We wanted to make sure our lip balm truly offers the protection we claim against cold sores, which are caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1). So, we had it tested by Melbec Microbiology, an independent lab. Here's a simplified breakdown of what they did and what they found:

What We Claim

Our lip balm helps to:

• Reduce the amount of the cold sore virus (HSV-1) on your lips.

• Prevent the transfer of the cold sore virus from one person to another through contact, like kissing.

How the Test Was Done

To test our claims, Melbec Microbiology created a situation similar to how the cold sore virus might spread through kissing, using a synthetic skin that mimics human lips called VITRO-SKIN®. Here’s a brief outline of the process:

1. Simulated Lips: They used VITRO-SKIN® to represent lips, as it has similar surface properties to human skin.

2. Virus Application: The HSV-1 virus was applied to one piece of the synthetic skin (the "infected" lip).

3. Lip Balm Application: Our lip balm was then applied to either the "infected" lip or a clean piece of synthetic skin (the "uninfected" lip).

4. Simulated Kissing: The "infected" and "uninfected" skin pieces were pressed together for a short time to mimic kissing.

5. Virus Measurement: The lab then measured how much of the virus was left on both pieces of skin to see if the lip balm had reduced the virus and prevented its spread. They tested at different contact times between the virus and the balm: immediately, 90 seconds, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes.

What the Test Showed

The results were very positive:

• Lip Balm on Infected Skin: When the lip balm was applied to the "infected" skin, it significantly reduced the amount of the cold sore virus. The longer the lip balm was in contact with the virus, the more the virus was reduced. More importantly, when the lip balm was applied onto the infected area, no virus was detected being transferred to the secondary skin, meaning the virus was not transmitted in their simulated kissing scenario.

• Lip Balm on Uninfected Skin: When the lip balm was applied to the "uninfected" skin, it also helped reduce the virus transferred from the infected skin. Though immediately the reduction was low, it was still seen, and as time passed (90 seconds and beyond), the amount of virus transferred to the "uninfected" skin was greatly reduced. Again, no virus was able to be detected being transferred.

• In Simple Terms: Our lip balm helped both inactivate the cold sore virus on infected skin and created a barrier to prevent it from spreading to uninfected skin.

What This Means for You

These tests confirm that our lip balm can be an effective way to:

• Help manage and reduce the cold sore virus on your lips.

• Help reduce the risk of passing the cold sore virus to someone else through close contact.

It’s important to remember that while these tests are very encouraging, everyone is different, and results may vary. This lip balm is not a cure for cold sores, but it can be a helpful tool in managing and preventing their spread.