I have known about Carmex for ages – it is hard to miss. The red and yellow packaging is very distinctive and you see loads of people with it on their desks or using it out and about. The packaging always stands out on displays in stores as well and I guess the colours and the retro design are very Instagram-friendly.
I had never used it until recently, instead preferring my favourite Swedish Defence Force Salve. But my local supermarket was clearing out their shelves and had them on sale for almost nothing so I bought a little pot of it about six months ago.
I finally got to trying it out a few weeks back and I love it. It does about the same job on my lips as the defence force balm but I absolutely love the slightly medicated taste. I am not one for flavoured lipbalms, glosses, or lipsticks. I actively dislike them. But the taste of Carmex is comforting and slightly addictive. A little like the smell of Vicks. I love the smell of Vicks and for a time I used to dab a bit under my nostrils if I could not sleep. The smell was calming and soothing somehow.
Some people seem to have permanently dry lips, though I have heard that lip balm can make this worse if you use it too much. I am lucky to only have chapped lips when the weather is bad or I have a cold. Generally I put on lip balm at night before I go to bed. Just a dab. It has become a habit. I put on hand cream and lip balm after I get into bed.
How about my readers – what lip balm you use? Do you love the smell of Vicks? What are your bedtime rituals?
I’ve loved CARMEX for 30 years, since I first spied the iconic yellow pot on a very chic editor’s desk … I was a college student, temping in an office for the summer. I did switch to the tube version when it came out and typically have 4+ sticks in use. (Bedside, bathroom, kitchen, purse, travel bag.)
I haven’t tried the stick but I bought my second pot yesterday so now I have one beside the bed and one in my bag. I aim to expand over time ha ha.
I love the smell of Vick – it’s childhood nostalgia in a jar!
I don’t use lip balm very often. I like the Nuxe one for overnight, and have found a silky but not sticky argan oil one for occasional daytime use. I hate shiny lips!
Medicated chapstick for me, especially at bedtime.
Carmex user here, but only when I have a hint of a sore on my lip. I am a regular user of the Hemp Heavy Duty Lip Care by The Body Shop. Use at bedtime year-round. $18 NZ so not too pricey.
I prefer good old Blistex Medicated. I too do lotion (Queen Helene’s Cocoa Butter for years and years) and lip balm before bed.
Vick’s will always be comforting as it is a smell I associate with my Grandma. Head cold? Chest cold? Vick’s on your chest overnight was her cure. I always remember it helping.