7 Dermatologists Tips For Healing Dry, Chapped Lips

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Lips can become chapped and dry for a variety of reasons, including sun damage, cold, dry weather, and constant licking. Try these home remedies from board-certified dermatologists if you are dealing with dry, chapped lips. 

woman's lips

  1. Lipstick, lip balm, and other items that you apply to your lips should be non-irritating.

Discomfort, like stinging, burning, or tingling, is sometimes misinterpreted as an indication that an item’s active ingredients are effective. That isn’t what is going on. Because you’re aggravating your lips, you should avoid using any substance that irritates them.

Ingredients to avoid if you have chapped lips: Stop using lip balms that have any of the following ingredients to help chapped lips heal:

  • Camphor
  • Eucalyptus
  • Flavoring (cinnamon, citrus, mint, and peppermint flavors)
  • Fragrance
  • Lanolin
  • Menthol
  • Octinoxate or oxybenzone
  • Phenol (or phenyl)
  • Propyl gallate
  • Salicylic acid

Certain ingredients can irritate dry, cracked lips, whereas others aid in their healing. Dermatologists prescribe treatments that contain one or more of these ingredients when treating chapped lips:

  • 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

It is also helpful to use hypoallergenic and fragrance-free products.

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2. Rub a non-irritating lip moisturizer or lip balm on your lips numerous times throughout the day and before going to bed. Use a thick ointment, like white petroleum jelly, if your lips are really dry and flaky. Waxes and oils do not seal in water as well as ointment does.

3. Before stepping outside, apply a non-irritating lip balm with an SPF of 30 or higher. Even during winter, it’s critical to keep your lips protected from the sun. The sun may easily burn dry, chapped lips, which can lead to cold sores. Try using  a lip balm with SPF 30 or greater and one or both of these sun-protective components: zinc oxide and titanium oxide. When you’re outside, reapply the lip balm every two hours.

4. Make sure you drink lots of water. You would like to keep your lips moistened because chapped lips are dry lips.

5. Put an end to biting, licking, and picking your lips. It might seem intuitive to lick dry lips to moisten them, but this might exacerbate the problem. Your lips get drier as saliva drains. Biting or picking your lips irritates them and prevents them from healing.

women's face close-up photography

6. Holding metal objects with your lips is not a good idea. Jewelry, metal paperclips, and other commonplace items might irritate your already sensitive lips.

7. Install a humidifier in your home. A humidifier in your bedroom can be very beneficial, particularly if you sleep with your mouth open.

In two to three weeks, if you observe the dermatologists’ chapped lip advice provided above, you should notice a difference. Continue to use lip balm whenever you go outside to keep your lips from chapping.