Temperatures are dropping, which means there’s less moisture in the air and skin is left feeling parched and irritated. Along with flaky skin, including dry, cracked hands, chapped lips are a common winter concern. While they are pesky, and sometimes painful, there are a few tips and tricks to put an end to dry lips for good. Follow this straight-forward guide; you’ll learn how to prevent and treat chapped lips and what causes dry lips in the first place.
What causes dry lips?
The lack of moisture in the winter air wreaks havoc on skin and can also do a number on lips. Add to that indoor heating and your lips can get further dried out, taking them from dry to chapped. No matter what skin type you have—dry, combination, normal or oily—your lips have fewer oil glands than the rest of your face, which can lead to dryness if your lips aren’t properly hydrated and cared for. Habits like licking your lips in the winter can cause further irritation and dehydration.
What are the symptoms of chapped lips?
Lips typically start off feeling dehydrated and tight with flaky patches. If you don’t treat or hydrate your lips, and they are further exposed to the harsh winter elements, you may end up with chapped lips, which means cracking, peeling and sometimes even bleeding.
Can you prevent chapped lips?
Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to prevent chapped lips before they happen.
- Apply a nourishing and protecting lip balm before heading out into the cold weather. A soothing balm like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Levres Barrier Repairing Balm is both an excellent treatment for chapped lips and a prevention tool to stop dryness before it even occurs. The healing formula contains soothing and repairing panthenol and is enriched with MP-lipids for a texture that feels comfortable on the lips.
- While it might be tempting to lick your lips when they feel dry, resist the urge. When you lick, the saliva evaporates quickly, leaving the skin on your lips drier than before.
- Avoid wearing irritating lipsticks. Long-wearing lipsticks that set on the skin can sometimes cause lips to become dry. If your lips are feeling dry or irritated, or you’re heading outside for an extended period of time, swap your lipstick for a healing lip balm like La Roche-Posay Nutritic Lips, a lightweight treatment with a soothing texture that gets immediately absorbed by the skin and contains biolipids and ceramides to help repair the skin barrier.
How do you treat dry lips?
If your lips are chapped, it’s time to go into repair mode. Try the tips below to help get your lips back to being hydrated, happy and chap-free.
- Keep your chapped lips nourished with the regular application of a healing lip balm like La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Levres Barrier Repairing Balm. It’s especially important to keep a tube on hand for reapplication if you’re going to be spending time outdoors. You can also apply it before bed to seal in hydration overnight and help combat the dryness from indoor heating.
- Drink lots of water. If your body is dehydrated, it can show up on your lips in dryness and cracking.
- Even though it’s tempting, do not pick or peel your dry lips. Picking can cause further irritation and slow down the healing process.
