The lip balm soothes sore and chapped lips.
Balm is defined as a medicated ointment that can be used to soothe or resolve skin problems. Lip balm in particular can come in small, round jars or cylinders like those used in Chap Stick®. In many cases, it can be applied with the fingers in small bottles and is used to help soothe chapped or sunburned lips. This differs from the more oily lip gloss, which may contain color or glitter, and is used to give the lips a shiny look.
Not all lip balms are equally effective. Many are made with infusions of natural herbs such as mint or chamomile. Some lip balms can soothe or prevent chapping. Some also offer sunscreen to prevent sun damage.
Lip balm used to treat chapped lips from a cold sore should not be reused.
Lip balm may not have much of an effect if chapped lips are related to other problems. For example, chapped lips can be an indication of anemia, and any lip product will have little effect on this problem. People with chronic dehydration won’t see much of a difference when using lip balm either, because what they really need to do is drink more fluids.
Some lip glosses can also be medicated and soothe chapped lips. Primarily, however, its purpose is to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the mouth, which a lip balm does not. A lip gloss with vitamin E or aloe vera can be as soothing as it is beautiful. It may not solve serious cracking problems. Some people use lip gloss over the balm to hide the waxy appearance of the balm.
Lip gloss is used to give the lips a shiny look.
Some lipsticks can also double as lip balm. Unlike lip gloss, they tend to be opaque rather than sheer. They may also contain vitamin E or supplements to help keep lips moist. Not all lipsticks provide this. In fact, some have alcohol as their main ingredient, which tends to dry out the lips.
If chapped lips are the result of cold sores, then lip balm should not be reused after the cold sore has resolved. Especially, one should not share products with a friend, especially if someone has a cold sore. This is usually a form of the herpes virus that can be spread to other people. If someone develops a cold sore while using any type of lip product, be sure to dispose of the product so you don’t re-infect the area.