Chapstick allergy

I'm so glad I found this forum! I was starting to think I was crazy. It's only happened to me twice. My lips get dry and chapped lips so I apply more of whatever lip balm I have and then my lips get worse instead of better. And tiny little bumps started to form all around my lips that were really itchy. I thought that maybe I was getting a cold sore even though I've never had them before and it didn't even look like a cold sore. I bought some Abreva anyways just in case. But what I noticed is that not only were my lips covered in tiny bumps but my taste buds were red and inflamed and so were my gums (from licking my lips). I realize now that I'm allergic to something that is both in Burt's Bees and Blistex. Once I stopped using those my lips got instantly better. So, hopefully my theory is right and it won't happen again. I tried to find something for my lips that had different ingredients and ended up with Nivea. So far I haven't had any problems with it. I hope all of you find a solution as well!

I have been using Bert's Bees for a while and have only noticed problems with the Honey lip Balm. The Pomegranate gave me no problems and the Peppermint made my lips tingle for a couple of minutes, but then were fine. After using the honey lip balm though my lips burned and the burning just kept getting worse until a blister grew in the corner of my mouth...the place that had the driest skin and had been the most irritated the two days prior to the occurance of the blister.

Don't know if there is some different ingredient in the honey versus the other two.

I've had the same reaction to Burt's Bees lip balm a couple times. The first time, I continued to use it, not knowing it was the cause of the problem. I endured the itching and pain for several months, even after I ceased using the lip balm. I ended up going to the doctor and was told Burt's Bees can cause sudden Perioral dermatitis even if you've been using it for years, like I had. It normally doesn't heal on it's own. Therefore, I was prescribed tetracycline and it healed it rather quickly. Stupidly, I used Burt's Bees on my lips last night and today my lips are once again swollen, red and painful. It's almost like they are crusty around the edges, the redness extending out to above my upper lip area. I still have tetracycline, thank goodness, and have started to take it. I loved Burt's Bees, and used it religiously. Not any more.

Back in 2006, I used Burt's Bee's lip balm for maybe a year. Then, as many of you said, I realized that Burt's Bee's was causing the skin around my lips to become red, inflamed, and painful. (Once again, like many of you said, I was sad about this because I do like Burt's Bee's)

I switched to Blistex but this gave me the same problems. The redness around my lips and inflammation would subside slightly but always be there--some days worse than others. As someone said, you kind of look like a clown, or look like you missed your lips when you were putting on lipstick. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I went to see the doctor. This was in 2009. He told me Blistex is no good & to use Carmex. I haven't had any problems with carmex like I did with blistex & Burt's Bee's.

My lips were fine until probably are still red and inflamed from time to time unfortunately. Then about a month ago, the skin around my lips had a big flare up. They were chapped, painful, red, dry, sore, and inflammable. I could hardly smile without pain. Then, just a few weeks ago, I realized that this must be eczema. I used to have eczema when I was younger (never around my lips), but it went away.... and now looking back at the Burt's Bee's in 2006, it seems to me as if it had triggered my eczema to come back and unfortunately it came back to my face which it was never on. It has never fully went away since. Now there's eczema on my neck, under my eyes, and parts of my face. Winter time is when I definitely see more flare ups. It's really uncomfortable and annoying! :'( :$

I was wondering if anyone has eczema issues and drew a link between Burt's Bee's?

Has anyone found anything that works w/SPF to extreme lip allergies?

I have had this problem for years now! It started with regular lipsticks, but I could wear glosses. Then I couldn't wear tinted glosses, only lip balms. I've been through every brand in the store! I am now down to just vaseline lip ointment. My problem is during the summer-time when you need sunblock! I am highly allergic to all of the SPF lipcare I have found too! Which results in fever blisters from sunburn on my lips-or inflamed lips & skin around my mouth from the lip products!

I've had the same problem with burts bees and other all natural lip balm/gloss. its a real bummer to have bought all those products only to find out it leaves me with swollen, burning lips.

I found that icing your lips helps with the swelling a lot, its my go to remedy whenever it happens. Also, a little bit of vaseline works wonders.

I see a lot of stories that describe the same issue, but with very few solutions. I've had this issue for a few years, and it comes and goes. I've had reactions to Burts Bees and Carmex Mint. So it's pretty safe to say it's the mint oil in the chapsticks. OTC solutions I've found that work are A&D ointment and diaper rash creams (you just don't really want to leave the house with those on... they're either super greasy/shiny or white.) and medicated chapstick brand chapstick works well also. The recovery with these products are slow, but they do work. I've gone to the doctor about this a few times and the first time I was prescribed triamcinolone acetonide cream (it's a white steroid cream) and it always fixed it within a day. I eventually ran out of it and had this happen again so I went back to the doctor and he prescribed me 2.5% hydrocortisone cream. That works really well too, but definitely not as immediate as the triamcinolone acetonide. To put this in perspective, OTC hydrocortisone cream is usually 1%. So this prescription is a good deal stronger and gets the job done. OTC hydrocortisone will work, but definitely not as quickly. I just know when I get this, I want it gone as soon as possible. It's embarrassing to look like a clown for a week, not to mention uncomfortable! Go to your doctor, they will help you with this!

I used Burts Bees religiously for years & all of a sudden, I have noticed the SAME thing as all of you have been describing. Swollen upper lip, red, dry, pain, stingy, flaky, white blisters. Feels HORRIBLE, but when you look at it from a distance it's not as visible as it feels. Thank goodness. BUT, I am SOOOOOOOO sick of this. I just now realized it's the Burts Bees. I thought this stuff was "natural". What the heck. I have been using this stuff called, "Aquaphor - healing ointment - lip therapy" & every time it works like a charm in terms of giving moisture and relieveing pain. Yet, it still takes a few weeks for blisters & redness to go away.

 

I love Burt's Bees lip balm but I think I have an allergy as well. It's nothing too bad, but when I use it, eventually the skin around my lips gets red and dry. I wonder what is causing that...

Guys , I'm struggling with the same problem for 10 years (started with chap stick). When the bumps, pain and itching appear use Canesten HC cream (prescription only in Ireland) you will feel instant relief.

I am having the same allergy to Nivea Lip balm. I didn't know that it was from that one. I applied this 3 weeks ago and next day my lips skins were hardened and soon started cracking very badly.

I ran to a Doctor and he said it's Sun Burns (Solar Chelitis or Cold Sore). He gave me some expensive antibiotics and cream which I applied for 2 weeks to get rid of cracks. It was very painfull period. Then everything was good again.

Doctor told me to keep applying some lip balm like Nivea going forward. So I decided to stop using medicine cream as it was fully cured and applied lip balm again. Very next morning I saw my lips swollen and completely red and burning again. Now I know that I am going to get those bad cracks again in next couple of weeks. This is exactly how it started before.

Now I know for sure that it's not a Sun Burn but an allergy to lip balm.

What a relief! I recently also developed these allergies within the past year, and I was worried they were cold sores, only they looked nothing like cold sores! My first reaction occurred using Nivea balms, in the white and blue tubes. They felt great going on at first, so smooth and creamy, but after about a month of using them, I developed the same tiny bumps. After some trial and error I realized it was in fact these balms, so I threw them in the trash. Then it happened again with Burt's bees peppermint balm. The only good lip balm I've found that feels good and I don't react to is Neutrogena Naturals. No petroleum products and only botanical oils. It also gives a slight minty tingle, for those of you who miss the peppermint from Burt's Bees. If you can stand using single-ingredient stuff, almond oil, jojoba oil, vitamin e oil, and various pure butters (mango, almond, etc.) each work well on their own. Good luck!

It could be that the chapstick contains products where you are allergic to. I read from one site that one girl used a makeup that contains beeswax and she experienced the same thing because she has a beeswax allergy. It can be cured by taking medicines consisting decongestants and anti-histamines.

I have been having this same problem for a number of years now. I find I can't use any lip balm anymore, which is a problem when you go to the dentist and come out with sore lips from holding your mouth open for an extended period of time! The last reaction I had was a couple of weeks ago when I tried to use the new vaseline lip treatment and still had a reaction!!! I don't know if they snuck some other ingredients into that stuff, just plain vaseline is usually the only thing I can use and even then I only use it sparingly!!! I am glad to read all of these posts though, I really thought I was going crazy!!! And I agree with the person who said that sometimes doctors don't take you seriously... I have found the same thing!!! I have strange reactions to things that "normal" people do not, so that can't be a real reaction... because it wasn't supposed to happen!!! Instead of trying to find out why something is going on, the quick and easy answer is to say that it really isn't happening... even though the hives and swelling are right there in front of you!!!!!!!!

I have been having this same problem. I have been telling my husband that when I use any lip moisturizers, I get fever blisters. He kept telling me that I was crazy!! I found this forum tonight and was so pleased to know that I'm not alone!! Now I just need to find a remedy for my dry lips that want cause a fever blister outbreak.