7 Day Lip Balm Challenge Results

Ok, so 2 weeks has passed since my experiment started. I wore lip balm religiously for 7 days straight (I was already wearing lip balm daily for many months before that so I'm sure if they could, my lips have already gotten used to it). Then I didn't wear any form of lip balm for another 7 days. After the first 7 days, I was so lipstick deprived that I immediately grabbed a lipstick (and used it) the very next day. I was practically terrorizing people around me with my pale zombie-like lips for a week.

Upper lips are terribly dry with hard, dry patches

Day 0
My lips have been so dry that you can see dry patches on them, especially on the upper lip. It's rough and so unkissable. My lips look like preserved prunes! If I didn't apply lip balm, they would probably crack and bleed. Lower lip may seem smooth but it's actually because my lips are so dry, they become kinda swollen and my blood capillaries can actually be seen. It's kinda creepy as it looks like they're going to burst.

After 7 days of pampering, lips are supple and soft again

Day 1-7
I applied lip balm after breakfast, in class, after lunch, in the car, before shower, after shower, after dinner, before bed and at any other opportunity. Dry patches immediately improve, becoming soft and I could remove them by exfoliating gently with a tooth brush after shower. Lips are no longer swollen.

Still okay even with lipstick

Showing the lines that are beginning to show but my lips originally look like that

Same day, at night with pale pink lipstick

Lips are a little dry tonight

Day 8-14
Lips feel a little dry without lip balm but definitely not any worse than before I started the challenge. Started wearing lip gloss and lipstick again but they do not seem to dry out my lips very much. Lines are appearing on my lips but it's bearable. Even after showering, there isn't much to exfoliate.

Conclusion? The myth is fake. My lips aren't extra dry when I didn't wear lip balm for a week. I even 'tortured' my lips with lipstick everyday and there is no difference. For me, my lips will always be like that, with or without lip balm. But naturally, they are a little dry so for extra moisture and smoother lips, I would prefer to use lip balm daily. I can't say the same for all lip balms though. As other lip balms may have different ingredients which may work in different ways.