How To Deal With Dry And Chapped Lips This Winter

The temperatures are dropping, and there’s less moisture in the air – it’s officially winter.

The change in weather means that, unfortunately, our lips can start to get dry, itchy, and cracked. It’s not a good look.

There are several reasons why the winter weather leaves our lips feeling super tight and uncomfortable. But fortunately, there are ways to get them feeling hydrated and soft again – even when the weather isn’t at its best.

Keep reading to learn why our lips become chapped in the winter, along with ways to treat them.

What Causes Chapped Lips in the Winter?

As the temperatures plummet, the thin, delicate skin on our lips tends to dry out quicker than the rest of our skin.

This can make the lips cracked, flaky, and raw, which, as you can imagine, can be really uncomfortable.

But the weather isn’t always the direct cause of our poor, parched lips.

When irritation occurs from a product or allergy, called contact cheilitis, lips can become inflamed and sore. These allergic reactions usually develop from pigments in lipsticks, fragrances, and flavoring agents found in food. The irritation can even occur from the use of everyday skincare products.

Additionally, when some patients use acne products, they may easily get some formula on their lips. Acne products are often super strong and work to exfoliate your skin to improve breakouts.

If you get a powerful, exfoliating product on your lips, you may find that your lips become dry and cracked.

If you’re using any products to treat acne, be sure to apply petrolatum or balm to your peckers before application. The balm will act as a protective barrier on the lips to prevent any irritation.

And if you spent a few too many days baking under the hot sun the last few summers, your lips probably took the heat, too.

In adults with a history of sun damage over the years, it’s not uncommon to suffer from chapped years, even in the winter months. The chaps may occur in one spot or take place along the entire lower lip year-round.

Chapped lips may also be a sign of precancerous changes to the lips. This condition is called actinic cheilitis.

It’s important to have this condition checked by a doctor. If you have actinic cheilitis, it’s essential to treat the underlying sun damage to improve the look and texture of the lips.

Actinic cheilitis is often treated with cryotherapy, a topical chemotherapeutic agent, or photodynamic therapy.

How To Treat Dry and Chapped Lips

So, how exactly do we restore our lips to the luscious look they had once before? Here are a few ways.

Exfoliate

When your lips are dry and chapped, they can be rough and may even peel.

A gentle lip exfoliator or polish like a sugar scrub can help. Apply with your finger, and don’t forget to follow up with a hydrating moisturizer.

But be careful. Removing skin that isn’t completely dead can lead to bleeding and pain, which certainly isn’t what you want.

iS Clinical’s LipPolish is a gentle and effective lip scrub packed with powerful antioxidants of vitamins C and E. It’s also full of intensely rich botanical butters to promote exfoliation and smooth and hydrate lips.

Use the lip polish daily, and your super-smooth lips will soon be looking their best again.

View & Shop: iS Clinical Lip Polish

Moisturize

We’re sure you’ve heard it all before, but the best way to relieve dry skin is to moisturize, moisturize, moisture.

Lip products containing beeswax or petroleum work wonders in retaining moisture.

Don’t be shy to slather plenty of lip balm or moisturizer onto your peckers before you hit the hay, and let the formula work its magic overnight as you snooze.

Ointments like coconut oil, petroleum jelly, and cocoa butter are excellent options for ultimate hydration on your lips.

Pair the use of a lip moisturizer with an exfoliator, and you can expect your chapped lips to heal even quicker.

We love PCA Skin’sOvernight Lip Mask to deeply nourish and condition sore, chapped lips as you snooze.

The product hydrates lips while helping them retain moisture. It also reduces the appearance of lip lines and fights visible signs of aging – it’s a win-win.

View & Shop: PCA Skin Overnight Lip Mask

Visit the Doctor

Finally, if you find that your dry lips won’t heal, even with the help of a lip moisturizer and scrub, there may be an underlying condition to blame.

In this case, you must see a doctor. Chapped lips can easily become infected as bacteria can enter through cracks and tears. A doctor must treat these infections.

Do you want more skincare advice? Here’s why you should choose oil-free products .