How to Avoid Chapped Lips this Winter
Winter brings things we love, like holiday time, hot cocoa, skiing, and cozy nights by the fire. But it also comes with cold and lack of humidity that can make your skin and lips as dry as tree bark
The skin on your lips is different from the rest of your body. Lips don’t have oil glands and are thin and delicate, which makes them more prone to drying out
Most people don’t even notice how much they touch or play with their lips — they tend to lick, pick, and even bite on their lips without even thinking about it. These habits can worsen if the skin on your lips is unusually dry and flaking.
Don’t forget your vitamins! Your lips, which have extremely sensitive skin, depend on vitamins to keep them healthy and prevent them from drying and chapping. Additionally, the other main factors affecting the moisture in your lips are the ingredients you apply and your environment. So I’ve come up with a few tips for treating and preventing dry lips so they stay soft, beautiful and hydrated all winter long!
Tips for Healthy Lips!
1) Don’t lick your lips - this is #1 for a reason
Lip licking is probably the worst habit you can have with dry lips. When your lips get dry, you lick them in hopes of adding moisture. But it actually does the opposite.
Saliva evaporates quickly, leaving your lips drier than before you licked them. With your even drier lips, you might feel compelled to lick them again, and now you are stuck in a vicious cycle that can cause some serious chapped lips!
2) Stay clear from flavored lip balms that contain mint, menthol, or cinnamon
Lip balm is good for your lips all the time. Right? Wrong. It’s ironic, but a lot of lip products contain colors, irritants, and dyes that can cause irritation. At first they are soothing and feel great, but overuse can make your lips even more dry and irritated.
Common drying/irritating ingredients in lip balms include:
Menthol
Fragrance
Salicylic acid
Camphor
Phenol
3) Make sure you’re taking your Super B!
Vitamin B includes thiamine, niacin, biotin, vitamin B6 (also known as pyridoxine), folic acid, vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin), and riboflavin. These are water-soluble vitamins that contribute to healthy skin. A deficiency can cause a variety of skin problems such as split lips and dryness.
4) Stay hydrated inside-out by drinking water
The warmer months aren’t the only time your body craves hydration. Water affects the moisture levels in your body all year long. Less water means less saliva production, which can make your lips feel really dry.
5) Could you be zinc deficient?
Rough, dry skin, and cracked lips, especially in the corners of your mouth, can be a sign of zinc deficiency. So don’t forget to take your Neolife Chelated Zinc!
6) Avoid Smoking
Tobacco smoke can irritate the sensitive skin around the lips, causing them to dry out and become more likely to crack. Not to mention that it is a carcinogen too!
7) Sleep with a humidifier
In the winter there’s little humidity in the air and lots of dry heat in your house. All this dry air removes moisture from your skin and causes dry lips.
Sleeping with a humidifier is the best for adding moisture to the air and helping your skin stay supple. Even if you have a whole house humidifier, a focused humidifier by your bed at night can be a life saver through the cold, dry winter months!
8) Cover your lips when out in the elements
Wind and cold temps can take a toll on your lips. Exposing them to harsh elements will cause them to get dry and irritated. Covering them with a scarf when you head out into brutal temperatures and wind can help keep them protected.
9) Avoid sun damage
Prolonged exposure to the sun's UV rays can cause big time damage to your lips and lead to dryness and cracking. Chronic sun damage can also result in something called actinic cheilitis, which causes crusting and thick scale to form on your lips. This condition can become serious over time and result in precancerous and cancerous lesions. If you think this might be you, head into your derm office for a check.
When looking for a lip balm with sun protection avoid chemical sunscreens such as oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3), octinoxate, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, octinoxate benzone. These can be irritating and are not good for your fragile lips or your body. Look for sun blockers like zinc and titanium instead. If you can't pronounce it, you should probably avoid it!
10) Know that certain medicines can contribute to chapped lips
Most times this cannot be avoided, but it’s good to know that certain medications, such as antihistamines, chemotherapy agents, and diuretics can cause dehydration and chapped lips as a side effect.
Even some topical acne medications may contain lip irritants, such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. To avoid contact with your lips when using these products, just apply a barrier ointment like Aquaphor or Vaseline to your lips prior to applying your acne medication.
11) No Picking!
Whatever you do, don’t peel or bite off the dry skin on your lips! When your lips are chapped, they can be rough and start to peel. When you pick, you can end up taking off skin that isn’t completely dead, which can lead to bleeding and pain.
12) What ingredients to look for in a lip balm
Look for lip products with both hydrating and occlusive ingredients. This combination will moisturize while preventing water loss. In many lip balms you will also find a wax that is added so that it will stick to your lips.
Occlusive ingredients may include beeswax, lanolin or petroleum (this is also hydrating too) and work to hold moisture in. Moisturizing agents might include ceramides, jojoba oil, dimethicone, coconut oil, shea butter, or cocoa butter.
Of course use a good lip balm throughout the day, but the most important time to slather on more is at night before you go to sleep.
My Top Picks for Lip Balm
Aquaphor Healing Ointment- My Personal Fave
With healing ingredients like petrolatum and mineral oil - and just a touch of lanolin to help it stick to your lips.
Coola Liplux SPF 30
Its mineral based SPF protection and organic too!
