A Chapped Lips Conundrum

Chapped lips can be irritating. They are very common in the wintertime but also can occur during the spring or summer. So the question is, how can you refrain from experiencing the inconvenience of chapped or cracked lips?

• Drink plenty of water. Being dehydrated can cause your lips to become chapped. 
• Refrain from licking your lips. Saliva evaporates quickly and once it dries, it can leave your lips drier than before. While licking your lips may seem like a natural reaction, avoid the urge to keep from worsening the problem.
• Use a soft toothbrush and softly buff your lips.
• Take vitamin B pills. Vitamin B deficiency can cause chapped lips.
• Prepare yourself!  Make sure to use lip balm before going outside. This is particularly true in dry, cold weather.
• Avoid scented lip balms or those that taste good, as those added ingredients can actually burn or further irritate dry, cracked lips.
• It is good to put on lip balm before you are about to go into cold weather. Make sure to re-apply when you’re spending time outside in those conditions.

There’s no denying that a good lip balm is the way to go to prevent and treat chapped lips, but it is also important to know what you’re putting on your skin. Some ingredients included in lip balm products may actually cause lips to chap or require frequent re-application. These ingredients include camphor, phenol and menthol. Additionally, alcohol (labeled as “OL” on lip balm) will dry quickly and leave you reapplying often. Make sure you’re reading the labels, and if all else fails, try good old-fashioned petroleum jelly (also known as Vaseline!).

Have any questions not addressed in this post? Leave them in the comments below and I’ll try to answer them there.