Anyone spending their time hiking, trekking or camping would precisely know the feeling. We, on the other hand, usually experience this during wintertime. Lips are chapped when getting dry or cracked. It not only happens in winters but any time in the year. Lips need special care, and if not cared usually get sore, scaly and dry. The skin of the lips is sensitive, thin, and has few oil glands that is why lips readily get dehydrated. Lack of vitamin B12, folic acid, or iron deficiency may also cause chapping of lips. It is really uncomfortable when your lips burn or sting. If you have a habit of biting or licking your lips, it adds to the discomfort. It is the most common problem faced by the people in the UK. The common signs of chapped lips are:
- Redness
- Cracking
- Peeling or flaking
- Dryness
- Stinging, burning and tingling
If you have severe symptoms consult a GP or healthcare expert at Click Pharmacy to know more about chapped lips and the available treatments.
Self-Care Measures to Manage Chapped Lips
These tips can help reduce the dryness and chapping of lips:
- Stay hydrated, make sure to drink enough water to hydrate or soothe your lips.
- Avoid licking, touching, and pricking your lips.
- Moisturise your lips as many times a day as you can
- Use a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher (in winters).
- Do not use the lip products on your dry and chapped lips that contain cinnamon, menthol, mint, eucalyptus, camphor, phenol, salicylic acid, oxybenzone, and octinoxate.
- Try to use a humidifier in your room.
- Avoid eating spicy foods as they can irritate the dry and chapped lips, and use healthy cooking oils.
- Use a lip balm before applying lipstick.
- Moisture-rich lipstick is best to use, it helps lips to stay hydrated.
- Try not to breathe through the mouth to avoid lip dryness.
- Smoking and the use of tobacco are harmful for dry and chapped lips.
Effective Remedies for Chapped Lips
Lips do not have oil glands; take care of your lips to avoid dryness and cracking. However, once lips get chapped, you can still cure the dryness and chapping by using the following remedies:
- Exfoliate your lips
You can remove the dead and dry skin by exfoliating your lips. If your lips are badly chapped, avoid exfoliation as flakes of the skin might peel off. Honey and sugar scrub is best for the exfoliation of lips. Honey is antimicrobial, wound-healing, and anti-inflammatory. Honey not only moisturises lips but also protect the cracked lips from infection.
Take half a teaspoon of honey, a teaspoon of coconut oil, a teaspoon of finely ground sugar in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients well, and your honey and sugar scrub is ready to use. Apply this scrub gently to your lips and rub in a circular motion. The scrub will exfoliate the dead and dry skin and unveil the smooth skin underneath. Wipe off the remaining product with a damp cotton pad. Moisturise your lips afterwards.
- Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it is known for soothing dry and chapped lips. You can use either a fresh aloe vera or an organic aloe vera gel. First, take a leaf from an aloe plant and cut the upper and lower sides as slices. Next, scoop out the fresh aloe vera gel and store it in a container. Apply this gel gently to your chapped lips two or three times a day. The enzymes in aloe vera also exfoliate the dead skin of the lips.
- Coconut oil
Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. It not only moisturises the lips but acts as a barrier to prevent the sensitive skin of the lips from the wind, heat, and cold. You can apply coconut oil to your lips as many times as you want. In addition, coconut oil possesses skin repairing properties and thus heals chapped lips.
- Shea Butter
Shea butter has anti-inflammatory properties and contains vitamin A and vitamin E. It also contains numerous fatty acids and antioxidants and is well known for skin-soothing benefits. Apply Shea butter to your chapped lips with a finger and massage gently. The ingredients of Shea butter deeply penetrate the sore skin and soothe it. It is safe to use as often as you want.
- Honey Lip Balm
Honey has anti-bacterial properties and prevents infections. It heals the dry and chapped lips as well as moisturises the lips. Take a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of coconut oil in a small container and mix both the ingredients well. The honey lip balm is ready. Apply it with a clean finger to your lips as often as you like.
- Cucumber
Cucumber is 90% water and a natural moisturiser for chapped lips. Vitamin C present in the cucumber enhances collagen production. Collagen makes the delicate and soft tissues of the skin more flexible. In addition, the Caffeic acid in the cucumber is an organic antioxidant that prevents free-radical damage from the sun. Cut a slice of the cucumber and rub it gently over your chapped lips. Let the juice rest on your lips for 15-20 minutes and wash off later.
- Mango Butter
Mango butter is extracted from the kernels of a mango. It contains antioxidants, vitamin A, and vitamin E. In addition, the triglycerides, oleic, and stearic acids in the mango butter moisturise and heal chapped lips. Take a small amount of the mango butter and rub it on your lips with a clean finger. Massage well and let it dry. Wash off later with clean lukewarm water.
