Generally speaking, your lips should be "pink, soft, and smooth," according to Chase. If you have healthy lips and want to maintain them, heed Kominiarek's advice: "Make sure to drink plenty of water, use lip moisturizers and balms, and visit the doctor if you have any non-healing lesions."
B vitamins
Chapped lips are a common symptom of deficiencies, especially in folate (vitamin B9), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamins B6 and B12 ( 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ).
Vitamin B-3 Without enough vitamin B-3 or niacin, a person may experience dry, cracked lips or tongue and a red, swollen mouth. A deficiency of this vitamin can also lead to dermatitis. People can get niacin in their diet by eating beef, pork, halibut, tuna, poultry, whole grains, dairy, and green leafy vegetables.
The secret to dealing with dry, sore, chapped lips is to find a way to lock in moisture and protect the lips from the cold, dry air. Vaseline® Healing Jelly is an excellent choice as it forms a protective layer on the lips and penetrates deep down to rehydrate the skin and speed up the its natural renewal process.
Many healthcare professionals now use injectable fillers to fill in fine lines and wrinkles and provide a fuller looking lip. A solution containing hyaluronic acid, such as Restylane, Juvederm, and a new product Volbella designed specifically for lip lines, is injected directly into the lips and the surrounding area.
Moisturize your lips overnight
Especially post-exfoliation, slather on a thick lip balm or petroleum jelly to absorb into your lips overnight. Add this simple extra step into your nighttime skincare routine to ensure your lips are super smooth in the morning.
Chapped lips are typically caused by environmental exposures that lead to irritation, including saliva and licking your lips, spicy foods, and cold, dry weather, says Dr. Zeichner. The common cold and sun damage can also cause chapped lips, he adds, as well as medication like cholesterol-lowering agents.
See a dermatologist if your problem persists. Chapping that doesn't heal, despite regular use of lip balm, can be a sign of infection or a more serious problem, like cancer or a precancerous condition called actinic cheilitis.
Use it as a lip balm
Our mothers used it on our chapped lips while we were growing up and it still works like a charm! Keep your lips winter-safe by applying a coat of Vaseline on them overnight. Keeping it on overnight will seal in the moisture and soften and smoothen your lips.
Apply a non-irritating lip balm (or lip moisturizer) several times a day and before bed. If your lips are very dry and cracked, try a thick ointment, such as white petroleum jelly. Ointment seals in water longer than waxes or oils. Slather on a non-irritating lip balm with SPF 30 or higher before going outdoors.
If you have chapped lips or dry skin around lips, use Aquaphor Healing Ointment® as your dry lips treatment to relieve dryness and soothe dry cracked lips. It also adds a little extra shine.
If you prefer a more natural option, you can use coconut oil instead of Vaseline. Dip a cotton swab into Vaseline until it's coated in a thin layer. Dip the same cotton swab into sugar that you've poured out into a shallow dish. Fine-grained caster sugar works best.
When estrogen and progesterone decrease in women experiencing menopause or the time around menopause, they may experience perimenopausal or menopausal dry mouth. This is when the salivary glands may decrease in their production, and a woman's mouth could have a dry, cotton-filled sensation to it.
Little humidity in the air during the winter months is known to cause chapped lips. Frequent sun exposure in the summer can also worsen your condition. Another common cause of chapped lips is habitual licking. Saliva from the tongue can further strip the lips of moisture, causing more dryness.
Hydration, low stomach acid, diet and internal imbalances can all lead to chapped lips. Did you know that dry lips are commonly a sign of problems in the digestive tract? When you are dehydrated, your body pulls water from other parts of the body (like the intestines) to hydrate the cells.
A regular lip care routine can help keep your lips soft and smooth. Look for a lip balm with ingredients like shea butter or petrolatum. Apply anytime your lips feel dry. Exfoliate very dry lips once or twice per week, using sugar or salt mixed with nourishing oil, then follow up with a balm.