How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips

Co-authored by Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD

Last Updated: December 4, 2022 Approved

Keeping your lips moisturized can be an ongoing battle, especially in the winter. There is a lipid (fatty/waxy) layer in all of your skin cells, even in your lips. This lipid layer keeps water from escaping from your skin, but sometimes it can start thinning out if it's not taken care of. This leads to dry skin and chapped lips. If you live in a harsh climate, you might end up with chapped lips. You can address this problem head-on by using moisture and ceramides to your advantage, protecting your lips from the elements, and avoiding certain products and foods. Together, these strategies will help to heal your lips.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Moisturizing

1
Drink plenty of water. When you don't drink enough water, you become dehydrated. Dehydration dries out your skin, including your lips. Drink your eight glasses of water a day to help your lips.
2
Try a humidifier. Dry air can dry out your skin, while moist air can help you skin stay moisturized. Dry air is especially a problem in the winter, so set up one in your bedroom to keep your skin and lips moisturized.

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3
Use cucumber on your lips. Some people have luck using a cucumber to help rehydrate their lips. Simply cut up a cucumber. Use the slices to hydrate your lips by holding them on for 5 to 10 minutes. ^{[1]
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4
Try aloe vera. When your lips are chapped, you end up with minor cracks, and aloe vera can help heal those. In addition, it can help soothe the pain of chapped lips. You can apply pure aloe vera gel a couple of times a day to your lips.^{[2]
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5
Try a treatment or lip balm with ceramides. Your lips usually have a natural waxy protection to keep them moist, but sometimes weather and food break down that protection. A treatment with ceramides encourages that barrier to rebuild itself, refreshing your chapped lips.^{[3]
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6
Try a moisturizer in the morning. When you first wake up in the morning, apply a moisturizer to help jump-start the moisturizing process for the day.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Knowing What to Avoid

1
Avoid moistening your lips with saliva. It's probably automatic for you to run your tongue over your lips when they feel dry. However, doing so only makes the situation worse because your saliva ends up drying out your lips.
2
Avoid artificial products. When picking out a lip balm, avoid ones that have artificial dyes and flavors. Natural oils, like shea butter and coconut oil work best for moisturizing your lips.^{[4]
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- Avoid lip balms with one of these in the ingredients list:
  - Flavour: This usually contains chemicals and is just a word to cover them up.
  - Coloring: Same as the above, this may indicate chemicals.
  - Menthol and/or peppermint oil: These cause a nice tingling/cooling sensation, but it's actually making your lips worse.
3
Avoid citrus fruits with cut or chapped lips. The acid in the fruit can irritate your chapped lips, so try to avoid it when your lips are especially bad, but don't hesitate to eat them when your lips are better.
- Also stop eating spicy foods. Like citrus, spicy foods can also irritate your lips. Take a break from these foods if you're having trouble with your lips.^{[5]
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4
Don't use exfoliants with salicylic acid. These types of exfoliants actually dry out lips more, by scrubbing away the lipid barrier that keeps water in your skin. This will worsen the problem.^{[6]
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5
Check your medications. If you have chronic dry lips, one of your medications could be to blame. For instance, high blood pressure medications can cause dry lips. While you shouldn't stop taking a medication just because of chapped lips, your doctor may be able to switch you to a different medication that doesn't cause you problems.
6
Change your toothpaste. Some toothpastes, especially those with artificial ingredients, can irritate your lips. That irritation can create chapped lips over time.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Keeping Your Lips from Harm

1
Use a scarf. Scarves don't just protect your neck and chest, they can also provide protection for your lips, if you cover your mouth. Wind is a killer for chapped lips, so stopping the wind helps prevent the problem.^{[7]
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2
Use lip balm daily. Use lip balm often, especially in the winter. Lip balms not only moisturize, they also protect your lips against the elements. Lip balms may also have SPF in them, if you are out in the sun for a long time.
- Apply lip balm as needed. This will not cause a condition called perioral dermatitis, as lip balm is not a steroid cream (whereas hydrocortisone is a steroid cream).^{[8]
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3
Apply lip balm after washing your face. Use a cleanser to wash your face, designed to exfoliate or remove oils, but avoid cleaning your lips. Use mild soap and water for your lips and use lip balm after.^{[9]
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4
Apply sunscreen. Use a sunscreen on your lips, or choose a lip balm with at least an SPF 15 sunscreen in it. It protects your lips from getting sunburned, which can contribute to chapped lips.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I tell if I'm exfoliating my lips too often?

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist
Dr. Margareth Pierre-Louis is a board certified Dermatologist and Dermatopathologist, Physician Entrepreneur, and the Founder of Twin Cities Dermatology Center and Equation Skin Care in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Twin Cities Dermatology Center is a comprehensive dermatology clinic treating patients of all ages through clinical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and telemedicine. Equation Skin Care was created to provide the best in evidence-based, natural skin care products. Dr. Pierre-Louis earned a BS in Biology and an MBA from Duke University, an MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed a residency in dermatology at the University of Minnesota, and completed a dermatopathology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis. Dr. Pierre-Louis is board certified in dermatology, cutaneous surgery, and dermatopathology by the American Boards of Dermatology and Pathology.

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Expert Answer

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Your lips will naturally peel off themselves, so you're overdoing it if you're exfoliating your lips every day. If you're getting a thin layer of peeling skin on your lips every day, this may be another sign that you're over-exfoliating. Your lips should just feel like they're soft and smooth, and they shouldn't continuously be peeling.
Question

How do you make your lips not chapped anymore?

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist
Dr. Margareth Pierre-Louis is a board certified Dermatologist and Dermatopathologist, Physician Entrepreneur, and the Founder of Twin Cities Dermatology Center and Equation Skin Care in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Twin Cities Dermatology Center is a comprehensive dermatology clinic treating patients of all ages through clinical dermatology, cosmetic dermatology, and telemedicine. Equation Skin Care was created to provide the best in evidence-based, natural skin care products. Dr. Pierre-Louis earned a BS in Biology and an MBA from Duke University, an MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, completed a residency in dermatology at the University of Minnesota, and completed a dermatopathology fellowship at Washington University in St Louis. Dr. Pierre-Louis is board certified in dermatology, cutaneous surgery, and dermatopathology by the American Boards of Dermatology and Pathology.

Margareth Pierre-Louis, MD

Board Certified Dermatologist

Expert Answer

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Moisturize them every morning with a natural product. Use a lip balm with SPF 15 to protect your lips from the sun.
Question

I tried all these tips and my lips are still chapped. What should I do?

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017.

Chris M. Matsko, MD

Family Medicine Physician

Expert Answer

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You may have cheilosis which is a disorder of the lips often due to vitamin deficiencies and is characterized by fissures, especially in the corners of the mouth.