A physician named C. D. Fleet invented the first lip balm in the early 1880s.
After have no success at selling it locally, he sold the rights of his ChapStick lip balm for $5 in 1912. Maybe that's hard to believe, until you learn the original inventor sold it in the form of a wickless candle wrapped in tinfoil.
Although most people use it for dry lips, ChapStick has many other uses, including:
Earlier this year after watching some videos on "wet shaving" and reading a great article on it I was inspired to switch from using disposables to this improved form of shaving. Getting a closer shave was the primary motivation along with eliminating the need for shaving cream, as wet shaving uses simple soap for lather.
Well, one of the side effects is that I now get a significant amount of cuts from the VERY sharp razor. This typically happens when I am in a rush in the morning.
So I was very pleased to learn of this simple way to stop the bleeding. It is far more elegant than wads of toilet paper coming off my face.
However, as the posts below indicate, I would NOT advocate ChapStick but would encourage the use of Burt's Bees, which you should be able to find at just about any health food store.
So use it to stop shaving cuts or many of the other great uses indicated in this article. There's also one rather morbid use that wasn't mentioned in this cheery article -- Lip balm can be used to help scientists perform DNA tests in order to identify unrecognizable bodies.
On Vital Votes, however, biochemist Russ Bianchi issued a warning:
"ChapStick brand, or lip balms, or moisturizes, that are chemistry, and petroleum based, or rendered fats from slaughter houses and tallow refining plants, like GLYCERIN (glycerol) for Proctor & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and other cosmetic or soap giants, ARE NOT 'vegetable' derived as touted, on many labels, and harmful for you!!! "DO NOT USE THEM in any form, and save yourself money also ... ditto on shampoos, eye products, lipsticks, make-ups, tooth products, mouthwashes and breath products, hair coloring agents, rinses, conditioners, etc."
"ChapStick brand, or lip balms, or moisturizes, that are chemistry, and petroleum based, or rendered fats from slaughter houses and tallow refining plants, like GLYCERIN (glycerol) for Proctor & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and other cosmetic or soap giants, ARE NOT 'vegetable' derived as touted, on many labels, and harmful for you!!!
"DO NOT USE THEM in any form, and save yourself money also ... ditto on shampoos, eye products, lipsticks, make-ups, tooth products, mouthwashes and breath products, hair coloring agents, rinses, conditioners, etc."
Gabriella, from Bellingham, Washington, suggests a better product:
"I've used Burt's Bees for years now. Nothing works better!"
Burt's Bees also gets my vote for a healthy alternative to ChapStick.
Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes.