Issue date: 11/7/05 Section: Health

Sophomore Laura Esselman had her first taste in middle school because the product was "in." Several years later, Esselman said she can't go half an hour without it.

"When you put it on, it feels tingly," she said of her favorite brand. "You can feel it working."

While some pundits and theologians have thought it to be addictive, dermatologists and psychologists agree that lip balms, including Chap Stick, are, at most, a habit.

Webster's Dictionary defines addiction as follows: "To devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively" or "to cause (a person) to become physiologically dependent on a drug."

While lip balms often include substances to add flavor, fragrance or a specific sensation, Dr. Lawrence Scherrer - a Marshfield Clinic dermatologist - said the drugs used aren't addictive.

"Arguably, (lip balm) isn't always necessary and can become habitual," he said, "but there's no reason to think it's harmful or addictive."

According to Knight Ridder Tribune Information Services, some additives in Chap Stick and other lip balms have varied purposes. For instance, menthol and camphor can create a cooling and tingling sensation. On the other hand, they also can be labeled as "counter-irritants" that dry out the lips to heal cold sores. Additives like phenol kill bacteria and prevent infections, but aren't necessary until extreme cases arise.

According to KRT, new lip balms with zinc can battle herpes simplex - the viral strain that causes cold sores. Additionally, lip balms with sunscreen are very necessary and helpful in keeping lips supple and moist - even in the winter.

"Chap Stick is for dry lips like lotion is for dry skin," Scherrer said. "You could drink 10 gallons of water a day and still have dry lips in winter."

Chap Stick has a combination of lubricants and moisturizing substances to protect from cracking and to hold water in the skin, he added.

Perhaps the most useful additives in lip balms are sunscreens. As Scherrer said, the vermilion border that defined the lips against the rest of our skin can be lost over time due to sun damage.

According to an article released by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, three-fourths of adults studied at a beach in Texas still were sunburned after applying sunscreen. One of the reasons for this is commonly missed areas of sensitive skin such as the scalp and lips, according to the article.

Continued...

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