With 2010 hitting a lot of the northeast full-force, there are numerous sore sights: delayed traffic, unsightly bulky coats, mismatched gloves, and worst of all for the derm: dried, cracked lips. Fortunately, even if you can’t have the government shovel your walkway, you can have a quick and easy fix for your lips. Starting now:
1. Increase your hydration levels.
Although you are more likely to dehydrate in the summer, patients often do not consume as much water in the winter months, leaving them dehydrated. Dehydration is one of the most common causes of chapped lips (particularly if yours are also cracked and peeling), so be sure to consume about eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, with additional amounts after strenuous physical activity.
2. Stop licking your lips. Immediately.
There are several reasons why licking your lips dries them out. The first is that saliva contains numerous enzymes, collectively acting similar to a salt, not a hydrating complex. Another is that licking your lips strips them of natural oils, leaving them exposed to the harsh elements unprotected. Even when they’re dry, cracked, and highly irritated, resist the urge!
3. Invest in a top-notch lip balm with SPF for the day, and reapply often.
You wouldn’t think that you would need a lip balm with SPF in the winter, but truth be told, UV rays reflect off of snow and ice, leaving your face just as exposed to the elements as in the summer months, if not more so. (That’s why Eskimos don’t typically look 25 when they’re 70). In addition, I also look for emollient and humectant (water-binding) ingredients in my lip balm, such as petrolatum, cocoa butter, shea butter, and mineral oil. Some of my favorites include Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 ($8.69, Amazon.com – my favorite!), Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm SPF 15 ($19.19 for 12, Amazon.com), Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Lip Balm SPF 15 ($5.40, Amazon.com) and Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Gloss ($14.38 for 2, Amazon.com). While Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Gloss is less hydrating than the more traditional lip balms, it leaves a nice cosmetic sheen and feels great on the lips.
4. Invest in a nighttime lip treatment or apply Aquaphor to your lips at night.
The only product that has ever worked alone on my formerly eternally chapped lips is Clinique Superbalm ($11.50, Amazon.com). I apply it to my lips year-round before bed, and I have never experienced chapped lips since (unless, of course, I’ve run out of product and am between orders)!
Some dermatologists also recommend applying Aquaphor ($31.34 for 2, Amazon.com) to your lips at night before bed. While it doesn’t taste great, the mix of petrolatum and mineral oil lock moisture into your skin, while lanolin hydrates, and bisabolol treats irritation.
5. Exfoliate your lips gently, then apply lip balm.
While it may sound counterintuitive, exfoliating your cracked lips can provide a smoother surface so that your hydrating ointments are more effective. I personally like Philosophy Kiss Me Exfoliating Lip Scrub ($15.00, Amazon.com), followed by Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 ($8.69, Amazon.com).
6. See your dermatologist if your condition does not improve.
Believe it or not, chapped lips can occasionally (i.e., rarely) be the cause of an underlying condition, such as dehydration resulting from colitis, Crohn’s disease, or diabetes. If you have tried many of the aforementioned methods and none seem to work, consult with a dermatologist, who can not only recommend custom treatments for you, but also determine if your chapped lips signify an underlying condition.
What is your favorite chapped lip remedy? Let me know in Comments below!
Thanks for the great info — winter is so harsh on lips!!!
Hey Nicky,
Do you wear chapstick during the day with broad spectrum sunscreen? Do any good ones even exist? I see a lot that protect from UVB rays, but only some that protect from both UVA and UVB rays.
I’m really trying to protect my lips, but I hate it when chapstick with SPF leaves a white residue on my lips after a while. The hunt for the best spf lip product goes on!
Hi Vanessa,
Actually, I use Neutrogena Moisture Shine SPF 20 (UVA/UVB) over my lipstick during the day, and swear by Clinique Superbalm at night. As a special treat once/week or so, I love to use Philosophy Kiss Me Scrub, followed by either Clinique Superbalm or Kiehl’s #1 Lip Balm before going to bed; I think I always wake up with soft, smooth lips (even in the winter)!
Hope that this helps, Vanessa! Please let me know if you have more questions.
Take care,
Nicki
Thanks Nicky..Your answer to my question was extremely helpful!
So I am new to this blog & would like a way to subscribe by email
Also, I hear that putting some eye cream on lips will get rid of the lines (it does), but is this safe? i would actually really appreciate it if you replied with an email, if its not too much trouble. Oh I am 15 btw and also want to be a dermatologist and would like to chat it up with ya about colleges etc.
I’m a geographer and I can say that statement number 3. is absolutely correct. I don’t know did any of you ever heard about Albedo. Albedo is an ability of any organic or an-organic compound, mineral or alloy, men made of naturally occurring to reflect light. Humans have very low Albedo that means we absorb most of the Sun light reflected to us. Snow has very high Albedo. Snow reflects incredible 85% of all Sun light, including UVB and UVA rays. Their for during Winter, especially when you ski you are exposed to double amount of UVB and UVA rays. Ski slops are mostly positioned highly in the mountains. On this altitudes ozone layer is thin, their for it doesn’t mater if it’s Winter, you are exposed to more Sun rays then you would be during August on the Mediterranean beach + the Albedo effect of the Snow, adds up to very very high UVB and UVA exposure. But this is not all. Because the ozone layer is thinner in the high altitudes their is allays a possibility that few UVC rays will penetrate the ozone. UVC rays are incredible dangerous they do more damage then UVB and UVA rays put together.
Water has very low Albedo so does the rain. Water and rain drops absorb more then 90% of Sun light. But never the less, rain is not good for your skin. Rain drops act as magnifying lances they convert the Sun light in one focus light beam, a micro laser, in to one point.
During the chillier months of the year, you may notice the skin on your face and lips becomes dry in some places. I am also use Neutrogena Moisture Shine SPF 20 (UVA/UVB) over my lipstick during the day.I was recos this product from mySkin.com. You can use it as needed, but try to work moisturizing into your daily skincare routine. Cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize your way to healthy, glowing skin!
i always apply Bepanthen cream to my lips whether they are chapped or not. It’s THE best. highly recommend it.