Remember how I asked you if obsessively applying lip balm is a problem for you? Recently, it certainly has been a problem for me, particularly after a case of medication-induced angular cheilitis (aka cracks on the corner of the mouth). Enter Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment ($2), a very inexpensive drugstore option that contains camphor, menthol, and phenol, all of which, I might add, can actually cause drying of the lips.
That aside, when all was said and done, the Blistex did indeed provide relief to my chaffed, sore lips. This treatment has somewhat of a medicinal, minty smell, but not in a completely overpowering kind of way. Its creamy texture does indeed take longer to blend into the skin than, say, a ChapStik or Vaseline-based ointment-type formula. Often, I was left with obvious whitish marks where the product had been applied, but after a minute or two, the white marks vanished, and all was good with the world again. Speaking of all that's good, what I like most about this lip product is that it doesn't have a strange aftertaste, and it's not greasy. In fact, I consider it more of a conditioner than anything else — a conditioner with medicinal properties. As for the cracked corners of my lips, after a few days, the problem was. . .salved. Sorry.
