Why you shouldn’t ignore chapped lips
I am a chronic lip-peeling sufferer, and always on the hunt for a solution.
The change of season, from autumn to winter is particularly bad. The cold, dry air dries out skin and lips, but there are a number of other culprits to blame for chapped lips.
Lips are very sensitive as the skin on them is fine and doesn't contain the natural oil glands that other areas of your skin have. This makes them prone to irritation from common ingredients in lip balm and toothpaste (e.g.. sodium lauryl sulphate, menthol and phenols).
Lips balms can create a cycle where your lips feel dry and so you apply more balm, which gives you quick relief, before making them feel even dryer.
According to skin guru Melanie Grant the best thing for chapped, peeling lips is to, "gently scrub lips in a circular motion with a teaspoon of coconut oil and raw sugar. Remove and then add a rich nourishing lip balm like Aquafor Lip Repair." I keep a tube in the glove box handy.
Good old Vaseline is another great lip fix option. Khiel's Butterstick Lip Treatment is a tinted SPF version with coconut oil, lemon butter and a broad-spectrum SPF 25 sunscreen.
Rule of thumb: if you have sensitive lips always opt for products with simple ingredients.
Other reasons your lips might be chappy
Sometimes lip chapping can be a sign of something other than just chronically dry lips.
- It could be caused by sun damage (hence you should wear an SPF on your lips daily). Make sure your daily sunscreen coverage goes all the way up to your lips and use a simple lip product with an SPF.
- You might have a yeast infection that is thriving in saliva created by licking your lips. Drink lots of water and stop licking your lips.
- You might have an allergy to the lip products you're using, like shea butter, beeswax or castor oil.
- Dry lips, mouth and eyes are all signs of dehydration that can upset the balance of minerals in the body. This can affect skin and lips adversely.
If your lips are still flaking, get a referral to a dermatologist for a definitive answer on what's going on.
Written by Stephanie Darling. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.