Published on September 2nd, 2022
Last updated on January 25th, 2023
How To Prevent Chapped Lips: 16 Best Remedies For Chapped Lips
Have you noticed cracks and your lips look dry? It is how chapped lips appear. They cause discomfort, spoil beauty, and can even cause burning pain. Usually, to fix chapped lips, most people use ordinary hygienic lipsticks from the pharmacy. If the situation is not critical, you can solve this problem with it. But if your lips are too dry and have a terrible appearance, you have to try treating your chapped lips with appropriate remedies.
Most believe that cold and wind provoke the appearance of cracks on the lips. It is true, but there are many other reasons you may have chapped lips. For example, lack of water in the body or insufficient hydration. So, If you don’t give proper care and protection to your lips, you can cause them to develop cracks. Without care, they can even bleed and take a long time to recover. That’s why it’s worth healing your chapped lips.
What Causes Chapped Lips?
Lips do not contain sebaceous glands like other parts of the skin. It means that the lips are more sensitive to external stimuli and can quickly lose their healthy appearance. And in fact, there are a lot of such irritants. Many people may not even realize why their lips are cracked and not healing. So, what causes cracks to appear? Keep a list:
- The appearance of dermatitis;
- Stress;
- Lack of water in the body;
- Weather (strong wind, low temperature, too hot weather);
- Usage of some medical preparations;
- Long stay under ultraviolet radiation;
- Using low-quality cosmetics for sprinkling the lips;
- Improper nutrition.
So, as you can see, there are many reasons. And all of them contribute to the appearance of cracks on the lips very quickly. But the treating process of chapped lips lasts much longer. So, do not neglect lip care. If you are too lazy to do it, pick up a home remedy for dry and chapped lips and use it regularly.
Top 10 Best Remedies To Heal And Prevent Chapped Lips
Usually, the lips crack from dryness. The fact is that our lips have fragile skin and do not have a protective layer. Therefore, the slightest irritants can provoke chapped lips, which are manifested by the following symptoms:
- redness;
- burning;
- cracks;
- shelling;
- dryness.
To avoid such symptoms and not provoke cracks in your lips, I have selected tips for you, each of which is the best way to heal chapped lips.
1. Exfoliate Your Lips Regularly
When the lips crack, a layer of dry skin forms on them. Of course, it is bad because it blocks the penetration of useful components in the lips. Therefore, you should exfoliate your lips from time to time. Use different scrubs and choose an appropriate home remedy for dry lips. They will help remove the upper layer of unnecessary skin on the lips, so the process of treating chapped lips will be faster.
2. Use An Effective Lip Balm
Most people believe that the best way to heal chapped lips is to use balm. It is true, but It will work only if the balm contains natural components and is correctly selected for you.
An ordinary cheap balm will not help fix chapped lips, so you must choose a better option. Try to use balms that do not have odors and colors. They will not provoke you to lick your lips. Also, it is better to buy a natural hygienic balm with restorative components. It is more expensive but can heal your chapped lips.
3. Don’t Lick And Bite Your Lips
One of the most common problems with chapped lips is biting and licking. Why is this a problem? Because:
- The surface film peels off when you bite your lips, and your lips are unprotected. Various bacteria get on them, there is no protective film, and this leads to the formation of cracks and even wounds;
- When you lick your lips, the wind hits them. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or hot. The wind blows on your lips regardless of the weather, giving them an unpleasant look.
Therefore, we advise you to avoid such habits and protect your lips because the consequence can be long-treating chapped lips.
4. Cover Your Mouth In Cold Weather
Cover your lips with something during cold weather to avoid cracking your lips. Cold air has a very bad effect on our lips. For this reason, you should cover your mouth with a scarf. You can do this in other ways, such as hiding your mouth with gloves or wearing a balaclava. The last one was very popular last winter season. So, choose a way to avoid getting the cold on your lips and follow.
5. Drink Plenty Of Water
Drink your daily amount of water. A person’s average norm is 1.5 – 2 liters per day. If you lack water in the body, your skin becomes dry. And the skin on the lips reacts to dehydration with chapped lips. Therefore, avoid such consequences and do not bring your body to a state of dehydration.
6. Use A Balm With Sun Protection
The best remedies for chapped lips are balms that contain sunscreen components. And this is relevant even in winter. It is because the sun shines all year round and can contact your lips in any season. Sensitive lips crack and burn immediately due to exposure to the sun. And in general, all lips have thin skin and are almost defenseless. Therefore, choose balms with sun protection. It is one of the best remedies for chapped lips and protects against burns.
7. Apply Selected Makeup Right
It may be strange, but decorative cosmetics can also negatively affect your lips’ appearance. It happens when you use the wrong, low-quality lipstick and apply it without proper care.
So, before applying makeup, you should use a natural lip balm and wait 15 minutes for absorption. And only after that apply ordinary lipstick. Also, we advise you to buy high-quality cosmetics that contain herbal and moisturizing components. It will help you avoid damage and fix your chapped lips if you have one.
8. Take Vitamins
If your body lacks vitamin E, be ready to start treating chapped lips. The fact is that this vitamin is responsible for the elasticity of connective tissue fibers and the content of collagen in your body. And if you don’t have enough of it, it leads to cracks and sores on the lips. Also, all the same, consequences can occur with a lack of iron or vitamin B12. Therefore, take vitamins to restore your lips’ elasticity and natural appearance.
9. Get Rid Of Bad Habits
Most people have bad habits. If we talk about lip irritation, it can be due to such habits as:
- licking lips;
- smoking;
- eating junk food;
- peeling of the skin on the lips.
It is only a small part of habits, but all of them are provocateurs of damaged lips. Therefore, we advise you to get rid of such actions and try to provide proper care for your lips. Because such habits can have even worse consequences than the previous ones, and in such a way, treating chapped lips will be longer.
10. Take Care Of Nutrition
Does that sound like nonsense to you? However, a poor diet can ruin the look of your lips. The appearance of chapped lips can tell us about problems with nutrition. For example, when you eat too salty, sweet, or spicy food, it provokes dryness. And too acidic food eats away the protective film on your lips. Therefore, you should watch your diet and not irritate your lips with such food. Use fruits and vegetables to help heal them and avoid chapped lips.
We usually mention lip protection only with the arrival of winter. It is because we associate the cold with chapped lips and weathered skin. But you should remember that this can happen even in warm sunny weather. Many things can cause chapped lips. So follow our best ways to heal chapped lips and choose the best remedies for chapped lips.
Top 6 Best Natural Remedies For Chapped Lips
To restore the skin on your lips and make them more elastic, use the following natural remedies for them:
1. Cucumber
Cucumber is good to use in the summer for refreshing dry lips. This vegetable contains many vitamins, thanks to which you can restore the skin of your lips. It gives the lips freshness and has an excellent moisturizing effect.
2. Honey
Honey is one of the best remedies for chapped lips. It has antibacterial properties and a good healing effect. It softens and nourishes the skin of the lips with vitamins. In addition, it penetrates your lips well and prevents them from drying out.
3. Sugar
Sugar can be used as a scrub. Its granules will exfoliate dead cells from your lips and remove the unnecessary exfoliated film. After this procedure, your lips become softer and more elastic.
4. Aloe Vera
This plant is known for its healing properties and is a good variant of a home remedy for dry lips. Aloe is rich in vitamins and minerals and has a soothing effect. So, apply aloe gel on your lips regularly, which will moisturize and soothe your lips. This way, you can heal chapped lips.
5. Olive Oil
Olive oil has been used for skin treatment since ancient times. It reduces inflammation, regenerates the skin, and promotes its restoration. Therefore, olive oil can also be used to treat chapped lips. Apply it to the damaged lips and keep it until it is absorbed. So you can heal your chapped lips faster.
6. Green Tea
Green tea leaves contain natural components that can fight inflammation. So, take a wet green tea bag and apply it to your lips. Keep it for a couple of minutes to absorb everything well. As a result, you will get moisturized lips without the remains of dead cells.
Most of these best remedies for chapped lips you have at home. Therefore, I recommend using them to get a good effect and nourish your lips with natural components.
FAQ
How Long Do Chapped Lips Take To Heal?
It depends on how chapped your lips are. If you start treating chapped lips immediately after cracks appear, they can be healed in 1-2 weeks. But if you have seriously damaged lips, it may take more time, about a month or even more.
Does Drinking Water Help With Chapped Lips?
One of the reasons for chapped and dry lips can be an insufficient amount of water in the body. Our skin should always be moisturized, especially on the lips. Therefore, drinking enough water will help you moisturize your lips and, in such a way, prevent the appearance of cracks.
Why Are My Lips So Chapped Even Though I Use Chapstick?
Сhapstick can cause cracks on your lips. You can not use any lipstick and hope for a result. Some of them may contain ingredients that dry out your lips even more. Therefore, take such things into account and choose chapstick correctly.