12 Comments

Perfection. I love the framing of chapsticks vs close friends!

I’ll have you know that I graciously credit your influence on my thinking when recently I got home before my husband was taking me out for my birthday and there was juuuuust enough time to get ready if I wanted to get dolled up, but I chose cunnilingus instead. Never again will “sexiness” trump sex itself if I have anything to say about it!

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Feb 16·edited Feb 16

I'm just chiming in with something I've long thought but (regretfully) never before shared: You are *such* a talented writer. I always find myself enjoying your writing so much, being struck both by the content of it *and* the experience of it. It's always a delight.

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I love this! I have such a vivid memory of deciding to buy chapstick in middle school because it seemed like all the cool girls had one and I didn’t. Surprise, surprise, it was only after using chapstick that my lips started needing chapstick 🫠 I’ve been trying to cut down my usage too, especially because I use it to stop myself from picking at my lips. This post is awesome.

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I wash my hands a lot, because I work with toddlers and their germs! I would love to hear similar insights on how to help dry winter hands that crack and bleed.

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Guilty. But making progress - this article led me to unsubscribe from my Sephora subscription for Fresh Lip Therapy. Thanks for another great piece!

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founding

I’m guilty of having more lip balms than friends too. It’s a process.

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The NY Times shoulda interviewed you instead of Dr. Rogers… https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/well/live/chapped-lip-balm.html

Good thing we have you to set us straight!

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Okay I was about to say… I was gifted some Dr. Roger’s healing balm and then purchased my own and I’m not kidding you my lips are literally 100% more chapped feeling since I started using this as my primary chapstick. Wtf.

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In addition to lip balm, I have more lipstick, blush and eye shadow pallets then friends. The over consumption of makeup is ridiculous and I don’t even wear it anymore!😂😂

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Loved this. 1/2 way through I chugged 12 oz of water and smacked my lips!

I also use a small amount of oil on my lips at bedtime and after showering in the AM.

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I have the most vivid elementary school memory of my friend sitting in front of me during class, turning around to show me the pot of vanilla cupcake lip balm in her hand. She took a swipe with her finger, put it right into her mouth, and said “yummm this flavor is my favorite”

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Yeah the Guardian piece (just rereleased) is a great lipsplainer. The NYT also had one recently in their Well series. Lip balm/chap stick would be far more useful were merely wax, of whatever kind, with no other additives. Petrolatum-fossil fuel! It doesn’t belong anywhere near our derm biome. I understand her term of “addiction” whereby using it only makes you use even more (since the ingredients only irritate the skin over time). The products themselves cause you to use more of them, because that’s the whole skin”care” game. Hopefully she’ll find something that protects without all the 💩.

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