When I was young, my father sometimes suspected I was wearing lipstick and school and wiping it off before I got home (no makeup was allowed when we were younger) because my lips were so red. I never did wear makeup without his knowing (I did roll up my skirts, though). I just had extremely chapped lips. Playing oboe can aggravate them, although I’ve not had the horrible issue I had when I was younger.
But today? Today my lips are a total mess. If you saw me from a little bit of a distance I might appear to be one of those old ladies who doesn’t look in a mirror when applying lipstick, so it smeared in the corners.
Sigh.
When I’m playing stiffer reeds this can happen. When I’m making reeds and doing a lot of testing it might happen too. But right now there’s really not been that extreme amount of reed making, and I haven’t felt as if my reeds are all that stiff (I am breaking some in, but still). I guess it’s just the dry weather. I dunno. But it sure doesn’t feel good to play. (I typed “It don’t feel good to play” first. Hmmm. Maybe I’m losing my language skills.)
So to all our folks out there: Any great cures for chapped lips? Do tell. Please.
Aquaphor. It’s not an immediate cure, but if I use it every night before going to bed I don’t get awful chapped lips like I used to. At one point (pre-Aquaphor) I was beginning to wonder if I was allergic to cane…
i’ve started using burt’s bees (the mint kind, so it cools your lips off if they are burning) and then putting vaseline lip care on top of it to sort of seal it in, and my lips have been much better.
I well remember those days – I rolled my skirts too, but no forbidden lipstick because band practice was before school and I didn’t want to mess up my reeds, and then there was no time before class. I find just plain vaseline works for my lips. Some of the medicated brands have something in them that increases the irritation more than they help.