SHARING LIP BALM

SHARING LIP BALM?

Is it OK to share a lip balm or a lip stick? We don't intentionally do it, but at times, when we are travelling and forget ours, or the kids' lips are chapped, mommy rubs her balm.

One might end up with more than a moisturized pout! Everytime we swipe the balm over the lips, it picks up saliva, germs and dead skin cells. So one could be layering on bacteria like E. Coli, which could give one a nasty stomachache, or staph, which can cause a skin infection called impetigo.

If the person you are borrowing a lip balm or a lip stick from is prone to cold sores (about 60% of the population does) one could end up with them too.

Sharing with your spouse or kids poses no greater risk than kissing them goodnight, but if someone in the same family has been sick, play it safe and before using a balm, in any case, wipe the balm with a dry tissue followed by a swap dipped in alcohol to kill the bacteria.

- Prathyusha Talluri