Mayo Clinic Minute: Stop sharing your lip balm

Besides the ick factor, Dr. Dawn Davis, a dermatologist at Mayo Clinic says sharing your lip balm or lip moisturizer with another person is just a bad idea. Why? You increase your risk for contracting cold sores, which are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). Dr. Davis says a person can carry the herpes virus in their mouth without having or ever developing active sores and spread that to other people when they share lip balm, lipstick, or even a drink.