Survey Reveals Attitudes About Lip Health

The majority of Americans suffer from dry and chapped lips, and 1 in 4 say that when their lips are chapped and flaky they don’t look attractive. Furthermore, close to 1 in 5 say their self-confidence goes down when their lips are chapped and flaky and, some even admit that it makes them not feel like kissing anyone. Results come from a Harris Poll of 2,000 women and men, commissioned by Carmex^® Lip Balm.

The vast majority of Americans (86%) say they do something when their lips are chapped or flaky. The top response (65%) is to apply lip balm frequently throughout the day to treat their irritated lips, while fewer even go so far as to change their eating habits by avoiding citrus or spicy food. Unfortunately, some Americans may be doing more harm than good when treating their chapped lips. Even though 2 in 5 Americans say that licking their lips makes them feel dry and chapped, almost half admit to licking their lips more often when they’re chapped, likely causing more irritation.

Overall, women and younger adults are more likely to say there’s something that makes their lips feel chapped and to say this has negative impact on their life, causing discomfort, making them feel less physically attractive and lowering their self-esteem. Women and younger adults are also more likely to take an active role in trying to solve the problem by applying lip balm or exfoliating and to take steps to make their lips feel softer.