Allergic to Lip Products?

I am 18 years old, and I have never been allergic to anything in my life. As part of my nightly routine, I've always put on lip balm before bed. However, late last year, my lips started to get more dry and chapped than usual, even itchy. They felt like sand paper and often developed tiny bumps. If rubbed hard enough, the bumps would produce a clear liquid. The edges of my lips also sometimes felt very raw and red. These symptoms would last around a week.
At the time, I had been using just plain Burt's Bees Lip Balm for many weeks. When I got the symptoms, I used a bit more of the balm than I usually did, thinking it would help the dryness. When nothing seemed to be working, I stopped using it altogether. In time, my lips healed, and I switched to Softlips lipbalm in both vanilla and peppermint flavors. I showed no reaction from their usage for about a month. Then, I started getting the same reaction that I got from the Burt's Bees Lip Balm. That was when I figured I was developing an allergy to lip balm. Over time, I also realized I was getting the same reaction even faster from lipstick and lipgloss. That meant I was allergic to all lip products across the board.
I began researching into the symptoms and the ingredients in lip products, especially ones that commonly produced allergic reactions. With that knowledge in mind, I've tried many other balms these past months, including ones by Blistex and Kiss my Face. I'm even allergic to plain Chapstick. At first, I would not show any symptoms at all, but they would eventually show up within a few weeks, sometimes days. I even tried alternating the balms every night, which helped slightly but I would eventually get the reaction again. Nowadays, I only wear lip balm every few nights because I can't stand having chapped lips, but never multiple nights in a row. Even then, there's always a chance of my reacting to it.
I haven't been able to pinpoint the exact ingredient that I'm allergic to, and I'm hesitant to spend any more money to try more products. I haven't changed anything about my diet, makeup, facewash, mouthwash, or toothpaste, so I am very certain that it's the lip products. After my research I've also found that other people have had the same problem.

Has any product been found that works but doesn't trigger a reaction from people with my allergies?

I've heard that Vaseline is possibly the only solution, but because of my research I've been staying away from products with petroleum and petrolatum in them. Should I try it out anyway?

[FurballsMom]

I'm having a similar issue.  Some products have even burned my lips.  My lips are always peeling.  Now, the dry flaking skin is above the upper lip where a man would have a mustache.  I'm starting to really worry, because I've always had to be concerned about dry lips.  Now, it's getting to the point where I'm not able to use much of anything on my lips without some kind of reaction.  I'm starting to think my allergies are just getting worse and worse and this may be because of my Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS).  This is really getting frustrating.

I tried Sun, made by Alba Botanicals, but I can't use it, because it definitely burns my skin.  I try to be careful about reading the ingredients before purchasing to ensure the product doesn't have something in it that I know I'm allergic to.  So, I don't know what it is that I'm allergic to in this particular product.  I know I can't use any commercial brands, and I can't use anything with calendula oil in it, because I'm definitely allergic to calendula oil.  I found that out the hard way.

Yet, if I have skin scratch allergy tests, the tests all show negative, except for a couple of things, like birch and dust mites.  My allergist recognizes, though, that this doesn't mean that someone doesn't have a reaction to a certain item.  I will throw up now if I eat lettuce or spinach.  Yet, the allergy tests show negative for an allergy.  Obviously, though, I'm still having a bad reaction to the produce.  I discovered in researching cross reactions that lettuce and spinach are in the same botanical family as sunflowers, marigolds and calendulas.  This means dandelions, too.  This is a really broad botanical group.

I haven't had a whole lot of success trying vaseline or petroleum jelly for my lips either.  I'm kind of turned off by the idea of petroleum products myself, so I know what you mean.  I tried it anyway and I was still having problems with my lips.  Not as much as with some things, but they still peeled and still turned a darker red from being irritated.  

I'm really at a loss myself, because of having similar issues.  I don't know what's wrong.  I'm really frustrated, because I peel like a lizard everyday, so I don't have the normal amount of skin on my lips any more either.  It's more than a little uncomfortable.

I sure hope someone else knows what the answer is to what is going on for both of us.

[dpanda]

Hi you guys!
I came across this post and I thought I would share what I was able to find.  I have the same problem too!

If you look at most of the ingredients in your lip glosses/chapsticks/or any other lip product that you are allergic to, you can almost pinpoint what is causing your bad reactions.  It's different for everyone, so I can't provide an answer for you guys, but I can tell you that I am allergic to Chapstick, Carmex, MAC lipglasses/glosses soft lips, and other random free chapsticks that I had gotten as gifts, ie rosebud's.  I found out that I am allergic to petroleum, and anything that has to do with SPF.   I would try and see if that is the case, and avoid Vaseline, because petroleum jelly is Vaseline.  and for me at least, I can use Vaseline anywhere else, except on my lips.  On wiki there is a list of other things you can use, like coconut oil/butter to soothe chapped lips, or even honey.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapped_lips
I would also try and cut back on the usage of chapstick just because, just from my own personal experience, when I use my chapstick too often i end up with more of a chapped lip if i forget my chapstick at home or i just don't have it with me.  As for an allergic reaction to burt's bees, some people have very sensitive skin/lips and are irritated (not allergic) to the peppermint in the chapstick.  I would also try and exfoliate the lips every so often with a sugar and olive oil mixture, as seen on youtube, or just with your toothbrush (VERY gently scrubbing) to keep your lips soft and smooth :] .  

I hope this helps!

[FurballsMom]

I've been using shea butter lately.  And, I've been using coconut oil from time to time--same stuff you buy at the health store that you cook with.  

I think part of my problem might be a vitamin B deficiency.  One of the doctors here told me that vitamin B2 and B12 should be supplemented more.  Well, I must need to get a better form of B12 then, because that's the one that it matters which form you use or your body doesn't even take it in and it will go right through you.  These are water soluble vitamins, just so you know.  And, I know it's safe to take high doses of vitamin B2, because that's what my neurologist has me doing as a migraine preventative.  I thought I would mention this, because this could be someone else's source of the problem--on top of being allergic to various lip products.

[FurballsMom]

I've been using shea butter lately.  And, I've been using coconut oil from time to time--same stuff you buy at the health store that you cook with.  

I think part of my problem might be a vitamin B deficiency.  One of the doctors here told me that vitamin B2 and B12 should be supplemented more.  Well, I must need to get a better form of B12 then, because that's the one that it matters which form you use or your body doesn't even take it in and it will go right through you.  These are water soluble vitamins, just so you know.  And, I know it's safe to take high doses of vitamin B2, because that's what my neurologist has me doing as a migraine preventative.  I thought I would mention this, because this could be someone else's source of the problem--on top of being allergic to various lip products.

[Cazzy277]

hey!
i'm 19 and I am not a big lip chap user, but every time I start to use ANY lip product for more than two days my lips go crazy! Like I will get red bumps near them and they become super chapped! So, i switched to regular vaseline (the lip chap and the stuff that comes in the container) but that caused the same effect... so then i switched to olive oil and no success! If you ever do find something PLEASE post it here! The winter makes my lips so dry but I can't use anything because of those disgusting red spots....

[Karoru]

Hey, everyone, thanks for all of your input! I will definitely be trying some of your solutions, like the olive and coconut oil and shea butter. I also wanted to let you know that I ended up trying Vaseline anyway, and it's worked for these past few months. I'm still on the hunt for a better solution, but for now, Vaseline is doing its job without any negative side effects.

[Nyathera]

hey guys i'm fifteen and am having the same problem with my lips. i started using avon's moisture therapy chapstick and so far it hasn't done anything but it does have SPF and Petrolatum in it. i just started using it a few days ago so i'll let you know if i have a reaction but so far so good.

[ChappedLips]

Wow I'm not alone.  Amazing!  I've been battling this crazy thing with my lips for almost a year now.  My first symptoms started up after I got a really bad sunburn and started using a lot of chapstick on them to heal them.  But they never cleared up!  I've gotten to the point where I use a chapstick of sorts constantly.  My lips are always dry!   But then when I think they're starting to get better and I just put on a regular pretty lip gloss they start to freak out.  They get all red especially around the edges, and sometimes they get swollen and oozy.   I also constantly get cracks in the corners of my mouth because my skin gets so dry and irritated!  I'm currently desperately searching for some way to clear this up!  I've gone to a doctor who suggested that I may be getting a yeast infection in the corners of my mouth and after giving me cream, it maybe has helps the cracks a little bit but my lips are still dry.  I'm going back to the doctor next week because I'm starting to believe that I have an allergy to something.  So far I'm trying to eliminate lip balms with lanolin.  I also have shown some irritation to products with petrolatum.  Neosporin daily lip treatment, Palmers lip balm, Aquaphor, and Blistex lip renewal seem to help but don't completely alleviate the symptoms.  Neosporin night treatment, carmex, vasoline, chapstick, burts bees, other blistex have all made the symptoms worse!  With all of those products I have experienced the red swollen, peeling lips.  Please keep posting anything that you've tried that helps!

[bflynn1985]

I am very happy to have found this post because I have the same problem with my lips.  I am 25 yrs old and the same reaction started to occur when I was a senior in high school.  Any type of lip products that I used would cause the same problem: my lips would become really itchy and chapped and then the itchy red bumps would occur.  My doctor referred me to a dermatologist.  He asked me when I used lip products did I find that my lips would still continue to be chapped and I explained the symptoms to him.  He said that I had a skin condition that pretty much doesn't allow me to wear any lip products. He prescribed me this medicine that I had to have made at a compound pharmacy, for a half of tube of this medicine, it cost me like $50...for a full tube $90!  I am sorry to report that I can not remember the name of the medicine but I am sure if you find a decent dermatologist who knows what they are talking about, they will be able to prescribe you the same medicine.  My parents couldn't afford the medicine anymore so I had to find a different remedy to help with my chapped lips.  I noticed on the medicine tube that one of the ingredients was Crisco.  So as gross as it may sound people, I started using Crisco as my lip product and it actually has been working great.  Well not too great because it doesn't last long but it does help with the chapped lips and offers a temporary shine like I have used lipgloss.  My boyfriend has even resorted to using it so he can kiss me.  He is not allowed to kiss me when he has chapstick on becuase I have had small reactions that way as well.  I recommend getting a small container and putting it in there because carrying around a tub of Crisco is not cute and very heavy in your purse and trying to be discreet about using Crisco on your lips is a whole other challenge but it works!  I also found that when I ate fruit, I would have the same reaction so I have been lip product and fruit free for 7 years now.  Well, not exactly fruit free, I will enjoy a glass of orange juice once in a while with no reaction haha.  So be brave and try the Crisco.  Also
when I was using the expensive medicine that was prescribed to me, I googled it and found it was used for some form of ezcema (eczema).  I hope this has helped!  Good luck!

[Yubi]

The internet is a wonderful thing. Had no idea so many people had a similar problem. I have been an avid Chapstick wearer for as long as I can remember. Over a month ago, I suddenly developed what I thought was a cold sore on my lips even though at 36 years old, I never had one before. I used Carmex and it didn't get much better- but after a week went away. Then I got another red patch on my lips for a week- and another. I was trying several Chaptsticks, Carmex, Breva, and vaseline finally when nothing seemed to work or make it feel better. Then I wondered if maybe the problem was an allergic reaction rather than a cold sore. I didn't think it was possible to all of a sudden become allergic to something you were always using. By coincidence, I was putting Aquaphor Healing Ointment on my daughter's rash that the pediatrician recommended and I noticed it said for chapped lips too. I tried it. It has been working great for me. It stays on for hours, it doesn't taste like anything, it feels good, and you need just a small drop. My rash went away. This morning, I forgot my Aquaphor at home and grabbed a Chapstick I had in the car. Hours later a rash appeared again. I guess I am allergic to something in Chapstick. I definitely recommend trying Aquaphor.

[psychebleu]

I've had this problem too..even to plain ol Chaptick. I think it is the SPF used and lanolin- of all things. The only lipbalm I'm sure does not cause an allergic reaction so far is Badger Balm lipbalms. Try them. :)

[psychebleu]

Oh...and plain Vaseline Lip Therapy- *without* spf.. I've tried tons of balms, and basically have narrowed it down to avoiding lanolin and spf.

[psychebleu]

If petroleum is a problem, try Badger Balm products without spf. Natural and no lanolin- which was one of my problem ingredients.

[bee408]

Hello. My toddler has a chapped lip too, just the upper middle part. It's been chapped for 1 mo. Dr. said it is NOT herpes, just chapped. Carmex turned her into lip balm addict. She pick constantly just to get more. Then I read about the camphor in it and pharmastist said NOT to use it for chapped lips b/c it's really desgined to dry out cancer soars, which she doesn't have.  Pharmastist and Dr. both rec. vaseline -- white pet. jelly.  

I read how Petrolatum might be loosely linked to breast cancer and was concerned that it's not rec. my "Dr. Oz" on TV.  I switched to Neosporin Adv. Lip therapy at night, vaseline during the day, and Yes to Carrots carrot flavor lip balm as a treat for her.   Her condition is a bit better, but still not good. I went to a dermatologist and asked for more advice. She said to stop the neosporin advanced therapy because neosporin is a common allergon and just use straight vaseline. I inquired about all the things people are saying about petrolatum, and she claims it's still industry standard to use it. She says they will even perscribe it for all cover head to toe care on babies who have bad ezcema (eczema).  

So, I noticed that some vaseline knock offs contain fragrances.  I bought plain 100% fragrance free vaseline and some little travel container pots to put some in for on the go.  I will see how this works.

BTW, I tried Badger balm cocoa butter balm and hated it!  I do like Yes to Carrots and ESO lip balms. They are 95% natural. I also like Burts Bee SPF8 passionfruit.  These products don't iritate me.  Since my little girl doesn't have a full vocabulary yet, I don't know if they are iritating her. She likes them and would eat them. For this reason, I am sticking with her Dr's, pharmasists and dermatologist's advice and giving her vaseline and then Burts Bee SPF 8 when in sun.

I will post back in a month if it works.

[chapstickgirl43]

I am glad to find that I am not alone in this insane lip situation! It drives me crazy! It happened to me this time last year (I have always been an avid user of regular chapstick) and last year I suddenly starting having swollen and painful lips (more on both ends/sides and some on the edges...not so much the middle of the lips at all). They were very red and gross looking and I felt like a clown...I hated it! After about a week of it I started using/trying everything I could find over the counter at CVS and other pharmacies with no luck. I was spending tons of money and even trying anti-allergy things when I started to wonder if it was an allergic reaction vs. just dry/angry lips. :-) After about a month with it healing only slightly from time to time (and then immediately come back in full force) I found the CVS brand equivalent of Blistex (of which all of their products I had tried) - just called Medicated Lip Ointment and shaped exactly like Blistex in a red box. It worked wonders! Of all the things to trip across a 2 dollar bottle of relief! I was so excited. Anyways the reason I am posting it now a year later is that this same thing just happened to me two nights ago....and my lips are on fire/itchy and red again (identical symptoms to last year's debacle) and I can say with almost 100% certainty that it was from verying from that CVS stuff that I have been so loyal to. While at CVS picking up another tube I saw this new Blistex with mint (and spf which likely contributes as well for some reason) and for some reason I felt like trying it. Well I broke it out in the car and used it - felt great nice and minty and refreshing on my lips....used it a bit more at home later...and that night red/swollen lips again! Full force like before....ugh! Well I am kicking myself for experimenting with another brand/lip balm right now but I can't say I am clueless this time, I even had a thought about using that yesterday like, "Watch I'll probably have those crazy lips again" I don't know why I even tried it!! But It's back to only the CVS brand for me! Just wanted to post this to let others know they are definitely not alone for sure and to offer up the suggestion of that CVS brand - it worked wonders for me for some unknown reason and I have no questioned it - the ingredients are almost identical for this and the Blistex brand but for some reason that didn't work at all for me. Anyways, good luck to everyone out there with this annoying allergy!  

[elinheida]

I am so glad I found this post. I have been battling with this problem for 10 years now. I can not use any kind of lip balm and lipstck or gloss. I have however been able to use lipgloss from clinique for fashion emergencies. The most annoying thing about this is going out to some fancy ball or dinner and not get to color your lips a little :(
So Clinique is ok as long as I dont reapply more than once or twice and make sure to clean my lips very well after the evening and applying cream after.
The cream I mostly use to prevent dry lips is Locobase but it does contain petrolatum and since this is the only cream I can use I am ok with that.

However, I recently started to try to use eye cream directly on my lips before I go to bed and so far it is working wonders for me. My lips have never been so soft and moist :)  So I think trying the eye cream is worth a try. I am currently using an eye cream from Clinique.

Good luck to you all, lets hope we find a cure for this problem so we can all look fabulous with what ever lip product we choose ;)

[Dr Rajput]

Hi, welcome to the forum, some people are allergic to many things in daily routine due to body hypersensitivity.

As you are having rash, swelling, pimples due to use of lip balm avoid the use of lip balm as soon a possible to avoid further complication. If you are using it for moisturizing you have a good alternative which is safe to use. In such condition maintenance of adequate hydration of the skin is quite important. Which includes thick creams (eg, Eucerin, Cetaphil, Nutraderm), which have a low water content, or ointments (eg, petroleum jelly, Aquaphor, Petrolatum), which have zero water content, are better.

You need to consult skin specialist for some allergen test before applying lip balm. Take care and regards.

[leslie398]

I had the same issue with my lips last year...first tingling, then redness, swelling, small bumps, pain/sensitivity and oozing liquid. My lips would become dry and flaky as they healed...duration of about a week...several cycles throughout winter season. I had no idea what was causing it..at first I thought it was normal chapped lips as the symptoms were not so severe...but after the second and third cycles I suspected it was something more...as my lips were quite swollen (clown like in fact), painful and oozing. I was trying all sorts of chapsticks and lip treatments...including burt's bees peppermint...Eventually, I cut everything and started using aquaphor on a doctor's recommendation. The aquaphor helped with the chapping, but I still had the red rash and bumps...test results came back...I had acquired a staph infection (most likely through the cracks in my lips). I took medication and all cleared up within a week. I started using regular store brand cherry chapstick about a week later. No symptoms from March until now. My cherry chapstick ran out and I bought Burt's Bees peppermint again (which has been a favorite of mine for years). My lips had not really been chapped since last year's issues, but I generally wear chapstick on a daily basis. Well, hours after applying the peppermint chapstick my lips started to tingle (and not in a pepperminty way) in a "oh no, not again way". The next day they were swollen, and dry...no oozing yet. I have stopped using the peppermint chapstick...I probably was allergic to it all along...I will have to be careful with other chapsticks though...as it seems that many people have multiple chemical sensitivities.

Word to the wise...if you notice a strange reaction (extra chapped lips...tingling...redness, swelling, and especially oozing...do not be careless like I was...those symptoms are not normal chapping and most likely are related to an allergy). Stop using all lip products before your lips crack and become infected like mine! Do not try out different products all at once...you will irritate your lips further. The price of lip balm can add up, and so do doctor's bills! It takes about a week for the allergic reaction to stop (in my case at least), so I will wait at least that long before trying a different product...once you've experienced this awful malady you never want to go back!  

Happy holidays everyone!

[liebfraumilch]

Try NIVEA Med Protection, it helps really fast. Your super dry & chapped lips will get back to normal in less than a week :)
Good luck & Happy New Year to all of you :)

[nikki741]

WOW!! i thght i had some new disease...aliens testing on me :p..
Jokes apart,  I had never been allergic to lip glosses/lip stick/lip balms my whole life.. bt few days back, my lips chapped severely to the point they were so raw and i felt like a freak going out..everyone would stare at my lips, cause they were chapped so badly, there was a mountain of dead skin, which no matter what i did, did not clear, no scrubbing, cleaning wid clean brush, exfoliating..nuthin worked, it would seem to work at dat point but sleep at nite nd bam they were back the next morning..I wud get up wid another mountain of dead skin..it used to burn like hell...wud be like dat for a few days and then heal automatically and then a few days later the same story repeats..it always starts wid tiny almost invisible bumos on my upper and lower corner of the lips nd gradually spread accrss before healing itself...
After a  few times , i started using glycerin at nite.. I wud apply it all over and wait for an hour or so and just b4 going to sleep wud apply vaseline...dat seems to work. However if i apply lip gloss or  lip balm(while going out ofcourse) it wud b alrite for a while but the next morning my lips would start to get dry and the tiny bumps pay their visit again :p.. this even after i remove any traces of the lip gloss/balm before going to bed..also I have noticed that if i skip my glycerin and vaseline routine for a day or two my lips start getting dry and start burning..I am not sure wat dis is or how long wud I have to suffer like dis, it is so embarrasing and depressing..I cannot even kiss my BF as i am not sure if dis is infectious :'(
please let me knw if anyone finds out any cure...doctors and scientists...are u listening???..

[katrod]

I have suffered the same symptoms myself red itchy rash, very dry, bumps.  At first I thought it could be poison ivy or something I picked up from a shopping cart. I have used all kinds of lip balm, mostly Neutrogena.  In order to get relief  I tried everything including Abreva.  Then I put on some Neosporin antibiotic cream (the kind you use for cuts) and then on top of that Iuse  Neosporin Lip Health.  This comes in a day time tube with SPF 20 and a nightime tub that has no SPF.  I just slather it on.  The next day my lips felt so much better.  You should try it, it's fantastic.  My lips are almost back to normal.  

[mallorylynn6]

Wow, I've been battling this lip problem for six years now. It started at the end of my senior year in high school (when I was very stressed). It got really bad and my lips looked like I'd burnt them, they were blistered and terrible looking. The pharmacist suggested softlips and I've been using it since. However about every three months I'd get another reaction.

I attributed these reactions to stress. It just seemed in place with what was going on in my life. I'd let them dry out completely and try a little off brand neosporin and it would usually go away in about two weeks and I'd be able to start up with Softlips again.

This time I'm now going on a month and a half of suffering. I've tried every lip product. I've even tried EVOO. I'm working between neosporin's lip treatment and a travel size of Cortizone 10 Easy Relief. Yes, the very stuff you put on bug bites. This calms the bumps and itching--try this if you are suffering. I woke up one morning looking like Angelina Jolie after trying regular neosporin on my lips. I used the cortizone and within a few hours it settled down.

The problem I'm running into with the neosporin is that it's almost providing TOO MUCH moisture treatment. My lips always feel full and swollen and sticky. I never get the point where I don't have to use the cortizone again. The vaseline never really helps either...and DON'T try the toothbrush technique. People that suggest that are only trying to help the dry problem NOT the allergy portion--this will make things worse. The best thing to do if you start having a reaction is to take a warm washcloth and wipe it off. Even wiping that dead skin off that way might help too. But don't use a tooth brush.

With everyone out there with this problem, why isn't there a solution? Am I to use bug bite ointment for the rest of my life? PLEASE, I'd love an answer out of a professional that isn't generalize and a standard, "go see your doctor." There are plenty of us who have and aren't finding a good solution.

[Gaelwyn]

I would suggest avoiding products with parabens, petroleum, and mineral oil. These are all irritants and many people are allergic to them. Unfortunately, they are found in most beauty products (soap, shampoo, make-up, lotion),so you will have to read the ingredients carefully. Usually products for sensitive skin don't have them try Aveeno (Skin Relief line), and also some natural products like Burts Bees. I hope this helps!

[allergiclips]

My dermatologist says stay away from lanolin and lanolin alcohol. If ur allergic to wool ur more than likely allergic to those as well.

[milkandhoney658]

Hey I can't believe that so many people are having this same problem.
Like someone else I developed the dry and itchy symptoms in my last year of high school which was back in 2005. It got to the point where I would itch it so much that my lips got darker and looked really ugly and I didn't like going out. Over the years I found that I was allergic to more and more products, even products that I used to use without problems.

I went to see a doctor about it and they didn't find anything but what she told me what that whatever it was, was making my lips dry (or at least I was getting the feeling that they were dry--they didn't actually look fry). And because of that I would lick my lips more often and that on top of the itchy feeling was bruising my lips. If you don't do anything and continue to itch then the lips would just get darker and the area affected seemed to spread to just above and below my lips. Also some kind of fluid would come out...its weird. The solution is Cortizone (as mention above) which would stop you from itching and Aquaphor to repair the damage and make your lips healthy again. I put them both on at the same time and as needed (always have it in my purse). The Aquaphor is good enough so that can be your new lip balm but I don't use it like that. I am still able to use some glosses.

As for what I can use...I haven't found anything in sephora that works. I've brought the cheap and expensive stuff and nothing is helpful. I recently started using Smooth Minerals and havent had any problems at all. I'm not quite sure about Nivea Milk and Honey (in the trial stages!). Not all chapsticks can be used either. For some reason I have old makeup that doesn't do a thing to me and I'm going to do more research into what it could be.

Hopes this helps someone.

[ElleCue]

I'm allergic to, what it seems like, EVERYTHING.  The only thing that's been consistently working for me is pure cocoa butter.  They now sell it in stick form at CVS for $1.  It doesn't last as long as most chapsticks/balms, but it does the job.  I also have some medication my dermatologist prescribed but she warned me that I shouldn't use it often.  She said it thins out the skin and can cause stretch marks.  I only use it when I have a very bad reaction.

Badger worked for a while, then I got a reaction.  I'm starting to suspect that the starts to go rancid and it only works in the beginning because it's fresh. That's my assumption though.  

[ElleCue]

I'm allergic to, what it seems like, EVERYTHING.  The only thing that's been consistently working for me is pure cocoa butter.  They now sell it in stick form at CVS for $1.  It doesn't last as long as most chapsticks/balms, but it does the job.  I also have some medication my dermatologist prescribed but she warned me that I shouldn't use it often.  She said it thins out the skin and can cause stretch marks.  I only use it when I have a very bad reaction.

Badger worked for a while, then I got a reaction.  I'm starting to suspect that the starts to go rancid and it only works in the beginning because it's fresh. That's my assumption though.  

[emmuhluhh]

I had the same problem with using chapstick. I went to the doctor & they told me to start using only vaseline & gave me some prescription to put on my lips. It healed. Now, over 6 months later, while ONLY EVER USING VASELINE. It's back.
what do i do now???

[spunkypinay]

I had the exact symptoms that you describe. Have no fear, I finally found lip gloss lipstick from Josie Maran that causes no reaction for me, try it! Buy it at Sephora and return if it does. It brought back life and color to my lips

[elinheida81]

So I have been using eye cream on my lips now for almost a year and my lips have never been so soft and healthy. I know it is a bit of an expensive lip balm but it works wonders! I can even use lipstick now which I was unable to do for over 10 years with out burning my lips to crisp.

I suggest you all try it and I hope it works as well for you as it did for me :)

[sobeachlovin]

I've had the same problems too! I'd been using pretty much anything and everything from when I was in my early teens until I was a senior in high school. My everyday balm was Burt's Bees though and I had been using that for about 2-3 years. In addition to that I used Chapstik, Nars, Clinique, SoftLips, Revlon...pretty much every brand. Then all of a sudden, my lips started swelling and got plumper and redder each day for about a week. Then the week after, these horrible red teeny little liquid-filled bumps started appearing and then after that, the peeling, itching, burning, and just horrible things started happening and I didn't even want to go to school because they looked so bad. I went from being able to use any and every lip product I pleased to being able to use none at all.

To this day I still have no idea what I'm allergic to specifically but I do know that it's in practically any lip product out there. I tried all sorts of lipsticks/glosses/stains in Sephora because I love lipstick, but they all make the bumps, itchiness, and pure embarrassment come back! The only ones that work for me with absolutely NO allergic reactions/side effects is Vaseline 100% Petroleum--I've been using that every night as a moisturizer; And I can use Almay lipsticks and lip glosses (it's a hypoallergenic brand); I also have an Aveeno Essentials Moisture Lip Conditioner with SPF 15 (also hypoallergenic) to use during the day when I go out and I've been using that one for about 3 years with no negative results, just good soft lips! (I think the Aveeno might be discontinued though, so I'd try looking online for it).

I've recently picked up Paula Dorf lipsticks and sheer tints, which work during the day, but if not thoroughly cleansed off your lips, I would get a few bumps when I wake up in the morning. It's happened only once or twice and I took allergy medication when I woke up and just used my regular Aveeno and the symptoms went away in a few hours so I continue to use her lipstick. For me, the trick is looking for lip products that say they are "hypoallergenic." The Paula Dorf products claim to be 100% hypoallergenic but if I reapply too much throughout the day, there will be some really slight reactions and tingling on my lips, so just be careful!

After some extensive research for the past 12 years, I found that Vincent Longo also makes some hypoallergenic lipstick that's actually very smooth and hydrating, though the colors tend to be a little to vibrant and bold for my taste (and it's expensive, $23 a stick!). Like many of you ladies, I love having some color to my lips when I go out for some fun or just on a grocery run. So stick to the hypoallergenics, like I have, and you should be safe. Hope this helps! Good luck to all :)

[gin757]

what is the name of the eye cream they have many thank you

[crouch]

Wow!! I can't believe so many people have the same problem with their lips!! I have been having problems with very dry lips 2 yrs now. I went to the dermatologist and she said i have to stop licking my lips because saliva is very acidic!!!! First thing she asked me was, what i am using, at that time i was using blistex, chap stick, burt bees & soft lips. Right away she told me to throw all away and use 100% pure petroleum jelly and only use hypoallergenic lipsticks &lipgloss!! :( no more MAC!!:((( she said Almay is hypoallergenic. And also i must only use fluoride toothpaste. Colgate in Red box is fluoride. and she also gave me prescription for Bactroban and Advantan ointment. Bactroban is an antibiotics creams. My lip got better for a few months,but then i saw vaseline in the tube and i bought about 6. I started using it and a few months after my lip started to get really dry again. and i was using my mc lipgloss and lipstick. I went back to dermatologist and i'm back on same treatments. I toss all my vaseline in the tube because it has flavor in the ingredients!! using 100% pure petroleum jelly in the jar and my lips is looking better in only 6 hrs!!!  Next step is to toss all my mac lipsticks & lipgloss!!! oh and another thing is when i eat salty food or spicy food my lip would get really red and swollen and around my lips use to peel...looks gross!!! flakey!!! If anyone know of other hypoallergenic makeup please let me know. So fluoride toothpaste & 100% pure petroleum jelly!!! I can't even use mint dental floss;( burns my lip
I hope this help u guys!!!

[MonikaR]

I am struggling with the same problem for over 10 years now (started with chap stick). When the bumps, itching and pain appears use Canesten HC cream (prescription only in Ireland). It will give you an instant relief. On a daily basis I use ROC Enydrial lip balm (not sure if available in USA) but it works for me. Good luck!

[blueistrue]

is anyone allerigic to blitex?

[teeny_bumps2]

I have been dealing with similar issues. I have sensitive skin which leans toward the dry side, rather than oily. It started a year ago with little bumps on my lips.  Foolishly, I scrubbed them which caused them to ooze and my lips to swell. I used carmex and they seemed to be normal within 24-48 hours. For about 6 months I used Carmex on a daily basis and sometimes Anbesol because someone told me I had cold sores. I thought it to be odd that I would have cold sores almost every day and that they never really blistered up..only appeared on or around my lips in tiny little bumps which appeared to be fluid-filled..but never turned into open blisters. I saw 1 dr who said they didn't appear to be cold sores, but gave me Acyclovir, just in case..which did nothing.

Next, I went to a Dermatologist. She said it was definitely not cold sores, but appeared to be a form of acne and prescribed Atralin gel. Also, she told me I have dermatographism (a form of skin writing which does make my skin very sensitive). After 2 months of not much help, I had my physical with my family doc who agreed that it was acne and added Ehtromycin gel along with the Atralin. He also told me to stay away from lip products. I went another month or so of that treatment, which seemed to only slightly prevent bumps but definitely made my skin super dry and peeling..no matter how much cream i used afterwards. Also, my lips always felt on fire. I tried  a month with no lip products (except for olive oil or vitamin e oil if I couldn't take the burning any longer).

I decided to go to an allergist. He said i was allergic to dust mites, and had mild reactions to nickel, cobalt, some latex products and hydro-cortizone creams. He did a patch test with my shampoo, toothpaste, foundation, lip gloss and chapsticks, but I didn't appear to have a reaction (on my back anyway). He suggested a 2nd opinion from another dermatologist because he didn't think it was acne like the first one said.

The 2nd dermatologist stated she thought it was peri-oral dermatitis. I was on a month of anti-inflammatories as well as putting metro-gel around my mouth.  During my follow-up visit a month later, I explained that the itchiness diminished slightly, but that the bumps still appeared and that every now and then, after eating something spicy or too salty (or after a sweet wine), i would get bigger bumps on my lips...as well as a stinging feeling on skin between upper lip and nose that would sting for about 15 min and result in a red bump which looked like a pimple.  About an hour or so later, the bump would disappear. I brought pics to show her. she finally said she didn't know and told me she didn't have any next steps for me so I didn't need a follow-up visit.  The only thing for certain the docs have been able to say is that they are not cold sores and are not contagious.  Other than that, I am on my own.
I have been using nothing but aquafor for a little over a month.  It isn't bad...but has not made the bumps go away.  

Any advice or help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.  I am blessed it isn't something worse, and for the most part is cosmetic...it is just incredibly annoying.  For the most part, I am the only one who really sees the tiny bumps. I would love not to feel the itchy or sometimes burning sensation on or around my lips, as well as not see tiny little bumps any longer.  Oh...to wear lip gloss again...that would be nice :)

[Macknoodle84]

I have the same issue for a couple years and Egyptian Magic is the only product I can use without this reaction. Petroleum free and very soothing. Believe me I've tried it all!! I work at Whole Foods and again, of all the natural products we sell, this is the only thing that had worked!

[Macknoodle84]

I have had the same issue for a couple years and Egyptian Magic is the only product I can use without this reaction. Petroleum free and very soothing. Believe me I've tried it all!! I work at Whole Foods and again, of all the natural products we sell, this is the only thing that has worked!

[OB391]

Hi, I've suffered with lip reactions for about 8 years now. The ONLY lipgloss I can use is Mac - Pink Lemonade.  I do occasionally use Nivea Pearly lip shine which seems ok but other than that, my lips swell like I've had collagen!  Recently I went to a qualified dietician who uses an electric probe to test for allergies and vitamin/mineral deficiences - result: allergic to lanolin.  This could be why my lips don't like lipstick/gloss.  My visit to the dietician was invaluable as it showed a couple of other things so if you can get someone near you to do the 'B.E.S.T' test - it's worth it.

[AimS8416]

I have had this problem since the early 90's. Since I figured out what was causing the red, oozing mess above my lips I have used nothing else but Blistex. The plain old white tube Blistex that is basically a liquid form. If it is any kind of stick I can use it once or twice (enough to wear lipstick out once a week) but then I have to go back to the Blistex. It also must be hereditary because 2 of my 4 children also suffer from it. My problem now is that I am having a harder time finding the Blistex and I came on here to look for other alternatives in case they discontinued the original.
Good luck everyone and I am very surprised at how common of a problem this is! I wish there was more information available to us.

[rose131]

I am allergic to latex and I can't seem to find any Chapstick for my lips that is latex free.  Although some products say "latex free" they are NOT.... They contain several ingredients that are cross reactants with latex, rubber trees.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I have tried the olive oil and sugar mix for two days with no relief at all. My lips are burning and cracked along the edges.

[poster19]

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[cheyanne23]

Im 18 years old  and I have the same reaction! It started about my sophomore or junior yea in high school. I have used Chapstick my whole life until one day my lips started to react to it. I would find these tiny little bumps inside of my lips and if they popped, clear fluid would come out. I was terrified I had a disease or something, but I did research a couple years ago and I remember I found something about the oil glands in my lips was causing this reaction. I then switched to Vaseline. It worked perfectly! It cleared my bumps and swelling just within a few days! The only problem for me is that it doesn't keep my lips moisturized all day so I feel like I'm constantly putting it on all the time. But what I do now for a moisturizer is use "Super Nourishing Lip Balm" by Sephora or "Moisture Therapy" by Avon. They work really good. I can use them for a couple days without a small reaction. But no matter what I use, I get an reaction from, so therfore, I alternate between the Vaseline and the lip moisturizes to keep my lips from reacting and making sure they are moisturized.

I really hope his works for some of yall! =)

[Jgerr]

I had this same problem and a dermatologist recommended a product named Vanicream lip protectant, its a sensitive skin formula for dry, chapped lips. Basically is what he told me is that it was made at the Mayo Clinic specifically for people who have reactions to most lip products. It works pretty well and absolutely no reactions. I order mine online as I can not find it locally but its worth a try.

[Shoregal47]

Thank you, Thank you one and all.  I'm 64 years old and I thought I was strange.  In the last couple of years I thought I was getting cold sores from using lip balms that my grandchildren had used.  But Tuesday after getting back from Florida my lips became extremely chapped and I used new Blistex and Bert Bee Wax lip balm.  Well, you know the rest.  My lips became swollen like a bad job of Restylane injections with tiny bumps that occasionally seeped.  I've been applying Vasoline, taking Valtrex (thought it was cold sores) and Lysine.  The swelling is going down but I look gross.  Today I go to a spa and I'm afraid I'll gross out the attendant.  I have an appointment with my dermatologist next week thank God.  Now I fear if this will mean that I'll have to stop using lipstick.  Do any of you find that to be a problem?

[icurnad]

Well, I was diagnosed with a red dye allergy about 20 years ago.  My symptoms were a dry "cold-sore" type lesion on my lip and surrounding skin, after using Close-up toothpaste, Big red gum, and cherry chapstick.  I've never had a true cold sore.  My last visit to the dermalogist was due to contact dematitis on my hands. She thinks my dye allergy is a actual flavoring allergy.  My research along with my symptoms, I'm wondering if I have a petroleum allergy??? Petroleum is in everything I'm finding out.  I've always had problems with soaps, fragrances, lotions, deoderants.  I'm trying to figure this out before I have to go in for allergy testing with a $3,000 bill.
  I am a nurse and am constantly washing my hands, applying lotions, wearing vinyl gloves.   Any comment?

[prettykaykay]

I'm having the same problems, the first time my lips brok out i didnt know what was going on, they were dry, they turned dar, burned and it just didnt feel right or and little bumps developed on my lips from using this lip gloss with glitter in it.  Now as today my lips have broken out once ive been using vaseline and some cheap chapstick.  This started a couple days ago i notice two bumps on my lip so i appied some vitamine e on them thinking it was going to work, it really didnt.  As of today my lips are terrible they feel dry as ever and their are little tiny bumps over there, and their sore.  I dont know what to do about this, the last time they broke out i purchased some blistex and it worked, so im going to the store to find something. I hear burts bees was a good chaptstick, ima see because this is horrible on my lips and it burns and i hate this drying feeling im having eventhough i have something on my lips

[angelalynn]

I have nearly the same problem as in the organal post but not that extreme. i have found that nivea milk and honey and burts bees ultra conditioning with kukom butter have worked and its the only products i have been using for some time now. I use nivea the most and everyday. They don't contain petrulom.

[Basia77]

Blistex has menthol which is an irritant. Don't use any lip products with menthol or SPF. Hope this helps you!

[Basia77]

Blistex has menthol which is an irritant. Don't use any lip products with menthol or SPF. Hope this helps you!

[sgammon54]

So glad to see I'm not weird!! I have recently had a reaction but it took me a little while to figure out it was the lip balm.

A couple years ago I had a serious reaction to burts bees original lip balm. Unfortunately, it took two separate reactions to figure out what it was. I had used burts bees for years and then all the sudden became allergic. I put it on before bed and when I woke up, my lips were swollen three times their normal size, bright red, sore and peeling. I didn't know what it was and those "wow I have never had chapped lips this bad". So I kept putting more burts bee's on it.

Just this past week my lips didn't swell but I got the redness and peeling above and below my lips. This time I was using Blistex Medicated Lip Balm. This has worked for me before in the past until just recently. I stopped using that and my mom had this lotion her dermatologist gave her for rashes caused by all types of things. It's called Aquanil HC. I believe you have to get a prescription from the doctor because it has 1% Hydrocortisone in it. But I have only been using it around my lips for the past 2 days and it looks and feel a million times better. No swelling or irritation. The peeling is almost gone and the redness is almost gone. I have been putting vaseline lip therapy "on" my lips. And I am very happy with the results.

After reading the other posts, maybe I am allergic to the SF or the menthol as a few people have suggested. The Blistex Medicated Lip Balm has spf in it, so I am researching now to see if burts bees does too. It seems like the petroleum/vaseline doesn't cause a problem and makes my lips look and feel good.   Maybe some of you should try out the lotion I listed above for fast relief from a current break out. It would be nice to know exactly what it is that's causing the reaction.

[Vhii1217]

I got the same problem. I've been using lots of lip products as daily ritual, incl The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Balm and cute pink glittery lip gloss, alternating between Bourjois lipstick and my mom's old YSL,  also The Body Shop lip pencil since high school (I'm now 19), having no problem with them until recently. My lips went precisely like all descriptions above: flaking and darkening near the border (and progress to the center), itchy, burning, oozing when pressured, and highly sensitive to practically everything. Firstly I thought the YSL was expired, so I threw it away and got a new one since I like the color so much. The symptoms persist, so I thought it was the lip pencil (since the flaking started from the edge).

To be safe I ceased using everything for a while, to no avail. I went to at least 2 dermatologists and they prescribed hydrocortisone ointment of different brands, which are good to suppress the inflamation (inflammation) but do nothing to my abruptly building allergy to lip products. It's ridiculous to suddenly have allergy when I'd been okay for years. The dermatologists recommended ROC, hypoallergenic product intended to soothe lips. It worked to a certain extent, mostly to hydrate my extremely dry lips. I dared myself to use lip color again with ROC as the base, trying the products one by one to figure out which one's the culprit. As we predict, the symptoms break out again. The cycle continues over and over. Worse, after a while ROC doesn't feel that comfortable anymore. There was a phase I used only ROC in the morning and night, waking up with Angelina Jolie's lips, only not sexy at all.

I ended up throwing away all the Body Shop, Bourjois, YSL products  and opted not to use anything. After about 2 weeks the symptoms subside. After that, I heard about Clinique's hypoallergenic lipstick. I went to fetch a butter lip color and at the first try, it works wonderfully and I thought I found color again in my life. Oh, I also used their face and lip scrub to peel off that pile of nasty dead skins.

After a few days--like, not even a week--BAM! the symptoms break out again! i'm beyond frustrated. I pause using them and stick to ROC, but my lips still swell in the morning and itchy-flaky for the rest of the day. Up until now, it's still happening. ROC and Clinique aren't exactly cheap, so are The Body Shop and YSL and Bourjois, so I'm at a loss here.

I know I can go crazy and abuse those hydrocortisone/steroid ointment to swat away this scumbag immune system of mine, but that of course is not a wise solution. FYI I'm also prone to eye infection so I cannot use eye cosmetics. I also have rosacea so my skin is very sensitive to all kinds of cosmetics. All in all, I'm doomed to no make-up policy for the rest of my life. Wondering what's the solution to this? I certainly can't imagine myself not wearing any cosmetics/lip product for the rest of my life.

[ArielMarie]

i had the same thing! it may sound weird but i used Aquiphor's medium sized healing ointment. its a vaseliney type of texture that is usually used or people with new tattoos but it can be applied to the lips as well.

its also in the directions of the product on the back.

[mldpoet]

Hi, wow I was so surprised to find so many having the same problem as I'm having. I have been useing the Badger balm and carmex, but it isn't getting any better. My lips just burn and peels and cracks. I Think I will try the Aquaphor. I'm getting desperate. I have tried honey, it dose make my lips feel better, but very sticky. My friend uses cocconut oil , she swears by it. MLD

[elinheida81]

I mentioned it in an earlier post, sorry for not repeating. The eye cream was all about eyes from Clinique.
I really do recommend it. For over 10 years my lips suffered from much dryness, small itchy bumps and oozing liquid. Today I use my eye cream about 3-4 times a week and my lips NEVER get dry any more. I dont know if the allergy is still there or not, I just dont want to test it to find out. As long as I have Clinique eye cream and lipsticks I will be happy :)

[DanaLeigh123]

Good afternoon~

Thank you for taking the time to post your experiences. It is only through this that we can learn and grow. I wanted to share that after reading a bit, I decided to try using Benadryl cream on my lips...THE BEST THING EVER!!! And, on top of that I use Vittamin A & D ointment (yes what people put on baby bottoms.) The problem goes away. I, too, can not imagine a life without color. This is my next journey.

[ledders91]

I have always used Neutrogena and it's always been brilliant for me I'd really recommend it. Recently I ran out and couldn't find any in the shop so I bought Nivea Hydro Care instead. Was fine for a couple of weeks then the corners of my lips started getting red and itchy and are now cracking slightly :( The same thing happened about 10 years ago when I used a different lipsil (I think it was Nivea then too actually) and I thought it was the lipsil but my mum wasn't so sure. Now I'm sure it is! I've compared the ingredients of the 2 lipsils and also with my Nivea face cream and the ingredients that are only in the Nivea lipsil are:

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Cera Carnauba
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Simmondsia Chinensis Oil
Tocopheryl Acetate
Vitis
Vinifera Seed Oil
C20-40 Alkyl Stearate

which means I must be allergic to one of those ingredients, right??

P.S. Neutrogena has SPF and it has never been a problem for me :)