how to fix chapped lips

You drink water every hour and apply Vaseline to your lips day and night, but you still can't wrap your head around the fact that your lips are still extremely dry. To learn more about what causes dry, chapped lips, we asked experts to weigh in. "One reason your lips are so prone to dryness is because they are very thin," explains Mona Gohara, M.D. and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University. "They are the thinnest skin on our bodies — they don't have the protective layer that say your back has."

Erum Ilyas, MD, agrees. "And as the weather gets cooler and drier, the thin skin of the lips tends to dry out faster than the rest of our skin," she says. To make matters worse, if you reflexively lick your lips in an attempt to add moisture back in, Dr. Ilyas says the saliva evaporates away and paradoxically dries out lips even further. Ingredients like menthol, vitamin A, and added fragrances can also be drying for delicate lips.

Since they are often exposed to dry, cold winter air, your lips need a little TLC. While there's no instant way to heal severely chapped lips, here are some steps you can take to achieve soft, supple lips as soon as possible:

1. Stay hydrated.

This might be obvious, but healthy, smooth skin and lips need lots of water. Stefani Sassos, MS, RD, CDN, a registered dietitian in the Good Housekeeping Institute says a good diet includes at least six to eight cups of H2O each day, depending on how active you are.

2. Don't lick or pick dry skin.

First and foremost, "If you have dry lips, do anything but lick and pick them," warns Dr. Gohara. If you do, you run the risk of making the situation worse and causing something called Lip Licker's Dermatitis. It starts out as red, irritated skin on the lips, but could then turn into a painful, unsightly ring around your entire mouth.

3. Choose products with nourishing ingredients.

Chemist Danusia Wnek from the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab says to look out for lip and skin conditioners like emollients to fill in cracks and hydrate compromised skin (think ingredients like mineral or plant oil) and occlusives to seal in the moisture (beeswax, petrolatum, and petroleum jelly). Look for a lip balm made with natural oils and hyaluronic acid, which is a natural water absorber, bringing hydration into your skin.

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4. Pick lip care formulas with built-in SPF.

Dr. Ilyas recommends looking for balms and lipsticks with sunscreen, especially if your skin is inflamed or you know you're going to be getting more sun exposure than usual. Remember to use SPF formulas year-round: Lips can get sunburnt while skiing, or through windows during the winter.

5. Apply your lip treatment before acne or anti-aging products.

When you get hardworking skincare products get on your lips, you might find your lips staying persistently dry or cracked. "Applying white petrolatum or Chapstick to your lips beforehand helps to have a protective barrier on your lips to avoid the irritation they can cause," Dr. Ilyas advises.

6. Use a lip scrub once a week.

Exfoliating can help take away some of the dry peeling skin that makes it almost impossible to apply lipstick smoothly. Then, follow with a lip balm or lip mask. "The raw skin left over will need to be protected to allow healing to occur," Dr. Ilyas advises. "I personally love the Sugar Lip Polish scrub by Fresh."

7. Humidify your house and turn down the heat.

When the air is too dry at home, a good humidifier can help add moisture back into the air and help keep your lips hydrated. And just be cautious with the thermostat: The winter air is already drying enough, but a too-hot house can suck the moisture right out of the air, making your lips (and skin!) feel more dry than usual.

8. Use over-the-counter medications with care.

If you have severely cracked lips that require special treatment, a 1% hydrocortisone cream can help, says Gohara. However, you want to be careful to use it only on your lips and not the surrounding area — and you never want to use it for more than two weeks at a time (at that point, you should contact your dermatologist).

Wnek personally loves Neosporin Overnight Renewal Therapy, which has the over-the-counter active ingredient petrolatum. She says, "It's the only product that heals my lips when they become chapped and inflamed. I use it a few nights in a row until my lips return to their non-inflamed state."

9. Prevent chapped lips in the first place

After you've healed your chapped lips, Dr. Ilyas says prevention is the ultimate key for keeping lips healthy. She recommends the following:

Follow a routine. "It is best practice to treat your lips with a nourishing lip mask before bedtime to help lips repair overnight," she says. This is especially important for people that sleep with their mouth open since they're far more prone to chapped lips. Apply white petrolatum or Aquaphor in the corners of the mouth to create a barrier over your lips.
Keep your lipsticks and toothpaste in check. "If you have dry cracked lips and some peeling or raw areas inside of your mouth, consider changing your toothpaste or mouthwash to one free of sodium laureth sulfate," says Dr. Ilyas. She also recommends to avoid longwear lipsticks as these often work by drying out your lips to keep the color on longer.
Be cautious with lip plumper. These often work by irritating the skin on the lips to make them swell slightly and look fuller temporarily. Afterwards, dry cracked skin can follow!
Consider supplements or dietary changes . Nutritional deficiencies in vitamins B2, B12, and B6 can be part of the problem, Dr. Ilyas says.

Shanon Maglente Product and Reviews Editor Shanon worked as the former Products & Reviews editor for the Good Housekeeping Institute covering the best deals and products across home, appliances, health, beauty and parenting.

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