The best remedies for chapped lips

Chapped lips happen to everyone, but some people experience the condition more than others often to the point where it can be an embarrassment and a detriment to love life.

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Thankfully chapped lips are usually treatable and preventable, and you may have some bad habits (like mouth breathing) that are at the root of the problem. Keep in mind that the skin on the lips is ultra-thin compared to the rest of the body, and the lips are always exposed to drying agents in the environment like sun, wind and cold. Lips also lack sebaceous glands found in the rest of the skin that are used to provide moisture when an area become dehydrated.

To help prevent and treat chapped lips, try some of these suggestions compiled by Saludify.

The best remedies (and prevention!) for chapped lips

• Avoid licking your lips as saliva causes evaporation and dries lips out more than they were initially.
• Stay hydrated. When you are hydrated, all parts of your body are hydrated.
• Breathe through your nose; breathing through your mouth evaporates the moisture in your lips.
• Use a lip balm containing sunscreen to avoid drying lips out from sun exposure.
• Look for a lip balm that contains castor seed oil, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, or squalane, according to WebMD.
• Avoid lip balm products with ingredients such as eucalyptus, menthol, and camphor which dry lips out rather than hydrate them.
• Avoid lip balm that comes in a jar. Dipping your finger in constantly can expose your lips to bacteria growth.
• Apply lip balm before bed. Most people sleep with their mouths open which dries out lips.
• Get a humidifier for your house to bombard your skin with moisture.
• Exfoliate your lips occasionally with a mixture of honey and sugar then seal with a healing lip balm.
• Make a paste of milk and rose petals; apply to lips two or three times daily.
• Apply milk cream to lips for 10 minutes a day then wipe off with a cotton ball.
• Go simple with your own natural moisturizer for lips make of coconut oil, olive oil, mustard seed oil, or palm oil.
• Apply cucumber slices to lips to help moisturize and provide vitamin C for collagen production.
• Aloe vera applied to the lips will draw water to them as this substance is known as a humectant.
• Use your own sebum (natural oil) from around your nose and face.

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Still have chapped lips? Maybe it’s time to visit the doctor. Some cases of extreme chapped lips can be the symptom of a more serious condition or infection.