Full disclosure: I make custom lip balm. But I'm a periodontist first, and this is the checklist I'd use even if I didn't.
Toothbrushes, floss, and toothpaste are the gifts patients expect from a dental visit. Lip balm is different. It's a small, unexpected extra that says you thought about their comfort. After an hour with their mouth open and lips stretched around instruments, most patients could use it. In my own practice, patients are genuinely grateful to leave with a lip balm they can keep using after the appointment rather than something applied once in the chair.
Everything a patient takes home from your office reflects your judgment, the same way your choice of materials and lab does. Here's what I'd look at before putting my practice's name on a lip balm.
1. Ingredients, allergens, and sensitivities
Look for an ingredient list you can understand, and hold it to the same standard you'd hold anything else you recommend to patients.
- Sweeteners. Ask whether flavored balms contain added sweeteners. Sweet flavors invite licking, and frequent lip licking can make dry lips worse, so I prefer a balm that gets its flavor without tasting like candy.
- Petroleum. Petroleum-based products can be helpful for chapped lips, but some patients prefer to avoid petroleum-derived ingredients. If that matters to your practice, look for a balm made with plant oils, butters, and waxes.
- Lanolin and beeswax. Lanolin can trigger contact reactions in some people, while beeswax makes a formula unsuitable for patients who prefer vegan products. A plant-wax formula avoids both concerns.
- Latex and gluten. If latex avoidance matters to your practice, ask the supplier to confirm whether the product or packaging contains natural rubber latex. Because lip products can be inadvertently ingested, patients with celiac disease may also want to know whether a balm is gluten free.
- Base ingredients. Don't look only at the flavor. Whatever oils, butters, waxes, and other ingredients make up the base will usually be present across the entire line, including unscented. Ask for the complete ingredient list before a patient asks you what's in it.
- Flavor and fragrance. Patients are increasingly sensitive to scents and flavors, so it's worth having an unscented option with no added flavor or fragrance.
Any supplier should be able to answer these questions clearly.
2. Minimums and fees
The per-tube price is easy to compare. The fees around it take more digging.
- What's the total minimum? A lower minimum lets a smaller practice or a new office start without committing to a year's supply.
- What's the minimum per flavor? This often matters more than the total. Some suppliers let you mix flavors in small lots, while others require a large run of each one.
- Is the label setup fee one-time, or charged again on every reorder?
- Where do the price tiers fall? Ordering slightly more sometimes lands you in a lower tier and costs less in total.
- Is shipping included or quoted separately?
3. Think beyond the lowest price
Your practice's name is going on the tube, so price isn't the only thing worth comparing. Ask yourself a simpler question: Would I be happy to hand this to one of my patients?
Texture, flavor, label quality, ingredients, and packaging all contribute to the impression it leaves. The difference between a budget balm and a good one is small next to what you spend on a couple drops of bond or a single Vicryl suture. And arguably, while your bonding agent and sutures make a real difference in clinical outcomes, patients may actually notice the lip balm more. It's the one they take home and use every day.
4. SPF
SPF lip balm is regulated as an over-the-counter drug, so custom SPF can come with different minimums, additional compliance requirements or supplier fees, and longer lead times. Ask about the full cost and timeline up front.
Ask which kind of sunscreen the balm uses, too. Conventional SPF may have more of a chemical taste, while zinc oxide SPF may leave a slight white cast on the lips. Formulas vary noticeably in taste, texture, and appearance, so this is one category I wouldn't choose from a spec sheet alone.
5. Questions to ask before you order
- Who actually makes the lip balm? Some custom lip balm companies manufacture or formulate the product themselves; others source it from a separate manufacturer. Neither model is automatically a problem, but a company that makes its own can usually answer ingredient, allergen, and production questions directly.
- Do you like their design style? Look at labels they've made for other practices. Could you picture your practice's name on something similar?
- Will they design the label from your logo and send a proof before printing?
- Who is responsible for label compliance? Your logo may be the fun part of the label, but it isn't the only part. Ask who makes sure the ingredient list, net weight, and manufacturer information stay on the finished tube, along with the Drug Facts panel if you're ordering SPF.
- What's the shelf life, and can the manufacturer trace the batch? If you're ordering hundreds or thousands at a time, you should know how long they're intended to stay fresh and whether the manufacturer can identify the production batch if a question ever comes up, the same way you'd expect lot numbers on your dental materials.
- How long does production take after proof approval?
- Do they accept purchase orders, offer net terms, and provide a W-9?
- Can they help you estimate how many you need based on patient volume?
- Can you reorder easily or set up automatic refills so you don't run out?
Then try it yourself and hand a few to your team. Some suppliers offer samples, so ask whether the cost is credited toward your first order. If nobody in the office wants to use it, that's useful information before you order 500.
Meggan Wehmeyer, DDS, MS, is a periodontist and the founder of Farmer's Body, which has made more than 500,000 custom lip balms since 2020 in small batches in Vermont. If you'd like to try our flavors, the Flavor Selection Kit is $10 for five, shipping included, and the $10 comes off your first custom order. To estimate how many your practice would go through, our order planner works from your own schedule. More for dental practices at farmersbody.com/dentists.