Winter is finally upon us, which means lots of fun things like grabbing your favorite spiced latte and layering up in cozy sweaters. However, there’s another far less enjoyable factor that tends to pop up every time the weather starts to cool down: chapped lips. No one wants to deal with cracked and peeling skin, and even less so when it’s attached to the sensitive skin on our lips. Plus, constantly reaching into your bag for lip balm can really get annoying after the first 10 or so times in a day. Luckily, there are ways to nip this pesky problem in the bud early in the season before it wreaks havoc on your lips—and some of these solutions are sitting in your kitchen cupboard. There are also many thick balms and lip masks available today that are super powerful at soothing and aiding your dry skin. Keep reading for the best chapped lips treatments that will heal that cracked, dry skin in no time.
What causes chapped lips
Dry, chapped lips can be caused by a wide variety of factors, but most commonly, chapped lips are caused by dry, cold weather conditions. This is why you likely notice your lips starting to chap as soon as winter begins and temperatures drop. Because our lips lack oil glands, they’re prone to becoming cracked and raw after battling winter viruses or spending time among the season’s moisture-sapping elements. However, on the contrary, sun exposure can also cause chapped lips.
Other common causes of chapped lips include licking or biting your lips and dehydration. Just like how your skin can become extra dry if you’re not drinking enough water, so can your lips.
Chapped lips treatments
1. Honey for chapped lips
Honey, the humble sweetener we use to brighten up a cup of tea, can soothe those dry lips. A study cites how ancient Greeks and Egyptians used honey topically to treat burns and other skin wounds because it is antibacterial, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing all at the same time. The researchers observed how those helpful properties were able to ease a number of issues like eczema, acne and sunburns in the same way honey does with chapped lips.
Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City recommends treating your chapped lips to a DIY honey sugar scrub. He says, “Honey has a soothing effect, as well as antimicrobial properties, while sugar allows for gentle exfoliation.” To do: Combine 1 tsp. of honey with 2 tsp. of coarse sugar. Apply a pea-sized amount onto fingers, then rub the mixture in a circular motion on lips for 2 to 3 minutes. Store leftovers in a lidded container, or use the extra to soften rough elbow skin!
If you’re not keen on the idea of slathering any amount of ordinary honey on your mouth, you can invest in some products that use it as one of their main ingredients. Farmacy Honey Vanilla Lip Smoothie combines honey with other soothing ingredients like peptides, vitamin C and vanilla extract.
2. Lanolin can heal chapped lips
Another way to treat chapped lips is to try applying a lip ointment made with lanolin, says Dr. Zeichner. “It forms a breathable seal that limits environmental aggressors, softens rough skin and hydrates lips.” To prevent skin from cracking, “think of lip balm as a seal between your lips and the outside world—apply it before leaving the house to protect them from harsh winter elements like wind and cold temperatures.” He recommends using Lanolips 101 Ointment.
3. Petrolatum treats chapped lips
You’ve likely tried petrolatum lip treatments for your chapped lips many times, as the ingredient is the star of some of the most popular healing balms like Vaseline and Aquaphor. Petrolatum works by creating a protective barrier on lips to prevent moisture escaping and to keep out harmful bacteria. It feels smooth, buttery and comfortable on lips, which is why so many use it as a chapped lips treatment.
4. Shea butter
When it comes to butters, shea butter is one of the most widely used in cosmetics because of how moisturizing and nourishing it is. Many lotions, body creams and body butters include shea butter to nourish dry skin, so it’s no surprise that the ingredient can do wonders for nourishing dry, chapped lips as well. Aquaphor, mentioned above, includes shea butter in addition to its petrolatum (which is why it’s one of my all-time favorite lip treatments). Another great shea butter lip treatment is L’Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Lip Balm.
5. Beeswax
Beeswax is a powerful natural ingredient that can provide loads of moisture to dry skin. It’s an emollient, meaning it can soften and nourish skin, as well as a humectant, meaning it attracts moisture to the skin. Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm is a popular pick, and is available at the drugstore for less than $4.
6. DIY lip scrub
Lip scrubs are great for sloughing away dead skin that can contribute to chapped lips. And the best part? There are so many DIY lip scrubs you can make using ingredients right in your kitchen. One of our favorites is a brown sugar and coconut oil lip scrub. Brown sugar gently exfoliates skin without causing irritation or micro-tears in skin, says Rachel Lee Lozina, aesthetician and founder of Blue Water Spa in Oyster Bay, New York. And warmed coconut oil softens lips, while its lauric acid deeply penetrates to rehydrate a parched pout.
Follow the steps below to make your own for softer, smoother lips. To do: Warm 1 Tbs. of coconut oil in the microwave. Combine it with 1 Tbs. of brown sugar. Rub on lips for one minute, then rinse and apply lip balm.
