When I think of lip gloss, lip balm, chap stick or whatever it is that you call it…my mind automatically reverts to my good old trusty can’t-live-without-it Carmex. Those who know me might call it an addiction but I beg to differ. Just because I apply it an average of 10-12 times a day does that justify calling it an obsession? And just because I go into panic mode & have withdrawal symptoms similar to a cocaine addicted feign; whenever I misplace my little crack in a yellow jar….does that really constitute addiction? OK I admit it & maybe my critics are right…But here’s why the chapped-lip patrol will never catch me unarmed. To me, dry lips are the equivalence of not being well groomed. I’ve tried other products but none are comparable to the brand I love. I like it because it doesn’t have a waxy feel or an overbearing scent, I used to like the cooling sensation it gave after applying it but due to my consistent use I’ve become immune to that special tingle. It simply has lasting power & holds moisture for hours. But, even with all the perks I still find myself applying it numerous times a day. What’s my problem?
Carmex is the third-largest selling lip balm in the country (WOW!)I wanted to get to the core of this so called addiction; So I decided to do a little independent research, which led me on a whirlwind of unanswered questions. I started by actually reading the ingredients on my tube of Carmex. Active Ingredients included Menthol, Camphor and Phenol…Wait a minute ‘Menthol’ isn’t that used in cigarettes? Like many, I’ve heard the rumors & urban legends that Carmex can be addictive because of it’s dirty, grimy, medicated ingredients…But nevertheless these rumors never made me self conscious about what I was applying on my lips.
After one simple search presented countless results, there was one finding that really stood out to me. It suggested that Carma Labs; the creator of Carmex “does admit to putting salicylic acid into their product, and they acknowledge the rumor that they put ground fiber glass into the lip balm.” And Carma Labs has never denied this rumor…(Oh my..say it ain’t so) I have no intentions of jumping on the band wagon of the fiber glass rumor because I think that’s pretty far fetched…by the way Carmex is FDA approved…and so are cigarettes, caffeine and the list goes on…
To make a long story “which could eventually turn into a Babara Walters special” a little less intense; I discovered and came to the conclusion that these so called harsh ingredients can be addictive if you use massive quantities…but that’s the case with any medication Right? Although the dangers of long-term use are still up in the air, I can attest that personally I haven’t recognized any physical differences in using this product VS other medicated lip balms…well you know besides the fact that I can’t go a day without it…And just a side note; the Menthol ingredient is used as a cooling vapour to relieve itch….Wheeeww…I’m relieved.
For more in depth information on the Pros & Cons of CRACK carmex you can check it out Here.
And for all my Carmex lovers here’s a little something for you…
Maybe I’m behind but I just discovered that Carmex comes in different flavors…yummmmm….Strawberry, Mint & Cherry. I don’t know if they’re holding back on me
but I’ve never seen any of those flavors in stores. And I almost went into a carmexic coma when I saw that they make a whopping 1/2 & 1/4oz. jar of the stuff….But hold those chapped lips people, the massive jar is only available online. Talk about chap stick heaven. God forbid that they ever stop making it because I’ll be the one selling my TV & microwave for a hit of the scrapings…
*Sidenote* My sister introduced me to the variety pack sold @ Sam’s Club Wholesale…(I was in aww) 
Yea I cant live without it either and you can go to walgreens to get the flavor kind
i agree to what kandi said!
Oh, my dear! I saw that in Carmex is Phenol! If it is so, I let you know, that Phenol is one of strongest cancerogen! Shoe makers even doesn’t use it during leather producing (prevents to come dye from leather to skin). Imagine, how you put Phenol to your lips and simply eat it 12 times a day!!!! Imagine! By the way, Camphor and Menthol is okay!
I tried Carmex ONCE. Damn near burned my lips off.
I'll stick to Chapstick (or the store's generic equivalent).
Phenol is used to relieve itching and burning sensations, and it works. Over time and with continuous use, it will actually begin to cause dryness, then itching and burning. You use more Carmex to relive this, and the cycle continues. It doesn't seem to last as long b/c it is drying your lips out. It is really more of a product to be used when you have severe cracked, dry lips (like in winter) for a few days or week, then stop. It's better to deal with waxy feeling shea butter that's safe and won't cause problems. (The menthol provides a numbing, cooling effect. Nice when cracked lips hurt.)
For some that might not know.. Phenol is a powerful acid that in the past has been used to do chemical facial peels on people with servere acne scarring. It is very dangerous and many doctors will not even perform them chemical peels because of how dangerous it is. Now in my opinion whether its a small amount thats used in Carmex or a larger amount in chemical peels they still do the same job and that is exfoilate. So basically this is what happens, you put Carmex on your lips daily (several times a day) and your lips are getting exfoilated and will actually peel every so often. Its not because their dry its because thats what phenol does. This has happened to me and I finally questioned why are my lips peeling every few days, I moisterize them all the time with Carmex. Bam! Then I looked at the ingredents and it clicked! I think they have intentionaly put phenol in their lip balm so you continue to buy because of your chapped, dry, peeling lips but what you dont realize is Carmex is the culprit. I stopped using Carmex about a month ago and went to a natural lip balm (Burt's Bees) and I havent had my lips peel once, and their super moisterized and soft! Just my two cents worth to the uninformed buyer.
The above comment is 100% correct. And camphor is also toxic.
Ah, now this is a bit late, but I'm adding it in anyway. In the EU, it is illegal to use phenol in lip balm (or any cosmetics or stuff that you put on your face). So you could buy carmex from sites based in europe for safer carmex. It will be really expensive, but for the people out there all worried, the option's open.
Oddly, EWG .org doesn't list these ingredients at toxic.