Carry travel essentials to protect your lips

Sharing is caring!

This post includes affiliate links. When you purchase through these links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For full details, please see our affiliate disclosure page.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for lipivir® and I received compensation for my post. As a lifestyle and travel blogger, I am happy to share my personal experiences with my audience. #ad

🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials

“Never leave the house without lipstick”.

I can clearly hear my mother say this to me as I was growing up. There were many words of wisdom but these are ones that stuck with me forever.  When I was young, I was waiting… just waiting for the day I could put on lipstick and protect my lips.  It was not for the aesthetics or fun of putting on make-up.  There was a big reason why I wanted to protect them:  painful, unsightly cold sores which I would get every winter.   I cannot tell you how embarrassing and annoying I found this scourge.
Apparently I am not alone in being a herpes simplex 1 virus (HSV-1) carrier (commonly called cold sores), 80% of the Canadian population carry the virus that produces cold sore outbreaks.  In that group, between 20 and 40% of carriers develop recurring outbreaks when certain triggers are present (stress, extreme cold & wind, hormonal fluctuations, illness, injury to your lips including dryness & cracking, etc.).  No question about it, for me it’s not just the cold weather that can trigger this reaction: stress is also a huge driver!

Discovered by scientists in Switzerland, they found out how to prevent colds sores from forming in a clear gel product called lipivir®. In a clinical study conducted at the University of Zurich, patients who usually experience a median of 12 cold sore outbreaks per year applied lipivir® as directed twice daily for 6 months. During the 6-month treatment period, 80 per cent of the patients experienced a reduction in cold sore outbreaks of 75-100 per cent. Now available over the counter in Canada, you can use lipivir® under your lipstick and still get the preventative benefits!

I’ve been using it for about 10 days now and have gotten use to applying it daily.  It is a clear gel and you only need a bit on your lips.  Let it dry for a few minutes and then apply you lipstick or lip balm. I’m pretty stoked about trying out lipivir®.  for myself but my sister was all over it when she found out I had this nifty little trick for keeping cold sores away.  I gave her a tube so she could try it out herself.  When you find something good, you share it!  We both see the benefit of keeping our lips protected from the cold and wind.  We both travel and like the convenience of putting this small tube of goodness in our bags.  Tip:  the tube easily fits into a lipstick case with a lipstick in it.

Special attributes:

· Discreet – as it is a transparent gel, no one can see that you’re using it

· No pharmaceuticals – does not contain preservatives or cortisone

· Skin friendly

· Cruelty Free

· Suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians

This is a game changer for me! Knowing I can use a product (which can be discreetly covered by lipstick or lip balms) is a relief. How can I prevent further outbreaks during the winter months?

1. Making small adjustments to my daily routine – applying lipivir® in the morning and evening.
2. Diminishing my stress levels will also help
3. Hydrate throughout the day
4. Eating well, practicing mindfulness and exercising regularly will strengthen my immune system
5. Wear a face sunscreen and lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher as sunlight can also be a common trigger for cold sores
6. If someone has a cold sore, avoid direct contact, wash hands often and keep a separate towel for their use only
7. Be sure to pack lipivir® in your cosmetic bag or purse

This will be the first year I will not be on a constant vigilance ensuring my lips are protected by just cosmetics. I am applying lipivir® on a regular basis to prevent cold sores from appearing.  I find it easy to use and with the cold weather kicking in, I’m pretty happy about his preventative measure!  This will become a travel essential for sure! As the old saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

Prize time!

If you would like to try lipivir® for yourself, enter to win one of five twin tube prize package. Good luck!

Five lucky winners will receive a twin tube lipivir® prize pack (value of $50). Leave a comment below on why you’d love to receive this and enter to win now, here!

 🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials