"'Oh my gosh, your office smells so good! How do you not get hungry?'" is often the first thing people say when they meet with Maritza Aispuro, Product Development Manager at Markwins International, she tells me. As the person who heads up flavor development for Lip Smackers, a large part of Aispuro's day consists of sniffing donut-scented essential oils and licking vanilla-flavored balm off her lips, with the scents sometimes seeping through the glass walls of her workspace into the cubicles nearby. She keeps candy on hand to soothe her coworker's cravings.
In the world of nostalgic beauty products, there is arguably none more universally loved than the classic Lip Smacker. With just enough color to be considered makeup (which upped your middle school cred) and just enough moisturizing ingredients to be considered a lip balm (which upped the chances of getting your parents to let you buy them) Smackers truly were a winning combination for '90s teens.
Users' passionate ties to the brand are only strengthened by the fact that the company was wildly successful in accurately replicating flavors and scents, like Dr. Pepper and cotton candy, with incredible accuracy. Psychology Today reports that familiar smells can trigger more powerful memories than visual stimuli, which could explain why a whiff of Watermelon Lip Smacker instantly brings you back to getting ready for a middle school dance in your best friend's bedroom.
According to the Lip Smackers website, they became the first brand to launch scented lip balm back in 1972 when they released their strawberry flavor. But even in the '90s and early '00s, when when most competitors were sticking mainly to red fruit flavors, Lip Smacker stood out with their Dr. Pepper, Moon Rock Candy, Butterscotch Topaz, Birthday Cake, and other more adventurous scents. And they didn't smell like "Dr. Pepper mixed with some weird plastic or chemical" — they smelled like pure Dr. Pepper, the soda.
But while Lip Smackers is often considered a beloved brand from the past, especially for millennials, they actually continue to roll out new balm flavors every season. In January 2015, Markwins International acquired Bonne Bell and Lip Smacker from Aspire Brands, the same month Aispuro started sniffing her way through all those essential oils to create brand new Lip Smacker scents. The process is very elaborate. "I’m probably smelling and tasting and testing flavors a good three days out of the week, every week," Aispuro says. "So it’s a lot of flavor, it’s a lot of formulas. We have tons of flavors, like over 400, that we make available."
Turning familiar food and beverage flavors into a safe-to-use lip balm isn't just a matter of pouring some coffee into a blender with a little shea butter. "Our team utilizes equipment such as gas chromatographs and mass spectrometers to isolate some of the ingredients found in the drinks to give an indication of the materials that may be present," Aispuro explains, speaking specifically about Dr. Pepper's familiar 23 flavors. Aispuro's background is in more general beauty industry marketing — though she did take a course in fragrance before starting this job. That class gave her "a background on the nose and on what the top layer, middle layer, base layer of notes are."
It's not a simple task, and not every treat has a corresponding essential oil, which is why a lot of other brands stick to those tried and true fruits. "The most difficult part in formulating scent that replicates an edible fragrance is that ingredients do not exist to create every food experience," Aispuro tells me. "For example: Strawberry Shortcake is comprised of the smell of real strawberries, whipped cream, and fresh baked pound cake. There is no such thing as strawberry oil…so when a Scent Specialist is tasked with creating a Strawberry Shortcake scent they use their vast knowledge of aroma ingredients, what each smells like, and how they smell blended together, to recreate that same sensory experience." Most scent specialists have a background in chemistry, so they know "which flavors can and can't go into a lip balm format," Aispuro explains.
All that is to say: Aispuro is eating and smelling a lot of lip balm to make sure the final product comes out just right. She'll submit a product development request to the brand's flavor partners (which is where the chemists who know exactly which flavors are safe for your lips work) who will then send back three versions of the scent to test. Once Aispuro is happy with the way the oils smell, she'll blend them with the base Lip Smacker formula. "That way we’re not just smelling the flavor out of a glass tube, but we’re actually putting it on our lips, we’re actually, like, licking to taste it."
When I ask Aispuro if consuming all the lip balm and smelling all those oils ever makes her feel a little queasy, she laughs. "I mean, I lick it. I don’t technically eat it," she says. It might technically be safe to take a bite out of a lip balm, but that's not something Aispuro practices on the reg. "Again, having a bunch of candy around helps quell any urge to munch on a Smacker," she says.
Her nose often needs more rest than her stomach. "Sometimes I will get like, 'Well my nose needs a break because now I can’t tell the difference between vanilla or like mango,' like they smell the same. Which, you know, they shouldn’t," she explains. Aispuro also keeps coffee beans at her desk to reset her palette, ensuring your vanilla frappe Lip Smacker doesn't hit the shelves as a mango frappe due to any fatigued sniffers.
Aside from the coffee bean breaks, there are other roadblocks Aispuro and her team has run into. Lip Smacker's tagline is "Best Flavor Forever," she tells me, which means they'll only put scents as authentic as that infamous Dr. Pepper to market. And there is one trendy flavor you might be disappointed to hear likely won't ever make its way to the lip balm aisle: avocado.
In 2016, Lip Smacker added Horchata and Sriracha to the brand's Wacky Flavor collection, two flavors Aispuro cites as some of the most fun to create. During that testing period, they also tried to make a guacamole balm. Speaking about the process, Aispuro says that the final scent defintiely smelled like "something green with a little cilantro," but that they ultimately couldn't really get the smell of avocado. A rep from the Research and Development Facility for Lip Smackers explains that the distinct sensation you get from eating avocado comes more from its buttery texture than any real flavor, which made it difficult to replicate, even with their library of over 1500 materials.
Plus, any flavor that's made into a lip balm needs to be stable at a high temperature, so it can withstand being heated during the pouring process. "Avocado is a very mild flavor and would be heat sensitive so it would be technically difficult to achieve and keep stable in a lip balm," the rep explains. Clearly, they've put a lot of thought into this.
As for now, Aispuro is already prepping the yummy flavors Lip Smackers will launch for Holiday 2017. While she won't give me any hints about what to expect, she assures me it'll all taste exactly like the real thing.
FAQs
Does Lip Smackers have taste? ›
This soda and this lip balm do not exist on the same planet. The balm has almost no flavor other than an incredibly faint sweetness and doesn't resemble lemon or lime.
What happens if you eat Lip Smacker? ›ChapStick products are intended for external use only and should not be eaten. But if someone swallows a small amount, it's unlikely they will experience symptoms. The most likely side effects include mild irritation of the mouth, throat and stomach, or mild nausea and diarrhea.
Is Lip Smackers going out of business? ›Lip Smackers aren't going anywhere. But neither is your sadness. Since it was announced last Thursday that the cosmetics company Bonne Bell Co. would be shutting down, the Internet has been aflutter with tearful farewells and RIPs, particularly surrounding the company's iconic Lip Smacker lip gloss brand.
Why are Lip Smackers so popular? ›One of the most enduring memories of Lip Smackers wasn't necessarily the application of the product itself, but the sense of kinship it cultivated among girls of a certain age. You wore it to set the tone for the day, to have fun and feel cute, and to show off your newest additions to your friends.
Can you eat Coca Cola lip smacker? ›ARE LIP SMACKER LIP BALMS TOXIC IF EATEN? All Lip Smacker balm formulas have been evaluated by a board certified toxicologist and have been deemed safe for use, and are FDA compliant.
Do lip smackers dry out your lips? ›Some say applying lip balm causes the body to stop generating natural moisture around the lips. That's just a myth, Dr. Piliang says. “Lip balms containing ingredients like phenol, menthol and salicylic acid actually make your lips drier.
What is lip gloss made out of whale sperm? ›Don't worry, the age-old rumor that lip gloss is made with whale sperm is really just that — a rumor. There is no scientific evidence that sperm (whale or otherwise) is used to make lip gloss. There are, however, some ingredients that you would benefit from skipping.
Do Lip Smackers expire? ›Unfortunately, just like the food in your fridge, lip balm does expire — within six to 12 months from the time you open it, to be exact.
What ingredients are bad for your lips? ›- Alcohol – Alcohol is a drying ingredient that will zap the moisture from your lips. ...
- Menthol and Phenol – ...
- Artificial Pigments – ...
- Ingredients You Can't Pronounce – ...
- Carmine – ...
- Parabens – ...
- Petrolatum (petroleum jelly or mineral oil) –
Add shine. Moisturize and soften lips with lip smackin' flavor and shine. Lip Balm made in USA.
Why did Lip Smacker stop making Dr Pepper? ›
The Death of the Doctor
The discontinuation of Dr Pepper Lip Smacker didn't unfold as some dramatic implosion in the public eye, but instead was the end result of a comparatively boring case of an expired license: According to a representative for Dr Pepper, the license with Lip Smackers expired in 2020.
Commonly found in medicated lip balms, phenol is also toxic to dogs, while camphor can also cause serious symptoms if consumed in large amounts. Then there are other ingredients in lip balm that may cause digestive upset for your pet, such as essential oils and sunscreen.
Who has the most lip balms in the world? ›Chelsea Jerabek, who has the title, owns more than 1,800 lip balms, but Guinness does not include duplicates so the record states that she has 1,622.
What are bad chapsticks to use? ›Avoid lip balms that contain menthol, camphor, phenol or any sort of alcohol. These ingredients may provide an immediate cooling sensation but can irritate the skin.
Is lip smacker safe for toddlers? ›Never use adult lip balm on a baby because it may contain irritating and unsafe additives. Many lip balms contain camphor, which can be lethal to infants. 5 If you do decide to apply something to your baby's chapped lips, a small amount of petroleum jelly like Aquaphor or Vaseline is generally a safe option.
Can adults use Lip Smackers? ›Although these may seem a little juvenile for adults, the formula is extremely moisturizing and hydrating, making it the perfect lip balm for all ages.
How much lip balm do we eat? ›Studies have found that if you apply lip balm twice a day, you may have ingested about 4 tubes of lip balm each year. In recent years, many lip balm products have been detected to contain a large amount of carcinogenic mineral oil substances, some of which may be accumulated in the body after being ingested.
Is Vaseline good for your lips? ›The secret to dealing with dry, sore, chapped lips is to find a way to lock in moisture and protect the lips from the cold, dry air. Vaseline® Healing Jelly is an excellent choice as it forms a protective layer on the lips and penetrates deep down to rehydrate the skin and speed up the its natural renewal process.
Why do my lips feel worse after chapstick? ›Dr. Samer Jaber, a dermatologist at Washington Square Dermatology in New York, adds "while balms and chapsticks can temporarily soothe irritated lips, they often have chemicals that may cause further irritation... (including) flavors, fragrance and preservatives that can dry and irritate your lips."
How do I stop my lip balm addiction? ›According to the experts, the power to breaking your addiction lays solely in hands of the products that you are using. Switching your usual balm for a treatment that actually works to heal and hydrate as opposed to 'sealing in' existing moisture is the best way to break your balm cycle.
What has whale sperm in? ›
Spermaceti is created in the spermaceti organ inside the whale's head. This organ may contain as much as 1,900 litres (500 US gal) of spermaceti. It has been extracted by whalers since the 17th century for human use in cosmetics, textiles, and candles.
What do they put whale sperm in? ›Ambergris
Ambergris is a traditional fixative ingredient used in expensive perfumes. It is ejected by sperm whales as a black slurry that floats on the ocean surface and eventually solidifies into a rock-like substance that washes up on shorelines.
26. Ambergris is often described as one of the world's strangest natural occurrences. It is produced by sperm whales and has been used for centuries, but for many years its origin remained a mystery. Ambergris has been a unique phenomenon for millennia.
Is it OK to use expired lip balm if it was never opened? ›If a lip balm has expired, it's best to discard it and purchase a new one.
Can you lick Lip Smackers? ›No, lick your lips whether you've applied chapstick or not. When you use saliva, your lips can become darker and cracked due to the enzymes that it contains. After licking off the Chapstick (or whatever lip balm you use) your lips will begin to dry out and be chapped again.
Does ChapStick ever get old? ›WHAT IS THE SHELF-LIFE/EXPIRATION DATE OF CHAPSTICK LIP BALM? ChapStick products have a two-year expiration date.
Is Burt's Bees bad for your lips? ›Is Burts Bees Good For Dry Lips? Yes, Burt's Bees is great for dry lips! It's made with natural ingredients like beeswax, honey, and vitamin E that help to deeply moisturize the lips. It also contains plant-based emollients like cocoa butter and shea butter that further help to lock in moisture.
Why is licking your lips bad for chapped lips? ›When you lick your lips, you're coating them in saliva. Not only does it evaporate very quickly to leave lips drier than before, your saliva is also full of enzymes that are too harsh for the delicate lip skin. These enzymes can remain on the lips and cause them to feel dry and uncomfortable.
Why is there alcohol in ChapStick? ›However, the type of alcohol typically used in lip balm is stearyl alcohol, which acts as a binder and emulsifier with no evidence showing it dries out lips.
What is Coca Cola Lip Smacker? ›Add to Wishlist. Great-Tasting Treats. Party Fun! Enjoy the authentic taste of your favorite beverage flavors in a lip gloss thats as good for your lips as it tastes! Coca-Cola flavored Lip Smacker lip glosses offer smoothing moisture and lip refreshment in one.
Who is Lip Smacker owned by? ›
Bonne Bell is a cosmetics company aimed for teens. The company was best known for its line of astringents and cleansers named "10-0-6." In the 1970s, they expanded into a popular range of lip balms called Lip Smackers which became the company's signature product.
Who is the CEO of Lip Smacker? ›Founded by CEO, Eric Chen, the company is recognized as a Top 20 purveyor in the global cosmetic industry and is the largest privately owned cosmetics company in the US. The Markwins brand portfolio includes wet n wild®, Physicians Formula, Black Radiance, and Lip Smacker.
What year did Cheetos lip balm fail? ›Well, in 2005, Frito-Lay thought the answer was a resounding yes, and so they introduced Cheetos-flavored lip balm. Not surprisingly, the product failed to connect with consumers who preferred their lip balm to taste and smell like familiar flavors such as vanilla, cherry, mint, orange, and so on.
What was removed from Dr Pepper back in the 1950s? ›Dr Pepper says the period was dropped in the 1950s to make it easier to read on the smaller bottles of the time. The beverage tweeted a reminder back in July 2016, saying: “This just in: There is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper. Less time writing punctuation = more time drinking Dr Pepper #TheMoreYouKnow.”
Why doesn t Disney carry Dr Pepper? ›Dr Pepper is owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., so it cannot be sold in the Disney parks. And you won't find it at the McDonald's on property either, because that's still in Disney World (trust us — we've tried).
Does ChapStick have poison in it? ›Lip Balm contains a wide range of ingredients, and unless it contains sunscreen or is medicated (ex/ contains camphor, benzocaine or salicylic acid), it is not harmful in unintentional ingestions.
Is Burt's Bees bad for dogs? ›Bee byproducts are one of the main hallmarks of Burt's Bees' products. Most of the time these ingredients are harmless to dogs. With this being said it's unlikely your dog will have been exposed to the unique proteins in these substances before, so an allergy may have gone unnoticed.
Is Carmex toxic dogs? ›Camphor is commonly found in topical pain or arthritis body rubs. Examples of some common trade names containing camphor include Carmex, Tiger Balm, Vicks VapoRub, Campho-Phenique, etc. Camphor is readily absorbed across the skin, and should never be applied to dogs or cats due to risks for poisoning.
What is the oldest chapstick? ›1880s. Charles Brown Fleet is credited for the world's first official lip balm. It looked like a candle without a wick and was wrapped in tin foil. The brand was called Chapstick, though it didn't sell nearly as well as the Chapstick we know today.
Is Chapstick or Vaseline better? ›Some people are more prone to chapped lips due to where they live or what they eat and drink. A dermatologist told Insider a simple product like Vaseline is better than chapsticks with more ingredients, which can irritate the lips, being both the problem and solution.
Is Vaseline better then chapstick? ›
So, should you use chapstick or Vaseline? Both! Chapstick moisturizes dry lips, and Vaseline helps in sealing the moisture in and keeping the skin barrier intact. While you can get away with using just chapstick, there is no point in using Vaseline without applying chapstick first.
Who has the largest lip woman? ›Andrea Ivanova, the woman with the 'world's biggest lips' has now set her sight on having the world's largest cheekbones, according to the New York Post.
Who has the worlds biggest female lips? ›A woman who has the 'world's biggest lips' has revealed she doesn't think her pout is "big enough". Andrea Ivanova, 25, from Bulgaria is known for her enhanced look, and she's spent thousands on her lips, plus an estimated £1,600 on cheekbone filler.
What lip balm does Angelina Jolie use? ›Avène Cold Cream Nutrition Nourishing Lip Balm.
What vitamin deficiency causes dry lips? ›Vitamin B-3 Without enough vitamin B-3 or niacin, a person may experience dry, cracked lips or tongue and a red, swollen mouth. A deficiency of this vitamin can also lead to dermatitis. People can get niacin in their diet by eating beef, pork, halibut, tuna, poultry, whole grains, dairy, and green leafy vegetables.
Why use Vaseline instead of ChapStick? ›Vaseline is known as an occlusive, which means it can hold in moisture . If you use Vaseline on your lips before they're dry and chapped, you may be able to stave off dryness.
Why do lip balms not work? ›Lip balms, particularly oil-based balms, do help seal in moisture on the skin of your lips temporarily, but once the thin film of hydration they capture evaporates, your skin is actually worse off. It's left even more dehydrated than before, which means more cracked, flaky, or irritated — and more in need of balm.
Can you lick lip smackers? ›No, lick your lips whether you've applied chapstick or not. When you use saliva, your lips can become darker and cracked due to the enzymes that it contains. After licking off the Chapstick (or whatever lip balm you use) your lips will begin to dry out and be chapped again.
Does cherry ChapStick have a taste? ›ChapStick Classic Cherry Lip Balm Tubes harness an original formula that softens and protects lips, leaving them silky and smooth. With a crowd-pleasing sweet cherry flavor and hydrating formula, this ChapStick classic lip balm helps keep your lips smooth and wonderfully soft.
Does ChapStick have a scent or flavor? ›Available in four timeless flavors—Classic Original, Cherry, Spearmint and Strawberry—our tried-and-true skincare for lips protects and moisturizes. After over 130 years, we know how to keep it interesting.
Do lips have a sense of taste? ›
Answer and Explanation: There are no taste buds on the lips, but there are taste buds on the cheeks and on the top and back of the oral cavity. Of course, most of the taste buds are found on the tongue. The lips will respond when exposed to some foods, but not with the sensation of taste.
Should I lick my lips? ›Occasionally licking the lips may not cause any problems. However, persistent licking throughout the day could dry out the lips and lead to chapping, splitting, flaking, or peeling. This is especially true if you live in a cold, dry climate or you go out in the sun without using sunscreen.
Why do guys lick their lips? ›"We lick our lips in anticipation when we see something we desire," she says. That anticipation might even be making him feel uneasy. "When we get nervous, our saliva glands stop secreting, and our mouths get dry—leading to lip-licking," says body-language expert Patti Wood.
Can I lick Vaseline? ›In short, you can safely use Vaseline as part of your skin care routine, as many people have for a long time. Remember: Refined white petroleum jelly — aka Vaseline — is what you're looking for. It's generally safe for gentle external use. Just don't inhale it, eat it, or apply it to sensitive areas (it's no lube).
What flavor is the black ChapStick? ›Summary: ChapStick® Moisturizer Black Cherry flavor lip balm softens and protects your lips with a kiss of sweetness, a subtle blush of tint and SPF 15 sunscreen.
What flavor is the pink ChapStick? ›With ChapStick® Pink Lemonade flavor lip balm, you can bring that feeling back – no matter where you are or what time of year. The trusted ChapStick® formula glides on smooth and keeps your lips feeling soft and sweet.
What does the cherry ChapStick mean in I kissed a girl? ›But the game developers had their reasons because it was later revealed that "Cherry Chapstick" is a euphemism for a woman's intimate area. Advertisement.
Does ChapStick have pig in it? ›In the USA, animals are not used to test ChapStick®. Human volunteers are used to test new products. Certain countries outside of the USA may mandate animal testing for cosmetics.
Can men use ChapStick? ›It's clear that men can have a stellar lip care routine and with a range of ChapStick® products, you have plenty of options to help you keep your lips nice and hydrated, no matter the season.
Does Pfizer own ChapStick? ›AHP later changed its name to Wyeth. ChapStick was a Wyeth product until 2009 when Wyeth was acquired by Pfizer. Pfizer sold the manufacturing facility in Richmond, Virginia, on October 3, 2011, to Fareva Richmond, who now manufactures and packages ChapStick for Pfizer.
Is there a taste in kissing? ›
A kiss transmits smells, tastes, sound and tactile signals that all affect how the individuals perceive each other and, ultimately, whether they will want to kiss again.
Is it true that you taste with your nose? ›Our sense of smell in responsible for about 80% of what we taste. Without our sense of smell, our sense of taste is limited to only five distinct sensations: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and the newly discovered “umami” or savory sensation. All other flavours that we experience come from smell.
How do tongues taste? ›Sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory tastes can actually be sensed by all parts of the tongue. Only the sides of the tongue are more sensitive than the middle overall. This is true of all tastes – with one exception: the back of our tongue is very sensitive to bitter tastes.