Can your lips get ‘addicted’ to balm?

No, your lips can’t get addicted to balm. It’s a persistent myth that crops up every once in a while. Years ago, Pieter-Jan Coenraads, professor of dermatology at the UMCG in Groningen, already researched it.

That research has shown that lip balm is not physically addictive. The lips cannot adapt their fat production to the balm use.

moisture balance

The epidermis of the lips consists of protein threads and various types of fats. This balance determines how much moisture the lips can hold. A disturbance of the balance results in dry lips. This can be caused by, for example, chronic inflammation or prolonged exposure to the sun. Low humidity (dry air) can also play a role because more water evaporates from the skin.

Coenraads thinks that the constant use of lip balm is provoked by the behavior of users. “Lip balm may encourage us to lick our lips more often, especially if the balm has a taste. If the skin becomes wet, dries and becomes wet again, dehydration quickly develops,” he says in De Volkskrant. “This creates a vicious circle of markers and licks. And the addiction is not in the balm but in the head.”

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