The ways you can use chapstick beyond just on your lips

Empty out the contents of any woman’s purse and you are likely to find at least one tube of chapstick—maybe more. Many of us keep more than one of our best chapstick varieties or flavors in our bags so we have one that suits our mood. Peppermint flavor for a pick-me-up, coconut for a beach outing, or whatever suits your mood. In fact, they should release a pumpkin-spice flavored chapstick for fall, and I’m sure it would fly off the checkout counter shelves.

But did you know that chapstick does more than just soothe chapped lips, and protect lips from the weather? In fact, survivalists tell us that having our favorite chapstick along during an apocalypse, or while stranded on a tropical island, could very well be the tool we need to ensure survival.

Even without a far-away island or an apocalypse, that chapstick in your purse, medicine cabinet, or the glove box of your car, can come in handy for a variety of uses that don’t necessarily involve your lips!

Blister Balm

When you’re about an hour into a long work day and you’ve discovered that the new pair of shoes that look so great feel a lot less than great on your feet, your chapstick can save the day. Rub a little chapstick on your foot or heel—wherever your shoe is rubbing—and you can escape the development of a painful and unsightly blister.

Shave Save

Instead of sticking an ugly piece of toilet tissue to a small shaving cut, you can effectively seal it and stop the bleeding with a little swipe of your best chapstick. This tip also works well to soothe and protect a paper cut. Sore noses from wiping and blowing are also quickly relieved and protected by a few strokes of chapstick.

Zip Trick

Trapped in the restroom at work with a zipper that’s stuck? Try rubbing a little of that chapstick from your purse onto the zipper threads and you’ve fixed your zip! This also works for lubricating the threads of bottles with caps that rust or stick. It’s also a great lubricant to apply to the threads of a lightbulb you plan to use outdoors or on a porch. A little of your chapstick applied to the lightbulb threads will keep it from rusting and sticking inside the socket.

Rust Bust

Lubricating any tools with moving parts that are sticking with your handy chapstick can save the day if you’re trying to make a quick repair. It also works to protect knives from rust. If it’s a pocket knife you keep for emergency, or a hunting knife that’s often exposed to weather, your best chapstick will protect the blade from developing rust.

Chap (Candle) Stick

Stuck on the side of the road in a snowbank? While you wait for help, you can turn your best chapstick into a candle. Insert a matchstick, or any sliver of wood and light it, and you have a candle that will burn for about half an hour. This also works using a Q-tip as a wick. Rub the cotton bud of a Q-tip into your chapstick, then insert the other end into your tube of chapstick and light.

Chapstick also makes a good starter fuel if you need to make a fire in a pinch. Rub chapstick on to dry leaves or other tinder and it will light quickly and burn hot.

Chapstick Cosmetic Enhancer

You can use your chapstick cosmetically for several purposes. Your best chapstick is a handy tool to tame eyebrow hair and help it to keep a defined shape before using eyebrow makeup on it. You can also apply it to the bristles on your hair brush and use it to tame any unruly hair, fly-aways, or to moisturize dry ends to prevent splitting and breaking.

Mix chapstick with your powder eyeshadow to make it a richly pigmented cream shadow.

Rub a little chapstick onto your neck and wrists before spraying on perfume and it serves a dual purpose. Not only does it protect your vulnerable skin from the alcohol in the perfume, it also makes the scent longer lasting!

Spiff up Your Specs

To clean your glasses and protect them from fogging, simply swipe some chapstick onto the lenses and then wipe thoroughly. Your glasses will sparkle.

It also works to ease off a too-tight ring without chafing or scraping.

Your best chapstick may very well be your best friend in any kind of sticky situation!

Resources — BrightSide, UrbanSurvivalSite.com , DumbLittleMan

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