Buzz
When your lips are chapped, you might avoid using lip balm to steer clear of artificial ingredients found in some products, as well as for other valid reasons. Artificial fragrances, colors, and soothing agents in lip balms can irritate your lips and worsen the condition. Alternatively, you might not have lip balm on hand but still want to improve your lips' condition without rushing to the store. Don’t worry! You can naturally soothe and heal your lips by avoiding irritants, applying simple protective measures, and using natural moisturizing and calming products.
Steps
Avoid Irritating Your Lips
Don’t lick your lips. While licking your lips may provide temporary moisture, it’s actually harmful. Saliva can irritate your lips, and constantly licking them strips away the natural oils that protect and retain moisture.
Breathe through your nose. Frequently breathing through your mouth can dry out your lips. This means if you have a cold and chapped lips, a nasal decongestant can help address both issues.
Avoid peeling off dead skin. Instead, soften the dead skin with moisturizing oils like coconut or almond oil and let it naturally shed. Removing dead skin too soon can expose tender new skin.
Avoid sour, salty, or spicy foods. All of these can further irritate already damaged lips. Steer clear of the following:
- Citrus fruits like grapefruit or orange juice
- Popcorn or nuts
- Spicy chicken wings or salsa
Avoid toothpaste with synthetic flavors like mint and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Both ingredients can cause irritation and worsen sensitive skin. Check out this list for SLS-free toothpaste options.
Limit sun exposure. Sun and wind are major contributors to chapped lips. If your lips are already damaged, sunlight can worsen the condition, especially if you can’t use lip sunscreen to avoid further irritation.
Avoid harsh climates. Wind and dry air can quickly dry out and crack your lips. Spend more time indoors to allow your lips to heal.
Use natural moisturizing and healing products
Apply petroleum jelly or beeswax to your lips. These are two primary methods recommended by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Beeswax contains propolis, a natural antibiotic that aids in skin healing. Petroleum jelly is a moisturizing and protective ingredient.
Use cucumber by placing or rubbing it on your lips for about 5 minutes. Cucumber is proven to be an effective moisturizer due to its vitamin B5 content, and it also soothes and reduces inflammation.
- Alternatively, you can apply cucumber juice to your lips multiple times a day.
Use almond oil or coconut oil as a lip balm substitute. These oils moisturize and soften your lips. Additionally, almond and coconut oils have anti-inflammatory properties. Coconut oil also speeds up healing, reduces the risk of infection, and alleviates pain, making it ideal for chapped lips.
- Other oils you can use for chapped lips include olive oil, jojoba oil, canola oil, and mustard oil. While these oils moisturize and protect, they are not as effective at healing as almond and coconut oils.
Apply cocoa butter or shea butter to your lips. These butters are highly effective at moisturizing and reducing inflammation, making them excellent for hydrating and protecting your lips. Cocoa butter and shea butter also contain antioxidants that shield your lips from sun damage.
Dab a few drops of heavy cream on your lips. The fats in heavy cream effectively moisturize your lips, though they lack the anti-inflammatory and healing properties of oils and butters. However, if you don’t have suitable oils or butters on hand, heavy cream is still a useful option. Leave it on your lips for about 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
Apply aloe vera to your lips. You can purchase aloe vera gel from stores or buy an aloe plant and cut a leaf to extract the gel. Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties that speed up skin healing. However, some doctors caution that aloe vera may irritate severely chapped lips, so use it carefully.
Supplement with vitamins E and C. Combining vitamins E and C accelerates the healing of damaged skin, especially when lips are chapped due to sunburn.
- Some beauty sites recommend applying vitamin E oil directly to your lips, but doctors warn that it may irritate dry lips.
Take steps to protect your lips
Use a humidifier at night. Adding moisture to the air in your room helps prevent your lips from drying out further. This is especially important if you frequently use air conditioning or heating, as both can deplete the humidity in your bedroom.
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is one of the main causes of chapped lips, often occurring in winter when people tend to drink less water. If your lips are chapped, aim to drink at least 10 glasses (240ml each) of water daily to stay hydrated.
Avoid lipstick or opt for a moisturizing lipstick. Another option is to apply a hydrating oil or lip balm before putting on lipstick. Alternatively, try using a lip balm with an SPF of at least 15 for added protection.
Cover your lips with a scarf when going outside. Wind strips moisture from your lips, causing them to chap and worsening the condition. Wrapping a scarf around your lips when outdoors helps protect and heal them.
