No matter how much lip balm you apply, your lips are still chapped and flaky. You can’t figure out why this happens.
You initially thought it was a common problem of the cold and dry winters, but you notice that your chapped lips continue to be a problem through the summers too.
If this is you, you are not alone. Many of us suffer from persistent dryness of the lips, irrespective of the climate.
Ideally, lip dryness should be a problem of the winters because skin tends to lose moisture during dry weather.
But, there are more reasons why you may be having dry, flaky skin on your lips almost all the time.
To find a solution to this problem, you first need to understand what is causing this moisture loss from your lips.
Table of Contents:
- Why are my lips constantly chapped?
- Environmental factors
- Other causes
- How do I stop my lips from being so chapped all the time?
- Drink water - plenty of it
- Exfoliate
- Use a mixture of honey and petroleum jelly
- Apply pure coconut oil
- Cocoa butter and shea butter
- Can essential oils help treat chapped lips?
Why are my lips constantly chapped?
Environmental factors
The most common cause of chapped lips is obviously the weather. Cold and dry weather tends to strip your skin of moisture, causing it to dry and crack.
Since the skin on your lips is relatively thinner, it is one of the first places where you feel the impact of the dry weather.
Windy environments are equally dehydrating for your skin.
Another common cause of dry, chapped lips is exposure to the sun. Damages to the skin from sun exposure are not new to us.
Just like the rest of your body, the skin on your lips can also suffer because of excessive exposure to the sun, causing it to dry and crack.
Other causes
Apart from the environmental factors that dehydrate your lips, there are some other reasons why your lips may be constantly chapped.
For instance, if you are licking your lips all the time, it may lead to chapped lips as well. Although licking your lips may feel like a quick fix for the dryness, it is doing more harm than good.
Coating your lips with saliva tends to dry them out faster. Also, the enzymes present in your saliva are not great for chapped lips.
Similarly, eating too much spicy food can result in chapped lips and skin irritation too. Then there’s smoking and alcohol that can severely dehydrate your skin, especially your lips.
Irritants in products you use, like toothpaste, can cause chapped lips.
Many matte lipsticks that tend to dry out your lips may lead to cracked lips over repeated use.
Certain kinds of medication may also cause lip dryness.
How do I stop my lips from being so chapped all the time?
Like everything else, constantly chapped lips are a skin problem that can be treated with proper care.
You need to work on your skin from both the inside and the outside to achieve sustainable results.
Chapped lips can be a major annoyance and if you want to get rid of them, be consistent with the following few things.
Drink water - plenty of it
No matter how many expensive lip balms you slather on your lips, unless your skin is hydrated from within, nothing else will work.
Lips get chapped because your skin loses moisture to the surrounding air. You need to replenish that moisture by drinking enough fluids.
Drink plenty of water in a day. Once you start following this as a routine, you will see your lips naturally feel softer and smoother.
Not just your lips, but your skin as a whole will feel more supple and hydrated.
Exfoliate
Like the rest of your face, the skin on your lips needs occasional exfoliation too. If your lips are persistently dry, it is a good idea to get rid of the dead, flaky skin before you apply anything else.
You can use a store-bought lip scrub or make one at home. For a DIY lip scrub, all you need is some fine grains of sugar and a little honey.
Mix the fine-grained sugar and honey to create a slurry. Rub this gently on your lips and massage it on for 2 minutes. Then wash it off with cold water. Dry your lips with a soft towel and apply a hydrating lip balm of your choice.
Scrubbing will also increase blood circulation in your lips, allowing the chapped skin to heal faster.
Use a mixture of honey and petroleum jelly
This may sound strange, but a concoction of honey and petroleum jelly can actually work wonders, particularly if petroleum jelly alone doesn’t help your chapped lips much.
Honey has antibacterial and healing properties that will help the chapped, sore skin repair faster. It also has intense moisturizing properties.
Petroleum jelly forms a moisture barrier on your lips. So, while the honey does its work, the petroleum jelly will seal the moisture in to make sure you get the best results.
Apply pure coconut oil
When it comes to skin problems, nothing works better than coconut oil. This miraculous remedy can cure almost any skin problem with zero fuss.
Coconut oil is extremely hydrating and has antifungal and antibacterial properties that help fight a host of skin problems. It also has immense healing properties.
Simply apply a little bit of coconut oil to your lips every night before bed, and you will notice the difference in just a few days.
Make sure to use pure cold-pressed coconut oil only, without any added synthetic perfumes.
Cocoa butter and shea butter
Another very effective remedy for lip dryness can be cocoa butter or shea butter. These products contain essential fatty acids that offer deep hydration and conditioning to your skin, nourishing and healing it back to life.
Can essential oils help treat chapped lips?
Certain essential oils can be very beneficial for cracked, dry lips. While you should avoid some oils like eucalyptus or citrus oils, certain others like lavender essential oil, geranium oil, or rosemary essential oil can be deeply hydrating and soothing for chapped lips.
Essential oils are, however, highly concentrated and should not be used directly on your skin. Mix them with a carrier oil to dilute them a little, and you are good to go.
Try one of the pure essential oils from WOW Skin Science along with the WOW Moroccan Argan Oil as the carrier. The deeply hydrating oils will revitalize your skin and solve your lip dryness issues for good.
For more hydrating and revitalizing skincare essentials, explore our range of natural and vegan self-care products.
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