Best Ways To Get Rid of Chapped Lips

What’s the worst thing that can happen aside from cracked, dry lips. You can’t eat hot soup or enjoy a hot cup of coffee for breakfast because behind those cracks are vicious wounds. Instead of enjoying your meals, you spend your time wincing in pain.

If your lips are cracked, you may be suffering from two conditions: the lack of internal or external moisture. One thing is for sure though. If you have cracked lips, it automatically means that your whole body is dry.

You can get cracked lips by being exposed to extreme weather conditions like excess wind and sun exposure. You can also suffer from this ailment if you have vitamin B deficiencies, skin infections, allergic reactions to cosmetics and if you have a bad habit habit of biting your lips.

Chapped Lips: Causes and Treatments

Temperature – Do you know that the heat used to warm your car and house is also the heat that lowers the humidity level and dries out the air around you. This is also the same heat that dries out and cracks your lips. You need to know this because cold weather is often blamed.

Foods – You need to avoid some foods especially those that burn your lips. Some foods that cause irritation and dryness on your lips have acids contained in citrus, for instance. Even your favorite spicy delicacies can cause your lips to crack. If you are allergic to nuts, stay away from nut-based lip products, shea butter being the best example of this.

Hydration – You can hydrate yourself by increasing your intake of water. You have to help yourself because unlike your skin, your lips do not produce oil. Your lips’ skin is made of mucous membrane that does not produce glands.

Increase your water intake — no soda, tea or coffee. If you really want to get rid of cracked lips, you need to sacrifice some of the substances you are addicted to like caffeine, sodium and sugar because these all cause dehydration.

Another thing you may find very difficult to give up is alcohol. If you need to go out with your friends on a Friday night, you need to stay conscious enough to be able to drink water before going to bed.

Cosmetics – Lip products designed to make your lips appear fuller, are usually manufactured with mint, Capsacin (from chili peppers) and menthol – the same products you need to avoid to get rid of cracked lips.

Lip balms may moisturize your lips but avoid those that have phenol. Stay away from phenol because this is the same substance added to deep-penetrating facial peelers.

Medications – Double check you medicine cabinet — you may be applying anti-aging products or acne medications on your face that can cause dryness and irritation when applied closed to your lips. You don’t even need to directly apply these on your lips to make your lips crack and dry. Stay away from products with retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids and benzoyl peroxide.

If your skin is sensitive, you are more susceptible to allergy. Avoid habitually licking your lips and breathing through your mouth as these attract viruses and bacteria. Aside from cracked lips you may even develop sore and dry lips.

Worth the Sacrifice

Lip products that are safe to use are those that have mineral oil or petrolatum. Petroleum jelly for instance, not only heals your cracked lips but soothes lip irritation, too.
You can wear lip moisturizers or lipsticks as long as they have sunscreen. If you opt to use these products, you need to use these all year long to maintain your lips’ protection.
Say goodbye to lip plumpers for good. Lip plumpers make your lips look fuller.
Stay hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. You can drink two to three glasses of water after every meal.
If you are buying a lip product, make sure that you buy the ones with the fewest additives.
Using a humidifier is highly recommended.
If these tips do not work, you need to see a dermatologist as soon as possible. Do not delay your appointment with your dermatologist if new symptoms develop.

A bunch of knowledge you got there, right? Feel free to read these tips again and again and get ready to pucker up!