How To Heal Chapped Lips

Our lips are considered one of the most prominent parts of our face. Used primarily for food intake, they also contribute to our facial expression and are considered an erogenous zone.  

Chapped lips are mainly caused by loss of moisture leading to dry, sore and possibly cracked lips.  This condition is brought about by the changes in weather and temperature, allergies, medications, and other skin conditions. This is quite a very uncomfortable and unpleasant condition.  You can kiss those hideous lips away by bringing the moisture back. Here are some simple steps.

Moisture Defense. The best cure is to prevent it.  Applying a lip balm is the best defense for your skin against dryness, most especially during cold weather and if you are frequently staying in an air-conditioned room.  Re-apply lip balm throughout the day to ensure that your lips have an adequate amount of moisture to keep them from cracking.

In choosing a lip balm, go for the natural healing botanicals such as aloe vera, beeswax, almond, coconut, jojoba and shea butter.  Try to avoid Petrolatum found in petroleum jelly. It has been recognized as possible carcinogen and is banned in some European countries. Likewise, if you have very sensitive skin, stay away from camphor, which is believed to be an irritant. If your lip balm has SPF, that’s even better! Yes, just like your whole body, the sun can cause harmful effects on your lips.  

Stop licking your lips. Most people lick their lips to relieve the dryness but it does otherwise. Licking can only aggravate the condition. Your saliva will cause your lips to dry even more. The lips do not have the oil glands necessary to self-moisturize. They get their moisture from the surrounding skin. When you lick your lips you’ll have the tendency to affect the outer skin, which can worsen the condition.

Exfoliate. It is not only good for the skin but can help your lips as well.  Exfoliation will take out the damaged outer layer thus will facilitate the renewal of the skin cells. You can exfoliate by using your tooth or a wash cloth that is warm and gently rubbing those dead skin away. You can also do the natural way of exfoliating your lips with just a few drops of honey added with sugar. Scrub it gently on your lips. Honey is a natural moisturizer and it also tastes good.

Hydrate yourself.  Drink more water to keep your body hydrated along with your lips. Hydration prevents further cracking.

Apply a lip ointment. To soothe those painful cracks on your lips, apply a lip healing ointment with the following ingredients: Allantoin—it moisturizes and protects the lips. Pramoxine—an analgesic that soothes pain. Make sure that you don’t drink or eat for at least an hour. The best time will be before bed time.
 
If all of these steps do not alleviate your condition, it is best to consult your doctor.

Chapped lips is a very common skin problem and very easy to treat. However, we tend to neglect this very important part of our body.  So begin today and take care of those kissable lips!