Carmex lip balm is something of a black sheep in today’s world of sumptuous, lavishly packaged, beautiful smelling beauty products. I seem to have a recollection that Carmex was originally only available in America, but these days it sits innocently amongst the lipsalves and lip treatments in Boots looking anything but beautiful in a small round white pot with a yellow lid. The lid is covered with black writing and the product reminds me of something you might have bought in the 1950s when “marketing” amounted to telling you what the product was and placing it in a practical container.
Many of my friends have sworn by it for years, however, and I decided that with winter – the season of dry, chapped, flaky lips - well on the way, it was time I found out what all the fuss was about.
A small pot of Carmex will set you back £2.49 in Boots – slightly more than a traditional lip balm, but slightly less than one of the lip treatments such as Blistex.
The balm itself is waxy in appearance
(it contains beeswax, so this is probably why!) and fairly firm in consistency, making it ideal for application with the fingers, as it doesn’t squidge everywhere as soon as you put your finger in the pot, disappearing underneath your fingernails like some of the fruity lip balms that you can buy in pots. The smell, whilst in the pot, is a very mild, pleasant vanilla smell. One of the ingredients is “vanillin” which suggests to me this is where the smell comes from. On applying the product to the lips, however, the vanilla aroma is overtaken by a more medicated, menthol smell. Neither of the smells is overwhelming, and would certainly not be noticeable to anyone else other than the wearer (who has it right underneath his or her nose!)
The balm is easy to apply, gliding on to the lips easily and leaving no more than a fine coating to be wiped off the end of your finger. Although fingertip application is slightly more messy than the usual lipsalve sticks, there are plus points in that it is more hygienic to share a pot of Carmex with a friend (so long as clean fingers are used to apply) than it is to share something which is applied directly to the lips – which is not recommended due to the possibility of passing on a cold sore or other infection. The pot may also appeal more to men who need something to apply to their lips in the winter, as many men refuse to be seen in public with anything that resembles a lipstick and would rather walk around with horrible flaky lips at any cost. Not very kissable! The straightforward, no-nonsense packagaing is also more likely to appeal to men than something pink and strawberry flavoured!
Shortly after application, the Carmex starts to make the lips tingle pleasantly, making you feel as if it is really “working”. Although you are definitely aware of a coating on your lips, it is not greasy or oily and stays put, rather than spreading its way up and down your face (like Vaseline is prone to do when applied to the lips!) It doesn’t look too shiny or glossy on the lips – again making it an ideal choice for men. It is a bit difficult to apply lipstick on top of it, however – the lipstick looks and feels as if it is going to come off very easily, necessitating blotting with a tissue. This in turn then removes all of the lipstick and most of the Carmex, rather defeating the object of applying either!
Well, it’s all sounding pretty good so far, but here comes my one big issue with Carmex. I am not clear on whether it is designed as a non-medicated lip protector (like Lipsyl) or as a medicated treatment (like Blistex). The instructions, which tell you to apply freely as required, suggest to me that it is simply a protector (Blistex advises you not to use for too long and instead consult your doctor if symptoms persist). The menthol smell and tingly sensation, however, suggest to me that it is more of a treatment.
The results, however, for me, are inconclusive. My previous lip care routine was to protect my lips every night with a cheap, unmedicated lipsalve, such as Boots own, and if cold weather or illness resulted in sore, chapped lips, I would take action with Blistex – one application of which would normally resolve the problem overnight. First of all, I tried substituting Carmex for the Blistex, due to its seemingly medicated qualities. Unfortunately, it was not as effective for healing up my dry, sore lips, and I had to resort to Blistex the following night.
I then tried using it every night as a substitute for my lipsalve. It seemed to work better in this part of the routine, and was an adequate substitute, but with no discernibly different results from the cheaper, untingly lipsalve. This does make me wonder what the tingly feeling and the medicated smell actually signify: is there an active ingredient working to heal up sore lips, or is it simply there to make you feel as if it is working, and make you feel that you are getting something extra for your £2.49? A second study of the packaging didn’t give me any more clues.
In conclusion, I would recommend Carmex. It smells nice, feels nice, is easy to apply, and works well as a lip protector in the cold weather. The no-nonsense, retro packaging may also appeal – and having seen this on sale in Oasis the other day, I can’t help thinking that it may be becoming something of a fashion accessory! It is also a good choice for anyone who prefers a pot of lip balm as opposed to a stick, and may well appeal to a male audience. However, I would question whether it is actually worth paying the price for this when a 99p lipsalve seems to work just as well.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
im completely addicted to carmex, i go through at least a tub a month, i found its the only thing that keeps my lips soft cos theyre allergic to practically everything
good op
NAt x
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Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: In Stock
Carmex Lip Salve moisturises and protects your lips. For many years the best-kept secret ... more
of models, Carmex is now a must-have for the fashion conscious. A top seller in America where it's no-nonsense appeal and effectiveness has earned it cult status.
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Dec 4th, 2003
(Feb 3rd, 2004)
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