Chapped Lips

During the cold winter temperatures, there isn’t much moisture in the air. This lack of humidity can lead to dry lips. Combine this with lip-licking behaviours or outdoor activities on windy days and you have a high chance of developing dry lips or severe chapping.

While chapped lips annoy and irritate dermatological patients, this issue isn’t usually serious; provided you care for your lips correctly. Let us take a look at ways in which you can have soft, healthy lips throughout the year.

Your lip balm, lipstick, and other products should be non-irritating 

Many people mistake discomfort, such as burning, stinging, or tingling, as a sign that the active ingredients in a product are working. That’s not what’s happening. Avoid irritating ingredients. Don’t add to the chapping with the wrong balm. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends avoiding ingredients such as camphor, eucalyptus, added flavours, added fragrances, menthol, phenol, salicylic acid, and lanolin.

Ingredients to prefer for healing dry lips

As we saw, some ingredients can irritate dry, cracked lips. On the other hand, certain ingredients can help to heal dry lips. When looking for products to use on your dry lips, try to find ones containing one or more of the following:

• Castor seed oil
• Ceramides
• Dimethicone
• Hemp seed oil
• Mineral oil
• Petrolatum
• Shea butter
• Sun-protective ingredients, such as titanium oxide or zinc oxide
• White petroleum jelly

Use products that are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic

If your lips burn, sting, or feel uncomfortable when you apply a product to your lips, it means you’re irritating your lips, so you want to stop using those products. This is especially true for people with sensitive skin and sensitive lips. In this case, look for a label of “hypoallergenic” and “fragrance-free”.

Apply the lip balm several times a day and before bed

Now that we know which products to use and which products to avoid, you have to make sure that if your lips are very dry and cracked, you will need to apply the lip balm (or lip moisturiser) multiple times in a day and even before bedtime.

Use a lip balm with SPF before going outdoors

Even in the winter, it is important to protect your lips from the sun. The sun can burn chapped, dry lips more easily. To protect dry, chapped lips from the sun, use a lip balm that contains SPF 30 or higher and one (or both) of these sun-protective ingredients:

• Titanium oxide
• Zinc oxide

While outdoors, apply the lip balm every 2 hours

The sun, the wind, the environment and pollution can cause detrimental effects to your lips. So make sure to regularly apply your lip-balm every 2-3 hours while outdoors.

Drink plenty of water

Chapped lips are dry lips, so you have to stay hydrated. Around 70% of our skin is made up of water so it is important to have at least 8 glasses of water a day. More depending on the activity and weather conditions.

Stop licking, biting, and picking at your lips

When lips feel dry, it may feel natural to wet them by licking them, but this can worsen the problem. Saliva evaporates quickly and can dry out your lips. Lip licking can be a hard habit to break. When you notice yourself licking your lips, try applying a lip balm instead. Picking or biting your lips also irritates them, which can prevent healing.

Avoid holding items made of metal with your lips

Paperclips, jewellery, and other everyday products made of metal can irritate your already sensitive lips.

Try using a humidifier at home

A humidifier in your bedroom can be especially helpful, especially if you breathe through your mouth at night.

By following these tips for cracked and dry lips, you should notice an improvement in 2 to 3 weeks. To prevent your lips from cracking again, continue applying lip balm regularly.

When to see a dermatologist?

Most of the times cracked and dry lips do not require a visit to the dermatologist’s office. But if the chapping doesn’t respond to at-home treatments, you may need professional help. Sometimes, there may be an association with atopic dermatitis. Your chapped lips could be caused by something aside from dry weather such as an allergic reaction, yeast infection, or something more serious like actinic cheilitis. A certified dermatologist can diagnose the cause and give the appropriate treatment.