Duke Cannon Cannon Balm 140

Anyone who is a combat veteran, or knows one, knows we can be pretty particular about a number of things. Some of them look small from the outside. Chapped lips bothering somebody might seem like a small problem. But for people who spent years of their life overseas in the hottest places in the world, it is not small. I did two tours in Afghanistan. Chapped lips are an absolute trigger for me. That dryness draws me back into the desert quicker than I would like, and it makes me more uncomfortable than I can really explain.

So maybe one of the most important parts of my everyday carry is chapstick. I have one within reach at all times. One in my truck. One on my desk. One on my fanny pack. One on my nightstand. One in the bathroom. No joke, I have more of them than I would like to admit, because I cannot stand my lips getting chapped. It may be a weird trigger. It may be a weird bonus you pick up from deploying. But it is a real concern for me, and I live in Texas, where it is currently 110 degrees outside. I am very acclimated to heat, but this is the one thing that bugs me more than most. As long as I have chapstick, I am doing okay.

The desk one, exactly where it lives. There is another in the truck, the fanny pack, the nightstand, and the bathroom.

From Burt's to Cannon

I used to be a Burt's Bees guy. That was my go-to for years, right up until I found Cannon Balm.

First, I like that it is bigger. I know that may seem silly, but I have bigger lips, and trying to go back to a Burt's Bees after using a Cannon Balm just feels dainty, to say the least. It feels like this tiny little chapstick you have to pucker up for and feel weird about. The Cannon Balm has great coverage and goes on easy. Duke Cannon says it is nearly four times the size of the checkout-lane stuff, about as wide as a screwdriver handle.

Second, it has sunscreen in it. SPF 30 in a lip balm helps keep things from cracking and drying in the first place, which is definitely important.

The Texas Truck Test

Here is the other big component, and the reason for the 140 in the name. The tube is built to withstand temperatures approaching 140 degrees, and it says so right on the label. I keep one in my truck at all times, so that matters. For the most part it keeps the balm from melting entirely and getting all over the place.

Says it right on the tube: offensively large, SPF 30, Cannon Balm 140.

Now, honest report: it still deforms a little. If you have ever lived in Texas and happen to have a black truck, you know it gets about 200 degrees in there, and even a 140 degree limit is sometimes not enough. But at least it lasts longer through the year than any Burt's Bees or competitor normally would, and that was a huge selling point on top of just loving the product by itself. I really do not use any other chapstick anymore.

The Rest of the Lineup

It did not stop at lip balm. I get their soap. I get the Bloody Knuckles hand cream, and I probably use that with my boys as much as I do for myself. My oldest has had pretty bad eczema for a long time. Another family recommended a hand cream for it, and it happened to be a product we already had in the house. So I started using it with him, and it was one he did not cry about when I put it on, which definitely helped out. If he is ever having a tough day on the skin front, we can get him taken care of with something I already have and already use. I think it is one of the better hand creams I have used, not that I am some hand cream expert. Full Bloody Knuckles review coming.

And it does not leave my hands greasy and weird. That is another particular of mine: I cannot really go to bed if my hands are dry. If I lay down and my skin is dry, lips chapped, whatever it is, I will get up, use lotion, put chapstick on, and then I can finally put my head down for the night. I may be showing a little too much of my weirdness here, but that is the honest truth. I do not know if it is just me being weird or part of my experience overseas. Either way, it is how my brain works, and Duke Cannon comes in clutch all the time.

The Lowe's Confession

There is an inside joke in my house, and my wife thinks it is very funny. Any time I am running low on soap or chapstick, I tell her, hey, I have to run to Lowe's. I have to get soap. She thinks it is the funniest thing ever that I buy soap and chapstick at the hardware store. I know it is sold other places. But honestly, one, it is an excuse to get out of the house for a bit by myself or take the boys. And two, I know exactly where it is in that store. I can go straight there, kill a little time, walk around. That may genuinely be the most manly thing about me: I buy my soap and chapstick at Lowe's.

The Honest Math

Nine dollars for a lip balm sounds like a lot next to the little ones by the register, until you remember it is nearly four of those in one tube, with SPF. This is an every day, maybe every hour product for me, and it genuinely saves me from losing my mind throughout the day and before I go to bed.

It is honestly one of my favorite products. Five out of five, for me. If you have not tried it, get your ass to Lowe's and pick some up, because it is awesome.

Every Dad Carry is reader-supported. I buy Cannon Balm with my own money, over and over, and Duke Cannon had no say in this review. The link is our Duke Cannon affiliate link and costs you nothing extra.