Some Lip Balm History...!

I can't remember even one person that I know that hasn't seen or tried the now famous "ChapStick!"

Believe it or not, there is an interesting history behind this well known product. Naturally, I figured you might find this little bit of trivia worthy of a read!

ChapStick

Virginia physician Charles Fleet invented lip balm in the mid-1800s, selling the first version of his product as little waxy-looking tubes wrapped in tinfoil. The product was successful, but decades of wrapping little waxy tubes in tinfoil must do something to a man, for by the early 1900s Dr. Fleet was keen to sell off his idea.

The endeavor had begun to lose money, so in 1912 Fleet sold his recipe to John Morton for the whopping sum of five bucks. Morton began mixing up batches of the stuff in his bathtub, while his wife would melt it down, cool it, and chop it into pieces in their kitchen. Apparently their heart was in the lip balm business to a greater degree than Dr. Fleet, as they were able to use their profits to fund the startup of Morton Manufacturing and begin pumping out ChapStick in earnest.

In the 1930s, the company commissioned artist Frank Wright Jr. to produce the iconic ChapStick logo, which of course is still used today. Wright’s fee? Fifteen bucks, which you’ll notice is three times the amount paid for the recipe. If there has ever been a more shrewd twenty dollars spent, we’d love to hear about it.

I think that this shows that even the most mundane product can have an interesting history, if you are willing to look for it. Thanks to the folks over at Listverse, I can always find something interesting to pass on! History can be found in the strangest places, don't you think?

Coffee out on the patio this morning. It's gonna be chilly, so wear a sweater, OK?