When you're drinking enough water every day, it'll help your lips stay hydrated, so they feel soft and healthy. If you live in a dry environment, consider using a humidifier at home to provide the moisture your skin and lips need.
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.
Chapped lips can sometimes heal on their own, but if that isn't happening after a day or two, try using a lip balm, suggests Zeichner. Lip balms contain a combination of waxes and oils that form a protective seal over the skin, he explains.
“If chapped lips continue for two to three weeks even after you've started moisturizing regularly, are staying hydrated, and avoiding licking, you should see a board-certified dermatologist,” Dr. Browne suggests.
Applying lip balm regularly should ease discomfort until your lips have time to heal. Severely chapped lips may take longer to heal, but the average time is two to three weeks to recover completely.
Licking your lips when they're chapped will not make them better. In fact, according to the Dermatology Clinic at UAMS, licking your lips can actually make things worse. Chapped lips are caused by a number of factors. For most people, the weather is the main cause of chapped lips.
And the NHS warns that chelitis, the medical term for chapped lips, is triggered when your lips lose moisture, but certain products like toothpaste, sun creams and mouthwashes can trigger soreness and irritation.
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.
Cold and Flu Symptoms: Cold Sores and Chapped Lips
One of the most frustrating side effects of colds and flu is dry, cracked, irritated lips -- not to mention cold sores. All can occur if you've got even a low-grade fever, or in the case of chapped, cracked lips, from mouth breathing when you have a stuffy nose.
May 28, · When the saliva left over from a lot of kissing evaporates from your lips it takes with it the natural moisture and oils that help protect the delicate skin there. This can lead to dry, cracked, and chapped lips (via Consumer Health Digest).
Milk's moisturising properties help make your lips soft. Apply milk and turmeric as a paste on the lips and leave it for about five minutes before washing it off with water. Honey has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that hydrate damaged cells. Use honey and sugar scrub to soothe chapped lips.
Staying hydrated and drinking enough water throughout the day will help prevent your lips from drying out. You can even drink coconut water as it gives the body the minerals it needs to stay hydrated.
Some of the main culprits of dry, chapped lips are: Sun exposure causing burns and sensitivity. Excessive lip licking, which dries the skin on and around the lips. Dry, cold weather which can cause cracking and flaking skin.
Using ingredients as a deciding factor, we prefer the Carmex Classic Lip Balm solely due to the inclusion of sun protection, but if you're seeking a more run-of-the-mill lip balm, do not hesitate to give the Chapstick Classic Original Lip Balm a shot.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using white petroleum jelly throughout the day and before bed to moisturize and sooth dry, cracked lips. Petroleum jelly seals in water longer than oils and waxes. It's also inexpensive and easy to find online and in drugstores.
Dehydration – When you're dehydrated, your lips are more prone to dryness. Drink about eight glasses of water per day to stay properly hydrated. Malnutrition – Improper diet and nutrient deficiencies can make skin and lips drier than usual.
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.
Yes, honey is good for chapped lips and dry lips, too! It has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound healing properties. You can apply honey to your lips throughout the day to protect chapped lips from cracking or infection, promote healing and add moisture.
Cheilitis may cause an itchy and burning sensation and sometimes pain and can be due to a variety of factors that are either internal or external. The most common reasons for cheilitis are chronic sun exposure, eczema, and infection.
Exfoliate Lips With Sugar
Sugar being a natural abrasive, can remove dead cells easily and so, it is one of the best natural skin care exfoliant. To get best results, mix equal amounts of olive oil in sugar and stir till if forms a paste. Put the mixture on your lips and leave it for a minute.
Health issues like low stomach acid, poor nutrition, and an unhealthy gut can lead to chapped lips. If you are dehydrated, the body will absorb water from the remaining body to hydrate its cells. This can cause constipation and dry skin and lips.