How to help heal chapped lips

Got chapped lips? Whether you’re a man or a woman, your lips need to be kept hydrated, especially in winter. That is when the cold and dryness of our climate really do their worst to sensitive skin. The following advice will help you heal your chapped lips.

To take care of your chapped lips, you need to adopt a few habits that will not only heal chapping, but also help you prevent it whenever the weather gets cold or windy.

• Exfoliate your lips. Before applying a lip balm, exfoliate your lips to remove any dead skin. Go about it gently, using a wet cloth. Do this regularly, at least once a week, unless your lips are already in bad shape. If that’s the case, it’s better to skip this step.

• Moisturize your lips. Petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) is very effective against chapped lips. Apply a generous layer before going to bed. Keep a nourishing lip balm on hand to hydrate your lips several times a day and especially before going to bed. Avoid lip balms that contain camphor, as they promote dryness. Consult a department store cosmetics expert or ask at a drugstore’s cosmetics counter about which are the best lip balms on the market.

• Moisturize. The best way to hydrate your lips is to hydrate yourself, so drink a lot of water. Think about using a humidifier if the air in your bedroom is particularly dry.

• Protect your lips. The sun may also be responsible for your chapped lips. Get a balm that provides sun protection and apply a layer each time you go outdoors.

• Avoid licking your lips. Licking your lips alleviates the feeling of dryness, as the saliva is temporarily hydrating. However, the problem is actually aggravated because the saliva only dries the lips further. Children should not be given fruit-flavoured lip balms—they encourage lip-licking!

• Choose the right lipstick. Creamy lipsticks in dark shades protect your lips from the sun. In addition, they retain moisture longer, which makes them effective against chapped lips. Note that long-lasting lipsticks generally contain fewer moisturizing agents; they should be avoided if your lips are always dry. Speak to your beauty consultant to make the best possible choice when it comes to lipsticks.

For lips that are well hydrated, moist, and shiny, layer your lip protection. Apply one layer of lip balm to moisturize, one layer of lipstick for colour, and another layer of lip balm or gloss for shine. So long, chapped lips!