“Even if you do not lick your lips, moisture from your mouth (saliva) gets on them accidentally when talking. When saliva dries on the lips, it leaves a residual layer of mucus coating the skin. Lip balm is much better on your lips than your own saliva. You can help retain lip balm moisture by wetting your lips with water, and then applying lip balm.”
What is your theory about why saliva works better than water?