Relief for Dry, Chapped or Cracked Lips

Most people associate chapped lips with the wintertime, but the truth is, you can have dry, chapped lips any time of year. Why? Unlike other parts of your body, your lips don’t have sweat or oil (sebaceous) glands.

This means they don’t produce their own natural layer of oils and moisture to help protect them from the elements. So, whether you’re lounging at the beach or hitting the slopes, it’s a good idea to keep your lips hydrated (or protected from moisture loss). Find out what causes lips to become chapped or cracked, and how to use Aquaphor for chapped lips.

Chapped lips are when your lips feel dry, tight, or really rough, or uncomfortable. Your lips may potentially be flaky or cracked too. While this is more common in the winter due to the cold and dry air, they can occur at any point in the year, especially in the summer from increased sun exposure.

If you’ve noticed dry patches or uncomfortable cracks where the lips meet, you may be suffering from angular cheilitis. This can develop when saliva collects in the corners of your mouth. Once dried, the sides of the lips can become chapped and cracked.

Chapped sides of the lips can usually be helped with lip balms to moisturize lip skin. However, if the sides of your lips do not improve - or symptoms spread to the rest of your lips - you should seek medical advice. Antifungal creams or medications may be required.

Compared to the rest of our body, the skin on our lips is more sensitive and thinner, and our lips don’t contain any oil glands. While most areas of our body have hair as an extra level of protection, our lips are one of three areas that don’t (palms and the soles of our feet are the other two).

Here are a few common causes of dry, chapped lips—some might even surprise you! Learn what causes chapped lips:

• Dry air: A major irritant to the exposed skin of your lips, you’re likely exposed to dry air both inside and outside. So wherever you go, dry air wicks away moisture, causing chapped lips.
• Sun exposure: Soaking up rays is also a culprit of dry, chapped lips (even in cold climates!). Winter or summer, if the sun is out, your lips can be affected.
• Licking your lips: This is one of the worst things that you can do when you have dry, chapped lips. While you may think that you’re adding immediate moisture, licking your lips actually makes them drier. Why? When the saliva dries up, the moisture from your lips goes with it.

Now that you know what causes dry, chapped lips, let’s talk about how you can take care of them. Here are some simple remedies to help restore your lips to their soft, kissable best! 

• Apply an ointment: Aquaphor Healing Ointment protects and helps relieve chapped, dry, cracked or irritated skin and lips 
• Layer on protection: Remember how lips don’t create their own moisture barrier? Add one! Aquaphor® Lip Repair provides oils and moisture that soothe chapped lips, as well as nourishing vitamins and soothing shea butter to help soften lips. 
• Drink up: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Thirst isn’t the best indicator of when your body needs water. In fact, many adults may not get thirsty until after they are dehydrated. So, if your mouth starts to feel a little dry, have a drink of water. 
• Avoid certain flavors: Believe it or not, what you eat can play a role in drying out your lips. Certain flavors, like cinnamon, citrus, mint, and peppermint, can irritate your lips. It’s best to eat these flavors in moderation, and to stay away from them when your lips are chapped already.
• Use a humidifier at home: These devices can provide moisture in the air. Using one in the bedroom can be especially useful for those who breathe through their mouth while sleeping. 

Yes, you can! Using preservative and fragrance-free Aquaphor Healing Ointment for chapped lips provides effective, long-lasting moisture to help your lips look and feel healthier. Whatever the season, use Aquaphor Healing Ointment to give your lips that extra bit of love!

Aquaphor Healing Ointment is uniquely formulated with Petrolatum (a skin protectant), Glycerin, and Panthenol to restore smooth, healthy skin. Apply this to help relieve dry, chapped or cracked lips.

Proven to relieve dryness, Aquaphor Lip Repair Stick soothes chapped and cracked lips. Formulated with nourishing vitamins, Shea Butter and Chamomile essence, it leaves lips feeling soft.

In order to help prevent chapped lips from recurring, there are several ways to keep your lips feeling healthy:

• Use lip balm with SPF daily: Help protect your lips from the sun before you go outdoors by using a lip balm with SPF, like Aquaphor Lip Protectant + Sunscreen broad spectrum SPF 30, and reapply throughout the day.
• Use lip balm or ointment before bed: Add this to your night-time routine to moisturize your lips while you sleep.
• Do not lick lips: As explained above, this is one of the main causes of dry and chapped lips, because once the saliva evaporates your lips are even drier than before.
• Do not peel or bite flaky skin: If you notice some flaky or loose skin on the lips, picking or biting this can cause chapped and cracked lips, or even bleeding.
• Keep metal objects out of your mouth: Items like pens or jewelry can irritate sensitive lips.
• Avoid long-lasting lipstick: Long-wear and matte lipstick can often cause lips to dry out, so opt for a nourishing lip balm instead.
• Avoid smoking: Lips can become irritated by tobacco, causing them to dry out.

The information provided herein is not intended to be medical advice. Nor is it intended to treat the underlying skin disease or condition. The information is provided solely to: 

1. Moisturize, soften and smooth dry skin
2. Improve the appearance of the skin
3. Achieve healthier-looking skin