Carmex Lip Balm

Cute story. So I met celebrities Tweetie De Leon-Gozales last week and Andi Eigenmann last Tuesday. I asked them what their must-have product is and guess what they both said? Carmex lip balm! Yes, Carmex. It appears that you're never too mature or too young for something as basic as lip balm.

So why Carmex? I always hear this brand thrown around but I've never gotten to try it. That is, until I Tweeted some weeks back that I'm curious about it. Carmex then kindly sent me their products to review.

The original form of Carmex when it was invented in the 1930s

After some light Googling I found the interesting story of Carmex. It was created by Alfred Woelbing from out of his kitchen stove in the 1930s. He started selling it to pharmacists from the boot of his car. Eventually, as the product gained a cult following through word-of-mouth, Carmex opened a factory in 1957 and became one of the well-known lip balm brands in the world. To this day it is still owned by the Woelbing family. Alfred Woelbing himself ran it until he was 96. He died in 2001, at 100 years old.

Read this detailed article on the fascinating history of Carmex. It's a compelling story of one man's entrepreneurial spirit and hard work.

Anywaaay, here's my review of this intriguing product!

What I love about the product

• Extremely moisturizing. It zaps chapped lips after just a couple of uses.
• Doesn't dry up on your lips for hours. If you hate other lip balms sort of drying up in patches and making your lips feel all scaly and yucky, well, try Carmex.
• Has SPF.
• Not waxy. It's thick, but it's not sticky. Feels very comfortable on the lips. 
• Minty! I personally prefer minty lip balms since I like the tingly, fresh feel.
• The lip balm tube has a safety seal to make sure than the product has never been opened. Neat.
• Cheap! It's only P99 a tube. All SKUs are P99.

What I don't like about the product

• The original formula has a strong ointment-y, menthol smell. The flavored ones, Cherry and Strawberry, doesn't have that smell. Still, I find the fruity scent too strong. I prefer my lip balms lightly scented or not at all.

Recommendations

If you have a serious problem with chapped lips or cold sores, Carmex is your savior. Out of all the lip balms I've tried, this is the one that really, completely rids me of chapped or flaking lips.

Verdict

Carmex lip balms are great, but the smell really bothers me. I also wish it could be less thick, like my fave Aquafinas. Still, all things considered, Carmex does a better job of moisturizing my lips than the latter brand. Either one works for me!

Carmex is available in all PCX outlets, Landmark Dept Stores, Robinson's Dept Stores, Suesh, Boracay Budget Mart, Red Dot Laoag, Chimes Davao, and first Aid in Greenbelt.