Q. Some lip balms made my chapped lips worse. I had rough raw skin from my nose to my chin. Then I remembered that my mother is allergic to lanolin (sheep’s wool oil). Once I stopped using products with lanolin, the problem went away.
My son was licking his lips and I told him to stop licking them and put something on them. He replied that it just made his lips worse. I bought him lip balm without lanolin and his problem was solved.
A. Although lanolin is an excellent moisturizer, some people are sensitive to it. Like you and your son, they do better to avoid it.
SBC noted:
“I used to use Blistex constantly throughout the day because my lips were always dry.
“I do know that I cannot use hand lotion with lanolin in it because it has the effect of drying, not moisturizing. One day I read the tiny print on the Blistex and discovered it, too, had lanolin in it. I now stay away from any lip balm with lanolin and usually just use Chapstick. The use is occasional, not constant.
“I’ve heard that sunscreen can also be irritating in lip balm. Perhaps people should pay more attention to ingredients. It seems to be hit-or-miss.”
Allergies to cinnamon or SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) found in toothpaste can sometimes cause chapped lips as well.
People searching for lip balm without lanolin may want to check out the People’s Pharmacy Natural Lip Care with Pomegranate.
