Hello. I am Ava's mouthguard. I live in the side pocket of her lacrosse bag, and I have seen things. Two-hour practices in forty-degree wind. Ground balls, checks, and one very questionable pregame playlist. I have been chewed on, spit out, dropped in the grass, and rinsed off with a water bottle more times than I can count. I am not complaining. It is my job.

BUT WE NEED TO TALK

Every afternoon, Ava pops me in, and every afternoon, her lips take a beating. Sun. Wind. Dry spring air. Sweat. Me rubbing against them for two straight hours. By Thursday, her lips were so cracked that it hurt to drink water. She was trying not to smile at lunch. And Friday is school picture day.

Lacrosse players, football players, rugby players, and every athlete who wears a mouthguard knows this problem. Your lips are working just as hard as the rest of you. And when they are dry and cracked, a cold sore is always one bad week away.

HERE IS MY MESSAGE

I protect your teeth. I cannot protect your lips. That part is on you.

So Ava's dad slipped a tube of All-Natural Zombie Lips Lip Balm into her bag right next to me. Now she puts it on before practice, after practice, and before bed. Every day. It is her daily carry for soft, protected lips through sun, wind, and whatever the season throws at her.

And if she ever feels that first little tingle, she knows exactly what to do. Apply Zombie Lips right away, at least three times a day, and keep going. It is formulated with tea tree oil and oregano oil, two ingredients that have each shown activity against HSV-1 in laboratory research. That is ingredient research, not a promise about any single outbreak, but catching it early is how you give yourself a fighting chance. If cold sores are frequent or severe, talk to your doctor.

THE MOUTHGUARD ATHLETE'S LIP ROUTINE

• Apply Zombie Lips before you put your mouthguard in.
• Reapply right after practice.
• Rinse and air dry your mouthguard every day. Never seal it wet.
• Hydrate, because dry lips start from the inside.
• At the first tingle, apply Zombie Lips at least three times daily.

PICTURE DAY

Friday morning, Ava stood in line in the gym with her hair done and her team hoodie on. The photographer said, "Big smile." And for the first time all week, she gave him one. No wincing. No hiding. Just a real, full, sixteen-year-old smile.

I was back in the bag, of course. But I heard all about it.

I protect the teeth. Zombie Lips protects the smile.

Keep your lips in the game at zombiesportco.com.

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