Monday, March 23, 2009

Life Altering ChapStick Issues

Life as I know it may be coming to an end... I think I might be allergic to Strawberry ChapStick!

This may sound like no big deal to you, but this is a serious problem for me. I love my Strawberry ChapStick. Not Cherry, not the original "Old Man" ChapStick with the black label, but Wonderful, Wonderful, Strawberry ChapStick.

At any time, I own no less than four tubes of SCS: one in my purse, one at work, one by my chair in the living room and one by my night stand. I usually also have a back up in my gum and ChapStick drawer (yes, I have a drawer devoted to ChapStick and gum), just in case one of my other tubes runs out. My drawer has lots of gum for The Niece and Nephews and asorted flavors of CS, even though I really only like strawberry.

So here's what happened:

Several months ago (maybe 3 or 4), I started noticing that the skin under my bottom lip itched all the time and I had developed a rash. It was while complaining about the rash that my aunt suggested that I might be allergic to my CS. I immediately dismissed this as ridiculous. First of all, I have been using SCS daily for about three years now. Second, I just couldn't stand the thought of being allergic to my wonderful Strawberry ChapStick.

The reason my aunt would even suggest that I could be allergic to my SCS probably has something to do with how frequently I apply my SCS, and how liberally I apply it. It's a little ridiculous actually. I usually roll that tube around my lips at least five times when I apply it...as if I could actually get anymore CS on my lips after about the second time around.

Anyway, shortly after the rash, came the split in the corner of my lips. I had a terrible crack on the left (my left, right as you look at me) side of my mouth. It just wouldn't go away. I couldn't understand how it would have even been able to get cracked considering how often I put CS on.

Then about a month ago, I got a crack on the other side of my mouth. What!?! Not only was this painful, but embarrasing. I just kept putting more SCS on my lips.

And when I thought it couldn't get any worse... I then developed a red ring around my entire mouth. I looked like a 3-year-old with a Kool-Aid mustache! And it was painful.

Last week I had finally had enough. I decided that maybe my aunt was right; maybe I had developed an allergy. *gasp* I decided to switch to Carmex. I chose Carmex because it has a completely different make-up and it has healing properties (it's medicated you know). My hope was that the Carmex (Cherry by the way, they don't make strawberry) would help heal my poor, damaged, looks-like-a-3-year-old, lips.

One week later and my lips have almost returned to normal. Yay! This could mean that I am allergic to Strawberry ChapStick. Boo! As soon as I am thoroughly healed, I am going back to the SCS as an experiment. I am really hoping that I'm not allergic to SCS and that I just needed a medicated lip balm to alieve the cracks and redness and I can now safely go back to SCS. We'll see soon enough.

Am I going crazy here? Could I possibly be allergic to ChapStick after all these years?

4 comments:

Genna said...

Same thing happened to me!! *gasp* Please no!

Gifts of Nature said...

@Genna - Seriously!?! I am so tragically upset about it.

Vito and Gina said...

I feel your pain (not literally). But I too am totally addicted to lip products. I use cherry chapstick when I am at home. But when I'm in public, I'm totally addicted to lipstick and/or lip gloss. I recently bought some Blistex "Smoothies". I've tried these before but didn't care for the flavors. But NOW "for a limited time only" they have Strawberry-Banana, and let me tell you, it is DELICIOUS. I don't actually eat it, but you know what I mean - I can certainly taste it. Try it!!! I bought it in a 3pack with other flavors - I don't know if they make it on its own, but I sure hope so. Maybe I should write them a letter. It's that good.

I love that you call the black label Chap Stick "old man Chap Stick" b/c that is the one my dad has always used, and if the off chance comes that I ever have to use it (emergencies only here), it tastes just like I remember kissing my dad when I was really little.

Good luck to you!

Anonymous said...

Your story is exactly the same as mine. I had the same thing happen with Cherry Chapstick, which I have used for YEARS! I finally figured out that was what was suddenly making my bottom lip break out like crazy.

I went to the "old man" flavor - original - and have had no problems. Just the other day I couldn't resist the strawberry Chapstick at the store and I put it on a total of TWICE and now my bottom lip is in a world of hurt.

Very interesting...