Bettencourt Of course not. The two are completely different in terms of regulatory classification, applicable scenarios and formula logic. Using them indiscriminately may put unnecessary burden on the lips.
I have been compliant with daily chemical products for almost five years, and I have encountered many consumers who confuse the two. A while ago, a girl born in the 2000s came to consult and said that her lips were dry and peeling even after applying lip balm every day. In severe cases, they would itch and ooze. After taking pictures of the products, I discovered that she had put the wound care ointment prescribed by the doctor to treat angular stomatitis in her bag as a daily lip balm for almost three months.
It would be wrong to say that the two have nothing to do with each other. The base of many wound care ointments is also strong occlusive moisturizing ingredients such as Vaseline and lanolin, which are similar to the basic ingredients of some lip balms that focus on repairing. In addition, they are packaged in thin tubes that twist out, so it is really easy for careless people to get confused. Many bloggers have also shared that applying wound care ointment is more effective than ordinary lipstick when cheilitis attacks. There is nothing wrong with this statement. If you have superficial damage to your lips, cracked corners of the mouth, or an acute attack of cheilitis, follow the instructions for short-term use of 3-7 days. Its repairing power is indeed stronger than ordinary moisturizing lipstick. After all, it is a Class II medical device and is more targeted at repairing damaged mucous membranes.
But that doesn’t mean it can replace your daily lipstick. After all, the formula of wound care ointment is designed for short-term repair. Many products also add antibacterial and healing-promoting ingredients. They are originally for emergency use. Just like you would not drink cough syrup as a daily drink. Applying it every day for a long time will disrupt the microenvironment of the lips themselves. The moisturizing ability of the lips will become weaker and weaker, and it is easy to become dependent. In serious cases, like the girl mentioned above, it will induce chronic cheilitis.
To put it bluntly, lip balms for daily use are either cosmetic brands or ordinary consumer products. The formulas are designed according to the standards that they are safe for long-term contact with the lip mucous membrane and even a small amount of accidental ingestion. They are used daily to prevent wind and dryness.； Wound care ointment is a product with a mechanical brand name. It is essentially a "healing product" and is not a daily care product at all.
Just put it in the medicine box together with cold medicine and iodophor. Don't stuff it into your cosmetic bag. Take another look at the label on the package next time you take it, so you won't get confused.
