Key Takeaways
- Your lips become drier when they are exposed to long periods of sunlight, cold and dry air, and windy weather.
- Use lip balms with mineral or hemp seed oil, white petroleum jelly, or shea butter to provide lasting moisture.
- Try to use lip balm with SPF protection, drink water, and avoid picking or biting any peeling skin
No matter what season it is, the weather can lead to dry, chapped lips happening more frequently.
Your lips become drier or more chapped when they are exposed to more sunlight, air with less moisture, or more wind. Without a way to consistently keep the skin on the outside of your lips moist, they become dry.
Our dermatologists share advice on what types of lip balm can help soothe irritation, what ingredients to avoid, and other tips to keep your lips smooth.
What to use – and not use – on chapped lips
There are many ingredients in lip balms and moisturizers – some of which help and some that do more harm than good. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends seeking out lip balms that have certain ingredients and avoiding ones that have others.
Ingredients that help
- Castor seed oil
- Ceramides
- Dimethicone
- Hemp seed oil
- Mineral oil
- Petrolatum
- Shea butter
- White petroleum jelly
Ingredients that don’t help
- Camphor
- Eucalyptus
- Flavorings
- Lanolin
- Menthol
- Octinoxate/oxybenzone
- Phenol/phenyl
- Propyl gallate
- Salicylic acid
If your lips sting or burn after applying a lip balm, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s working. Use lip balm several times a day as needed consistently.
Other remedies for dry lips
There are other simple things you can do to give you relief from dry or chapped lips.
Use a lip balm with SPF protection: Even in the winter, the sun can burn your lips more easily, which can further irritate dry or chapped lips. Pick a lip balm with SPF 30 level protection or higher.
Drink water: Staying well hydrated is good for your health for many reasons, including healthy skin and moist lips.
Wear a scarf: This is a simple touch, but wearing a scarf over your mouth during cold weather helps to protect your lips from the wind and retains moisture better.
Don’t pick/bite/lick: It may be tough to leave your lips alone, but doing any of these things can irritate the skin further. Saliva also evaporates quickly, which will further irritate your lips.
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