I have been called the “World’s Laziest Obsessive-Compulsive” and it’s a pretty accurate assessment. All my life, I’ve looked for shortcuts and easier ways to do things. For years, I’ve collected tips, tricks and MacGyver-esque hacks to do everything easier, faster, better and cheaper.
Here, I’ll share my collection of really useful things you can do with a simple tube of lip balm.
1. Earwax Upgrade
According to Wikipedia, back in the 1840s, Lydia Maria Child recommended earwax as a treatment for cracked lips in her popular book, The American Frugal Housewife.
Child observed that, ” It is one of those sorts of cures, which are very likely to be laughed at; but I know of its having produced very beneficial results.”
I imagine that the beneficial results did NOT include people wanting to kiss you. Or perhaps even be around you.
So, the first smart use for lip balm is to save you from smearing earwax on your mouth.
Here are 30 more…
2. Fix Shaving Nicks
Dab a bit of unflavored lip balm on a razor cut to close the wound and stop the bleeding. Note: A serious cut requires more serious attention.
3. Soothe Other Wounds
Paper cuts can be surprisingly painful. Stop the sting with a dab of unflavored lip balm. Cracked, winter-dried fingertips can also be soothed with a layer of balm.
4. Cuticle Cream Stand-In
Are your cracked cuticles bothering you? Soften up split cuticles with lip balm. Rub some on before bed and you’ll see improvement by the time you wake up in the morning.
5. Wipe Out Nose Irritation
The area around your nose can get dry and irritated from frequent wiping and blowing during a cold. To fix, wash your hands and apply some unscented lip balm on the affected area with your finger.
Don’t use the lip balm directly on your skin to avoid spreading germs and infecting your tube of lip balm.
6. Balm Away Flyaway Hair
If your hair is unruly because of static electricity or maybe a bad hair day, swipe your fingers over your lip balm and gently smooth flyaway hair back into place.
See Also: 7 Hair and Makeup Looks to Try This Week
7. Eye Cream Alternative
Looking like a raccoon with those dark circles under your eyes? Lip balm can substitute for eye cream to counter baggy and puffy eyes. Rub some on a clean finger and gently daub under your eyes.
8. Tame Rebellious Brows
Got a wild hair in your eyebrow? A dab of lip balm on your finger can smooth it back into place.
9. Erase Mascara Smudge
It’s a good idea to have a tube of lip balm in your purse during nights out. If your mascara smudges, a bit of lip balm on a Q-tip can easily do the trick. And it won’t affect any foundation or makeup underneath.
10. Prevent Shoe Blisters
Have you ever gotten blisters from new or ill-fitting shoes? If your shoe is rubbing and causing irritation, you can minimize the friction – and hold a blister at bay – by applying a layer of lip balm to the area.
11. Help When Hair-dying
If you’ve ever seen folks dye their hair at home, you’d have noticed that the scalp around the hairline sometimes get dyed too and it’s a bit of an eyesore. To avoid this fashion no-no, apply a layer of lip balm around your hairline to keep the dye from coloring your skin too.
12. Keep Fragrance from Fading
It’s quite disappointing when your favorite scent evaporates easily. To make a scent last longer, rub a bit of balm on your pulse points before you spray. This will lock the fragrance in and keep it from dissipating too fast.
Lip balm works because it is occlusive. It absorbs and holds fragrances compared to if you just sprayed it straight onto your dry skin.
13. Beat Bug Bite Itch
Are the bed bugs biting? Bed bug bites are no joke. Block the air (and the itch) from a bug bite with a dab of lip balm.
14. Windblocker
Lip balm, applied to your cheeks, nose and forehead, can serve as an effective windburn preventer in harsh, cold weather. It keeps the cold air from directly harming the sensitive skin of your face.
15. Instant Eye Gloss
No surprise here. Lip balm can be used for a beauty hack. Mix a little unflavored lip balm with your favorite eye shadow to make a dewy eye gloss. It’s a great beauty trick with hardly any cost.
16. Shine Dull Skin
If you’re having a rough day and it’s showing on your face, dab a line of lip balm along your cheekbones. It will put a shine on your cheeks and make you look dewy and healthy.
See Also: 6 Vitamin-Packed Smoothie Recipes for Glowing Skin
17. Handy Hand Lotion Substitute
If you accidentally forgot your hand lotion at home or you’ve simply run out, lip balm can be a substitute. Spread some lip balm on dry patches of skin. Rub hands together to warm them up and make the balm spread better.
18. Unstick Your Zip
It’s happened to all of us — getting the zip of our jeans stuck. Hopefully, you were out of them when it happened.
Some folks run a candle through the zip but you can also use lip balm. Simply spread some on the zipper’s teeth. This will lubricate the stuck parts and help the zipper slide more easily.
19. Tie Up Loose Shoestrings
Are your kids’ shoelaces getting untied too often? To help shoelaces stay securely tied, rub lip balm on them. The wax will provide friction that will keep them from coming apart.
20. Shoe Shine Substitute
For a quick polish, rub some lip balm on your shoes and buff them to a shine with a dry cloth. Nobody will be able to tell the difference.
21. Ring Removal Solution
Is a ring stuck in your finger? Apart from soapy water or lotion, you can also use lip balm to provide lubration. Simply dab on the offending ring and affected finger and steadily apply pressure on the ring until it comes off.
22. Clean and Defog Glasses
One down side of glasses is how they can fog up in warm or cold weather (or when you’re drinking soup!). A handy trick is to coat the lens of your glasses with lip balm and then polishing with a cloth. This will keep your glasses from fogging up.
23. Remove Sticker Gunk
Remember that gunk that gets left behind on stuff when you remove stickers and price tags? It’s very annoying and it ruins the look of a perfectly new item. It’s hard to get out just by rubbing it off with a finger too.
Instead, apply a layer of lip balm on the offending sticker gunk. Wait 10 minutes, then wipe away the lip balm and dissolved residue.
24. Lubricate Drawers and Windows
Apply lip balm to the tracks of sticky drawers and windows to get them to open and shut more easily. This hack is good for anything with tracks and sliders.
25. Rust-proof Exterior Bulbs
Outdoor lights exposed to the elements have a tendency to rust. To keep this from happening, coat the threads of light bulbs with lip balm before twisting into place. The balm will provide a waterproof seal that will hold off rust, and will make the bulb much easier to unscrew when it needs to be replaced.
26. Keep Knives and Other Tools from Rusting
Knives and tools may rust especially if left unused for long periods of time. Rub lip balm onto the blades of knifes or onto scissors, clippers – whatever you want to protect from oxidation.
27. Sink Nails and Screws Easier
Coat nails with a little lip balm to keep them from splitting wood when hammered in. A dab on screws helps them go in easier.
28. Protect a Pet’s Paws
Winter ice, snow and salt can cause irritation to your pet’s paws. Put some lip balm on the pads of your pet’s paws before they go outside to protect them.
29. Repair a Scratched CD
Do you want to listen to an old CD but it’s scratched? No worries. Apply a little lip balm over the scratched area to keep it from skipping.
30. MacGuyver a Candle
In a pinch, you can open a lip balm container and insert a match stick into the wax. The matchstick will absorb the wax from the lip balm and keep a flame burning for a little while.
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Author: Boyd Blackwood
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