Beauty Essential #2: Blistex

Blistex Relief Cream 5g £2.25

 

Blistex and Vaseline are two lip products that have been in my life forever. Like, literally, forever. Since I've been old enough to get dry lips and apply lip balm I've been using Blistex and Vaseline. Naively, I used think that Vaseline was sent by the Gods and was the best lip balm in the world.. but have you ever noticed that the relief when using Vaseline is only temporary and your dry or chapped lips will normally return, often within the hour? Well, Vaseline is made up of petroleum jelly, a substance that will sit on the surface of the lip to provide the illusion of softer and smoother skin until it is worn away; it will not penetrate the lip and provide any internal benefits to help out your dry lips.

 

Blistex is different though. Formerly 'Blisteze' this used to sit on the top shelf of our bathroom cabinet, the one that as a little girl I couldn't reach, because this wasn't just any lip treatment; this was the ultimate lip treatment. The one you'd need if you had a cold sore creeping in or lips so dry and chapped that they would crack and bleed when you smiled.. all it took was a dab of 'Blisteze' and all your troubles would be gone. That might be a little bit of an exaggerated anecdote but that is how I remember this product from when I was a child!

 

Blistex is a cheap and cheerful but incredibly effective lip balm/treatment/relief cream that is widely available in Supermarkets, Superdrug, Boots, etc and is 'medicated relief for occasional cold sores, cracked, chapped and sore lips'. Luckily, I'm not one to suffer badly with dry lips or coldsores at all, although the weather's getting bitterly cold outside and it's taking it's toll on my skin just like everyone else's and a little bit of nourishment and moisturising never hurt anybody. There's a big long list of scientific ingredients listed on the front of this packaging and I won't pretend I'm an expert on them, but the two main ingredients: ammonia and phenol help to kill germs and relieve pain, and the cream aids with moisturising and soothing the skin. This isn't just your every day lip balm, this is a real heavy duty nourishing treat for dry lips (if you're not using it to treat coldsores), and for such an amazingly cheap price it really, really works for getting rid of any chapped or dry skin on the lips. A must-have item for every house hold!

 

See yesterday's post on Beauty Essential #1: Sudocrem here - link

♥