If there’s one thing that all adults have in common, it’s that they have experienced chapped lips. Clinically called cheilitis, chapped lips appear red, dry, flaky, or swollen, and you experience soreness, itchiness, or burning. The lips, and the surrounding border, can suffer from these symptoms. The feeling is incredibly annoying, but you’re in luck because there are numerous remedies that can soothe the situation.
The skin on the lips is much thinner and more delicate than it is on other areas of the body. Because the lips are always exposed to the sun, cold, and dry air, they are much more prone to dryness, flaking, peeling, and cracking. The unfortunate phenomenon of chapped lips is because the lips lack oil glands. That means that they can’t produce their own moisture; however, natural moisturizers can offer relief. Below, you’ll learn about expert tips to soothe chapped lips quickly and naturally.
Try “Lip Slugging” Before Bed
Some swear by this trend, which has been popularized on TikTok. “Slugging” involves slathering your skin with a petrolatum-based product that acts as an occlusive. That means that the product seals moisture into the skin. Why the name “slugging,” you ask? The name comes from the fact that slugs leave a slimy trail behind. Although the origin of the name sounds gross, slugging may positively impact your lips. Use a moisturizer or hyaluronic acid serum on your lips and top that with a coat of Vaseline or Aquaphor to avoid chapping overnight.
Exfoliate Your Lips
Have you ever seen lip scrubs? You may not think that the lips require exfoliation, but gently exfoliating them may help remove dry skin. Dry skin on the lips can prevent the healing ingredients in lip balms from reaching the area to fix the problem. That’s why beauty experts encourage you to scrub this layer of dry skin away with lip scrubs that contain baking soda or sugar. When choosing a lip scrub, make sure the ingredient list contains ingredients that soothe and moisturize the lips. If you want to make your own lip scrub, click here.
Change Up Your Lip Balm
Lips can dry out for a variety of reasons, according to dermatologists. Cold weather, hot weather, forced indoor heat or air conditioning, contact dermatitis, and lip licking can all cause lips to chap. A common trigger, believe it or not, is your lip balm that you got at a random store. More often than not, these lip balms make your lips produce less of their own moisture, making them feel dryer and rough. You apply more lip balm and the cycle continues. Menthol, camphor, fragrances, and phenol can irritate your lips, but so can eucalyptus, salicylic acid, and flavorings. If your lip balm tingles your lips, it is probably irritating them, so treat your lips with the balm they deserve. Try to choose a balm that contains lip-friendly ingredients, such as petrolatum, shea butter, dimethicone, and ceramides.
Drink Water
One of the major causes of chapped lips is dehydration. You may not experience chapped lips if you are slightly dehydrated, but avoiding water throughout the day can increase the risk of dry or cracked lips. Dehydration, of course, occurs when the body loses more fluid than you take in. The body starts to pull water from certain areas to ensure that cells stay hydrated. That can cause dryness all over the body, including the lips. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day to stay properly hydrated, adjusting that figure if you exercise.
Remove Lipstick Gently
It’s important to understand that long-wear or matte lipstick has a drying effect on your lips. If you suffer from chapped lips, or you find that certain lipsticks aggravate dryness, you may need to find a new lipstick. Lip gloss may serve as a better temporary option while you figure out a better option for lipstick. Although lip gloss isn’t hydrating, it doesn’t dry either. Anyways, when you remove lipstick, dermatologists suggest using a gentle makeup remover, as opposed to scrubbing your lips. Micellar water, for example, works like a charm on the reddest of red lipsticks!
