Is band-aid blister block a rip off?

Chelsea feels cheated: I just bought a tube of Band-Aid Blister Block, and while it’s working wonders with my new shoes, I’ve got a question. The ingredients listed are hydrogenated vegetable oil, cetyl alcohol, parfum. Did I just buy the most expensive, scented shortening, or is this molecularly different enough to justify the price? I’m not sure how much I’d like to rub Crisco on my feet every morning, but if it does the job just as well, I may just try it!

The Right Brain restores her faith in modern chemistry:

We LOVE questions like this because it shows you’re reading the label to learn about ingredients in your products. You’re already on your way to becoming a smarter shopper!

Have a blister, sister?

Band-Aid Blister Block is indeed composed mostly of hydrogenated vegetable oil, a Crisco-like compound made by adding hydrogen to certain kinds of vegetable oil. But the oil is not alone; it’s combined with cetyl alcohol, a waxy solid.

When the cetyl alcohol and the hydrogenated oil are mixed in the right ratios, they form a stick that gives you the best of both worlds: it’s soft enough to spread easily on your skin, but hard enough to leave a protective layer that doesn’t leave a greasy mess. This protective layer helps the shoe straps slide across your skin without chafing. Ergo, no blister. (Finally, after two years we figured out how to use the term “ergo” in a post!)

Would Crisco alone work just as well as the Band-Aid Blister Block? Maybe, but it wouldn’t give the right balance of lubricity and protection. And it wouldn’t feel as elegant. (And you might have to take a spa bath to get your feet clean.) But hey, if you’re the do-it-yourself type you could give it a try. Or better yet, we can ask Sarah Bellum to do the experiment for us. She bought a pair I mean a few pairs I mean too many pairs of expensive Sergio Rossi shoes on her trip to Europe, so she’s got blisters in her future for sure!

The Beauty Brains bottom line

This product seems like a well-formulated solution for a common problem. But if you feel like you’re getting ripped off because you’re paying for “shortening,” you could try cheaper alternatives (hand lotion? lip gloss?) and see how they work for you. If you find something that keeps you blister-free, let us know and we’ll blog about it!

What do you think? Are blisters from new shoes a big problem for you? Does it bother you enough to buy a special product? Leave a comment and share your shoe stories with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.