5 Things For Chapped Lips
Updated: Aug. 06, 2019
When the season gets a little chilly, follow these five tips to keep your lips smooth.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
If your lips are continually chapped, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day – more, if you can. While this won’t prevent dryness, it will keep it from getting worse.
Protect Your Lips
Apply a balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 before you go out into the sun. Lips need just as much sun protection as the rest of your skin. (Off-limits if your lips turn red and itchy. Some people have an allergic reaction to lip balms that contain sunscreen.)
Get Lots of Vitamin B
Try eating more foods that are rich in vitamin B, such as whole grains, nuts, and green vegetables. Lack of B vitamins contributes to chapped lips in some people.
Stay Clear Of Some Ingredients
Stay away from balms that contain phenol or camphor. They’re very strong antiseptics that induce a major lip drought.
Avoid Licking Your Lips
It can be tough, but it’s best not to do it. Your saliva may momentarily provide a coating of moisture, but it evaporates quickly, leaving lips drier than before. And the saliva contains digestive enzymes that dry out tissue.
