Lip care

Petroleum jelly becomes a familiar treatment

The history of modern lip care goes through a product that we still use: vaseline. In 1870, Robert Chesebrough began marketing his petroleum jelly under the Vaseline brand. From refining, this material can form a lasting oily film on the skin. Its industrial origin is sometimes surprising, although it is precisely the preparation of a purified and regular product that allows its cosmetic use.

The connection to lips is easy to understand: an ointment that stays on the surface can help an exposed area retain its moisture. This does not make it a universal remedy or a treatment for all lesions. Petrolatum has above all retained a place for a simple reason: its protective effect is useful, even without perfume, color or spectacular promise.

The stick especially changes the ease of use

In 1909, Beiersdorf launched Labello. The brand's archives show the first presentations, then the adoption of a sliding case in 1911: the balm is brought out by pushing from the bottom. This packaging detail matters a lot for a product that you want to put back outside, without opening a jar and running your finger through it each time.

The case thus allows the treatment to become an object that you keep with you. The mechanisms and materials will evolve, but the principle remains familiar: protect the product and make application rapid. For the lips, the format has a real practical importance. A treatment accessible when they pull will be easier to use regularly than a potty forgotten in a bathroom.

Understanding a surface different from the rest of the face

Research does not stop with the invention of new balms. In 2004, Kobayashi and Tagami studied the properties of the surface of the lips and compared them to those of facial skin. Their measurements show a less effective barrier and a lower capacity to retain water. The lips are therefore not simply a small area of ​​skin to be treated like a cheek.

A study published in 2021 examines the relationships between hydration, water loss and lip peeling in forty women. This type of work helps connect what we see, such as small skins, to measurable features of the surface. It does not prove that a particular balm is the best, but allows you to better understand what the treatment seeks to improve.