My Chapstick Addiction?
The day it finally arrived in the mail, I was so anxious to try it. As much of a chapstick snob as I am, I was convinced I would hate it and that it wouldn’t even come close to being as good as Carmex or Aquaphor.
But with just the first application, I loved it! It glided on perfectly, coated my lips great, and lasted such a long time—way longer than Carmex or any other brand I had ever used. Since then, I’ve primarily used the Bee and Beef Balm. I’ve tried going back to Carmex just to see if I missed it, but I noticed how quickly it came off my lips and how much less moisturized they felt.
Finding a natural alternative like Bee and Beef Balm made all the difference. My lips feel healthier, and I’m no longer caught in the cycle of constantly reapplying chapstick. I can really tell how much less I am having to apply the balm and it’s only getting better. If you’re struggling with the same Big Chapstick addiction, I highly recommend giving Bee and Beef Balm a try. You might just be surprised at how much better your lips can feel!