Okay, so, I was digging through my bathroom drawer the other day, you know, the one where all the random stuff ends up? And I found this old Chapstick tucked away in the back. I’m pretty sure I bought it, like, years ago. It got me thinking, does this stuff actually expire?
I mean, it’s not like food or anything, right? So, I did what any normal person would do – I went on a little internet deep dive. Turns out, yeah, Chapsticks do have a shelf life. Who knew?
Apparently, most of them are good for about two to three years. Some websites I stumbled upon mentioned that even unopened ones can go bad. Seems a bit weird, but okay.
So, I grabbed the Chapstick from the drawer and started my investigation.
- First, the smell test. I gave it a good whiff. It didn’t smell rancid or anything, but it definitely didn’t have that same minty freshness it probably had when I first bought it.
- Next, the visual inspection. I twisted it up and looked at the balm itself. The color seemed a bit off, kind of dull. And the texture looked a little…grainy? Not smooth like a new one.
- Then, the application. This is where I started to really notice a difference. It didn’t glide on as smoothly as I remembered. It felt a bit dry and didn’t really seem to moisturize my lips at all. I mean the packaging said it will expire within two or three years, I am pretty sure it is expired.
Based on my totally scientific investigation, I decided it was time to toss this old guy. I’m just gonna make a mental note from now on, you know, maybe check my lip balm situation a little more often and toss anything that’s super old. And buy a new one, you know the saying “better safe than sorry”.
Anyway, that’s my little adventure with an old Chapstick. Hope this maybe helps someone out there avoid putting ancient lip balm on their mouth.
