10 Things Causing Chapped Lips and How to Heal Them Fast
The skin on the lips is far more delicate and sensitive than the skin of the rest of the body. Many things are causing chapped lips and we don’t realize it, from popular products or everyday habits
Tis the season for dry, chapped lips. We need to develop good eating habits, use the right products, and try techniques to support our health. Check out this guide to find out the top habits causing chapped lips and what to do instead to heal them quickly!
10 Things Causing Chapped Lips
Your skin health needs to be a priority. Here are 10 common things causing chapped lips and what to do instead to heal them quickly!
1. Allergies
Allergies are the number one reason your lips are chapped. If you are allergic to an ingredient in your chapstick, you might not notice right away. After you apply it, it takes a while to absorb and cause a reaction. That reaction can be drying and chapping, so you apply more chapstick, which leads to a vicious cycle.
Make sure you are watching out for the potential allergens in chapstick, and avoid ingredients you are allergic to.
2. Ingredients in Chapsticks
Some ingredients in chapsticks may actually be one of the things causing chapped lips. This includes fragrance ingredients, essential oil ingredients (like linalool), and other mint, cinnamon, and citrus oils.
Try to avoid these ingredients as they lead to sensitivity and can potentially cause chapped lips.
3. Dehydration
The body is a system that needs water to thrive. Even slight dehydration poses a problem for physical and mental health, as illustrated here. Dehydration can more severely be seen on the lips, as the skin there is thin and is prone to losing moisture easily.
Make sure you are hydrating properly, such as drinking a glass as soon as you wake up, and listening to your body when you are thirsty.
4. Dry Environment
In drier environments, your lips are more likely to become chapped as you lose water content through the thin skin. This becomes more common in colder, drier months as humidity decreases.
Try to apply more lip balm or even Vaseline to help prevent the loss of moisture. This creates a seal that locks in hydration.
5. Licking Your Lips
Saliva on the skin is an irritant. It has digestive enzymes that, when left on the skin, can irritate and ruin the health of the skin. When the saliva evaporates, it will further take with it moisture from the skin, causing even more dryness and irritation.
Try to get out of the habit of licking your lips. Use chapstick and always have it within reach so you are not irritating the skin.
6. Ignoring SPF
Yup, just like the skin on your face and body, the lips also need some sort of protection from the sun, even more so. The skin on the lips is thin and much more prone to damage from UV rays. This weakens the skin barrier and can be one of the main things causing chapped lips. Plus, a sunburn on the lips will definitely be causing chapped lips.
Get a lip balm or chapstick with at least SPF 15 or higher in it to ensure your lips are healthy and happily protected.
7. Spicy Foods
The ingredients in spiced foods/drinks, like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc, can be common everyday ingredients causing a reaction in your lips. Even the spiced flavor coating on chips can irritate and hurt the lips.
You can eat and enjoy spiced foods and an extra kick, but remember to wipe your lips with a wet napkin after eating or drinking something spicy.
8. Chewing Gum
Along that same train of thought, the flavoring of gum can be irritating to the skin of the lips too. Many gums have cinnamon, spearmint, peppermint, and other flavors that can be damaging to the skin of the lips. Saliva even ends up on the skin of the lip, especially in the corner of your mouth.
If you have chapped lips, try to quit chewing gum for a bit of time to see if it gets a bit better.
9. Not Using Enough Lip Balms
The skin on the lips needs more attention than the skin on the rest of your face. Therefore, it needs more products applied to it more often. Healing ointments and balms can rub off as you eat, talk, and go through the day. They should be applied throughout the day to ensure your lips are always supported and protected.
Make sure you are applying chapstick when you need it. Remember to apply it right before bed too. When we sleep, we are prone to losing moisture, especially from the lips. Plus, if you drool, the skin of the lips suffers as saliva can further dry them.
10. Picking at Lips/Over Exfoliation
Many products advocate exfoliation for smooth lips, including lip scrubs. The lips are already pretty thin though, and any exfoliation will just leave them raw, irritated, and prone to water loss. As for picking at your lips, this removal of skin can cause damage that can weaken the skin barrier, while enhancing the penetration of irritants.
The skin of the lips does not need to be exfoliated at all. They may feel a bit smoother after a sugar rub, but the chapped lips problem will return and worse. It is thin skin and instead should be applying Vaseline chapsticks. You can also take a bit of facial oil onto the skin of the lips. That will help remove excess skin without disrupting the skin barrier.
The Takeaway
Mundane, everyday habits, product ingredients, and allergies are some examples of things causing chapped lips. Luckily, there are simple ways to fix these issues. Start reading product ingredients, try identifying what you are allergic to, drink more water, use Vaseline, and keep skincare simple for the lips.
Health comes from within, so eat nutrient-dense food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. Good habits are the building blocks needed for emotional, mental, and physical health. Remember to take care of your gut health too! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.
