If you’ve ever experienced dry or chapped lips, you understand how painful and frustrating it can be.  Not to mention the blow your confidence takes when your lips are flakier than a pastry. As we experience the first drop in temperature for the year, our lips are likely to be left feeling a little…parched.

Dry lips are inevitable, no matter the season, but don’t let them get out of hand with bleeding and itchiness. Dry lips can be quenched and saved.

If you’re wondering how to treat chapped lips properly – good news!  It’s easy to handle at home. Here’s how to kiss dry, winter lips goodbye…

The cause of a chapped lip

The medical term for chapped/winter lips is cheilitis. Dry, chapped lips often occur during the colder month as your lips are covered in extremely thin and sensitive skin that can become dehydrated very quickly.

Causes include:

• Cold or dry weather.
• Licking your lips too often.
• Sun exposure.
• Dehydration.
• Other medical conditions.

Lips have no oil glands to replenish moisture on their own. The drier your lips are, the more you’ll want to lick them and that will result in them becoming even drier. When this happens, ‘lip licker’s dermatitis’ may develop as a rash around the mouth.

Chapped lips can be rather uncomfortable. When the condition is severe and the lips have become cracked, a painful stinging reaction may occur when eating, particularly with acidic, salty or spicy foods.

Other causes of chapped lips include:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B2 is essential for healthy lips. Eat plenty of vitamin B2-rich foods like eggs and lean meat to keep your lips in pucker-up condition all year round. Zinc and iron deficiency have also been linked to dry lips, so load up on your greens to help keep things balanced.

Fragranced lip balm

Check the ingredients of your favourite lip balm. Some contain fragrances that some lips are sensitive to and can cause them to dry out. You may even have an allergy to the lip products you’re using including shea butter, beeswax or castor oil.

Lip scrubs are amazing but some can contribute to excessive dryness on the lips, so take careful note of the products you are using and adjust your regime accordingly.

The cure to a chapped lip…

Lip treatment is very important – especially during the colder months because irritated chapped lips can lead to skin of your lips tearing and can cause bleeding. When these tears remain open, they invite germs and bacteria to enter and can result in infection.

Treating dry lips is relatively straightforward to treat at home. Simple treatment methods include keeping the lips hydrated with a good lip balm or ointment and avoiding licking or biting the lips.

Investing in a good, nourishing lip balm has reparative and protective ingredients to see your lips through all year long because winter lips does not only occur during winter.

Pro tip: Do not pick and pull on dry skin on your lips! 

Lip Balms to try

Compiled by: Amy Steenkamp

Also see: Beauty Trend: Cleaning your make-up sponges in the microwave