When the winter rolls around, the same cycle begins once again, your lips start feeling awfully dry. While it’s easy to just ignore your lips when they first start to chap, you’ll really notice them if you let it go too far. That’s why it’s important to know how to apply lip balm from a tin. While lip balms in sticks or tubes are more convenient, they aren’t always available!
What is Lip Balm?
Essentially, lip balms are meant to provide moisture to your lips, which can become dry very easily since they don’t have any oil glands. I recommend Burt’s Bees Lip Balms (click to see current pricing on Amazon).
The way they do this is what may be surprising to you. If you thought that it was the lip balm itself which gave your lips their moisture, think again.
Lip balm works by creating a seal, using petroleum or wax, which results in a watertight barrier. Once formed, after applying your lip balm, this barrier prevents the already existing moisture within your lips from escaping. That means knowing how to apply lip balm from tin properly is vital for keeping your lips wet.
So it’s not that your lip balm adds something that makes your lips feel softer and better hydrated. All lip balm does, is retain the moisture that’s naturally on your lips. It acts like sebum, the natural oil on the rest of your skin, to fight against dry environmental influences.
Is There a Difference Between Lip Balm and Chapstick?
While it seems to have a big chunk of the market’s corner, Chapstick does not have a special feature that distinguishes it from other lip balms. There is no difference between lip balm and Chapstick, the latter is simply a popular brand.
Keep this in mind when you’re thinking about how to apply Chapstick perfectly. The reality is that the purpose of all lip balm is to create the protective barrier for your lips. The most important thing to think about when applying any type of lip balm is making sure that your whole lip area is sufficiently covered.
Finding Yourself with a Jar or Tin of Lip Balm
Dryness in the environment does not discriminate in any way. That’s why it’s just as important to know how to apply lip balm for men, as it is for women. No matter how accustomed you are to the cold weather and the way your body handles it, chapped lips are a sure thing, if you don’t use a good lip balm.
As you know, there are many lip balms, which are of excellent and reliable quality, with natural and effective ingredients, that cannot be found in tube or stick form. That means, that you’ll find yourself with a tin or jar of lip balm.
No problem, right? Sure, it won’t be a problem, as long as you’re following the proper techniques of application for your lip balm in tins or jars. It’s not that applying lip balm from jars or tins is difficult, it’s just that if you don’t have your mind with you, it could end up in unnecessary illness.
The Potential Difficulty with Lip Balm Tins and Jars
Take a moment to imagine yourself getting ready to open your new tin of lip balm. The air is crisp, and your lips have started to feel just a bit dry. You’ve been working outside all day and you’re feeling a bit tired, but maybe you still remember to apply your lip balm. In this visualization, how exactly did you apply your lip balm?
If you imagine putting on your lip balm with your fingers, then you are just like most people who use a lip balm that comes in tins and jars. It’s not like those lip balms come with a special tool for application, so the common-sense way of applying it is with your trusted fingers.
Guess what? While you were focusing on using your fingers to spread your lip balm evenly all over your lips, you were probably spreading something else, as well. You got it, bacteria and germs.
It’s time to face the facts. Even if you’re one of the most health conscious and disciplined people you know, the times when you notice your lips are chapping are simply not always the most convenient. Chances are, you’ve found yourself applying your lip balm, more than once, in the middle of walking down the street, on the train or bus after work, or even in the bathroom.
The question is: how many times have you thought about washing your hands before applying your lip balm? You are not alone!
How to Apply Lip Balm from a Jar
Now that we’ve put it all out there in the open, and acknowledged the fact that applying lip balm often happens during the least ideal of times, it’s time to talk about the best practices for putting it on.
Here’s what you should do:
- Open the container of lip balm so that it is ready for application.
- Wash your hands very well with soap and water, for a couple of minutes.
- Dip one finger into the lip balm, take some, and apply evenly to lips.
- Rinse fingers again before closing tin or jar.
- Remember not to put your fingers back into the lip balm after touching your lips or any other surface.
By following these simple steps, you will put yourself in the best possible position to avoid contracting any viruses due to your lip balm usage.
When do I need Lip Balm?
Something else to consider is that lip balm is not something that you need to apply every day. You may like the extra softness of your lips or the way the balm smells, but technically, unless you are in a dry environment, or your lips are already chapped, you really don’t need it at all!
Final Thoughts
As long as you keep your lip balm application habits clean and consistent, you should be able to help your lips stay moisturized, while also avoiding getting sick in the process.
