You’ve perfected your skincare routine, from cleansing to moisturising and SPF protection. Your face has never felt better, except for one problem: your perma-chapped lips. You’re religious with applying your lip balm, so what gives? You wonder in despair, “why are my lips SO dry?!” There are loads of causes of chapped lips, including some that might surprise you. Here, we cover everything that could be causing your chapped lips and how you can solve them. You’ll have a perfectly plump pout in no time.
What causes dry lips?
There are so many things that could be causing you to have a parched pout, including: • Cold weather in the winter • Dry air because of winter or air-con • Too much sun • Licking your lips too much • Medication • The lip balm you use We know. We bet you didn’t expect to see the last item on that list coming! But interestingly, your trusty lip balm could in fact be making your lips drier. It all comes down to the ingredients. Lip balms that contain menthol, phenol, or salicylic acid make your lips drier. While the balm might feel good, it creates a cycle of over-drying and therefore overuse. Some petrolatum-based balms only provide a superficial layer of moisture and act as an occlusive rather than actually adding hydration to your lips. Oh no! Dr.Lipp’s famous multi-award winning balms contain 100% natural ingredients and are free from all the nasties that could be making your chapped lips worse, including petrolatum, fragrances, parabens, and silicones. We use only the finest lanolin, renowned for being one of the best moisturising ingredients in the world, so you can be safe in the knowledge that our balms will soothe and moisturise your dry lips! Cold weather and dry air, which often go hand in hand, are the enemy of perfectly moisturised smackers. The air draws moisture from your skin and lips, leaving them drier than the Sahara. But, confusingly, the sun can also dry out your lips because it burns them! To combat the ever-changing weather, we recommend using Dr.Lipp’s Original Nipple Balm regularly, which not only adds moisture to your lips but also forms a protective layer to keep the moisture in. Because you need the emollient properties as well as the occlusive barrier! If your lips are already dry and chapped, it’s easy to get into the habit of licking them without even realising you’re doing it. But our saliva also contains drying digestive enzymes, which break down the skin on our lips. Not ideal!
How to get rid of dry lips
Firstly, it’s a good idea to try and get yourself into the habit of not licking your lips. We know, easier said than done. But practising this habit now will reap dividends in the future. If you simply can’t stop this habit, pick up an unflavoured lip balm – because licking your lips will be much less appealing! Our flavourless balms are edible – you won’t want to eat them, but if you do, it’s no biggie. If you’re using a balm with any drying ingredients, or ones that are lacking in hydration, we recommend switching this out for a balm that only has the best moisturising ingredients. We are committed to fewer than 10 ingredients in every one of our balms, so you know it won’t be stuffed with cheap, drying filler ingredients. Keep a balm on you at all times – there’s nothing worse than feeling your lips get dry and being stranded with no SOS lip balm! The great thing about Dr.Lipp’s 100% natural balms is that they’re multi-use. So, if you also suffer from dry hands or cracked skin, you just need the one item in your handbag. What’s more, we have a range of soothing lip tints available so you won’t even need to pack a lipstick!
How to remove dry skin from lips
Our glowing recommendations are great preventative measures that’ll make sure your lips are always soft, plump, and hydrated. But what if they’re already flaky and chapped? We recommend not picking the skin off your lips, because this can lead to painful splits and cracks. Anyone who’s had one of these knows they’re no fun! You could make a DIY lip scrub from honey and sugar to gently exfoliate the existing dead skin on your lips. Bonus: if you get any in your mouth, it’s not a problem – it’s tasty! Once you’ve very gently exfoliated the dead skin from your lips, get that lip balm straight on! Your newly soft lips will need it for both hydration and protection.
