From keeping shoelaces tied to thickening eyelashes — a tube of lip balm gives you more than just lip-service
BY NABANITA DUTT
Lip balm, as millions of women will tell you, is more than just a hydrating, soothing, emollient-rich beauty picker-upper. It’s a lifesaver, a mood enhancer, a best friend they couldn’t imagine stepping out of the house without. This co-dependency has reached such gigantic proportions that a debate currently rages on about lip balm’s so-called “addictive” properties. Experts, however, have discounted this theory, citing an `emotional’ factor that has many women forming an attachment to the tube.
The projected sale of beauty products for lips is estimated to hit the $ 1.7 billion mark in 2015, and according to Marie Claire US, almost half their readers named the ubiquitous lip balm as their go-to beauty essential during a survey. During Ellen Degeneres’ post-Oscar show in 2014, actress Lupita Nyong offered up a tube of Clarins lip balm as her contribution towards a hefty pizza delivery tip, prompting the hashtag #Lupitaslipbalm. Communities of die-hard lip balm users even have their own online forums (check out LipBalmAnonymous) where they share personal stories of their lifelong romance with lip balm and some even try to recover — AA-style — with a 12-step recovery plan.
In the midst of all this balm-generated hoopla, Bodmin magazine offers 9 more reasons to fall in love with your lip balm all over again. Did you know, would you even guess, that your trusty tube of petroleum jelly doesn’t just hydrate your lips but can perform miracles in other areas of your life too? No? Then read on…
THICKEN EYELASHES WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 1: Like hair, eyelashes too fall out and grow back in a natural cycle. The process can take anywhere between 1 to 6 months, depending on the individual. You can try using lip balm to give your new growth some extra support. The nourishing ingredients in a lip balm can help your eyelashes grow out stronger, thicker and longer. Rub a smidgen of balm into your lashes when going to bed every night. Just make sure it’s not a minty flavor!
STOP SHOE SCARS WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 4: Wearing high heels comes with a painful price — shoes blisters or shoe `bites’. Sometimes, old shoe scars obstinately refuse to fade away for years at a time. Now you can prevent new blisters from forming by rubbing lip balm on the vulnerable areas. The oily texture and healing properties of balm will also help soothe existing blisters.
AVOID DYE STAINS WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 7: It’s common knowledge that you should apply grease around the hairline to avoid color stains when dyeing hair at home. But hand-applied creams smear upwards, covering hair roots right next to the face. The dye cannot work well in those areas, and the roots look ugly and undone. Avoid this nuisance with `precision’ greasing with a lip balm. The tube controls the narrow line you draw along the hairline.
KEEP SHOELACES TIED WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 2: Slippery shoelaces seem to take a perverse pleasure in coming undone, especially when there’s a puddle on the sidewalk in sight. To keep these insubordinate laces firmly in place, dab the section you’re going to loop with lip balm. The waxy agent does a splendid job keeping the loops sticking together inside the knot, and you can probably go the entire day without having to bend down repeatedly to keep retying them.
CONTROL FLYAWAYS WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 5: About those annoying flyaways that refuse to be tamed even after you’ve spent an hour fixing your hair… Rub the tiniest bit of lip balm on your fingers and gently pat the renegade strands down into place. Works equally well with the naughty, new baby strands that stick up straight from the crown of your head. Use the product sparingly and there will be no oily residue.
TREAT MINOR CUTS WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 8: Chapsticks don’t merely heal dry lips; they’re handy first-responders when there’s a minor nick or scrape to be dealt with. Apply some balm to protect, soothe and aid in the quick healing of the affected area. It also helps minor – we said minor! – bleeding from small wounds to stop. That said, you can use it to treat cracked cuticles and hydrate problematic skin patches too, like elbows and knees.
MAKE EYE GLOSS WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 3: Don’t waste any more cash on different types of eyeshadow in your favorite colors. Just buy them in powder or pressed powder form and then create your own glossy versions by mixing a bit of the pigment with a touch of lip balm on your palm. Not only will you get dewy, creamy lids, you can do the same thing with powder blushers for your cheeks. For a subtle lip color, you can apply the lip balm and blusher mix on your lips.
POLISH SHOES WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 6: After you’ve run out the front door in a hurry, you realize – too late! – that your shoes desperately need a shine. Instead of trying to buff ineffectually with a scrap of tissue paper, reach into your handbag for the handy lip balm. Rub some into the leather and then polish off with the tissue. Now your shoes are good as new and the leather isn’t damaged one bit!
REPAIR SCRATCHED CDS WITH LIP BALM
Lip Balm Tip # 9: If your precious collection of CDs are scratched, you don’t have to throw them away anymore. You can fix the problem in a jiffy – and in a most surprising way – with the good, old multitasking lip balm. Gently rub some balm into the scratches on the disc and wipe away the excess. Yep, this unexpected hack really does fix scratched CDs, and they should now be working perfectly.
I had no idea how multipurpose my trusty tube of lip gum is. Excellent tips. Thank you Nora.