The official medical phrase for “chapped lips” is cheilitis, pronounced ky-light-iss. As a medical physician who a) lives within the mountains of Colorado the place the humidity is below 50% more often than not, and b) has suffered with a number of depressing kinds of cheilitis herself, I’m positively an skilled on the subject.
Fast Reply: Why Your Lips Are At all times Chapped
The commonest causes lips keep chapped are irritation, water loss, lip licking, toothpaste substances, skincare merchandise migrating onto the lips, solar publicity, dry air, meals triggers, and lip merchandise that include substances your pores and skin doesn’t tolerate. The quickest method to assist chronically chapped lips is often to simplify: cease flavored, minty, plumping, and exfoliating lip merchandise; swap to a gentle SLS-free toothpaste; shield damp lips with a bland barrier balm formulated for delicate lips, like our Lip Physician; and see a dermatologist if signs persist.
|
Attainable trigger |
What you may discover |
What to strive |
|
Toothpaste irritation |
Dryness, peeling, burning across the lip border |
Strive SLS-free, mild-flavored toothpaste with out cinnamon or mint |
|
Lip licking |
Purple, tough, flaky lips or rash across the mouth |
Use bland barrier balm incessantly and break the behavior |
|
Skincare migration |
Irritation close to corners or lip border |
Maintain retinoids/acids away from lips |
|
Lip product allergy |
Lips worsen regardless of frequent balm use |
Simplify merchandise and contemplate patch testing for particular allergic reactions |
|
Solar publicity |
Burning, scaling, persistent lower-lip roughness |
Use SPF lip safety and see a dermatologist if persistent |
There are a great deal of causes you is perhaps affected by chapped lips, and a few of the specifics might shock you. From merchandise to habits, under you’ll discover are a few of the most typical causes folks have chronically chapped lips. However first, a bit about why lips are extra vulnerable to dryness within the first place.
Your Lips Are Completely different From the Remainder of Your Pores and skin
The pores and skin of your lips is thinner than the pores and skin on the remainder of your face. There’s much less water contained within the thinner stratum corneum (outermost layer of pores and skin) and fewer safety towards water loss. Lips don’t have sebaceous glands or hair follicles, which signifies that they don’t seem to be creating their very own sebum, in contrast to many of the remainder of your pores and skin. Since sebum is likely one of the issues that helps maintain your pores and skin moisturized, lips are beginning out at an anatomical drawback.
That anatomical drawback is why dry air, solar, wind, saliva, toothpaste, meals, and lip merchandise can flip into such an ideal little catastrophe in your mouth. Your cheeks may tolerate a mildly irritating product for months, whereas your lips ship you an indignant textual content message after two functions. That’s not as a result of your lips are being dramatic; it’s as a result of they’re constructed otherwise, and there’s much less margin for error. Chilly climate, dry climate, solar harm, and frequent lip licking are among the many frequent causes dermatologists listing for dry, chapped lips.
Lips even have an enormous variety of nerve endings, which makes them in a position to understand sensations extra acutely than most different pores and skin in your physique. In consequence, when your lips get dry, flaky, or infected, you’re most likely going to note the burning, tingling, tightness, or different discomfort sooner than you’d discover the identical irritation elsewhere. Now let’s dive into a few of the most typical causes of chapped lips, lots of that are hiding in plain sight!
Hidden Trigger #1: Flavored or Minty Lip Balms
In case your lip balm tastes yummy, it is going to make you extra more likely to lick your lips unconsciously all through the day—as a result of who doesn’t wish to lick yummy issues? Sadly, licking your lips is not going to solely take away the lip balm you simply utilized, but in addition irritate your lips over time—see the part on lip licking under.
Menthol, a element of mint flavorings and and lots of “medicated” lip balms, is one other frequent offender. The cooling sensation can really feel soothing for a number of seconds, which is why folks typically mistake it for therapeutic. However tingling will not be the identical factor as therapeutic, and within the setting of chapped, cracked, or infected lips, substances that create a cooling, warming, plumping, or stinging sensation may very well be protecting the irritation cycle going. Peppermint oil has been reported as a reason for allergic contact dermatitis of the lips, and dermatology sources generally focus on flavoring brokers as triggers involved cheilitis.
Briefly, the factor that makes you wish to reapply your lip balm—the flavour, the tingle, the odor, the moment sensory suggestions—could also be a part of the rationale you want to maintain reapplying them. A very good lip balm ought to make your lips really feel protected, snug, and fewer thirsty over time. It doesn’t must announce itself with a full marching band of minty freshness.
Hidden Trigger #2: Toothpaste or Dental Floss
The 2 most typical substances in toothpaste that could possibly be inflicting hassle are sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate and flavors, like mint or cinnamon. Toothpaste is an particularly prevalent reason for power chapped lips as a result of it touches your lips a minimum of twice a day, day-after-day, and most of us rinse our mouths with out rigorously washing off any residual toothpaste.
SLS is a detergent and foaming agent, which is exactly why it makes toothpaste really feel satisfyingly bubbly. However artificial detergents like SLS are drying and aggravating on already-compromised pores and skin, and the lip border is a quite common place for that irritation to look. Many pure manufacturers of toothpaste include SLS, so be sure you verify your label. Much more shocking? Some dental floss comprises SLS (why??) so verify the substances of your floss as properly.
Flavorings deserve their very own tiny lecture. Mint, peppermint, spearmint, menthol, cinnamon, cinnamal, and different fragrant compounds can all be an issue for sure folks, particularly as soon as the lip barrier is already compromised. Whitening toothpastes might also be irritating as a result of they’ll include stronger abrasives or peroxide-based substances, and a few pure toothpastes include potent important oils like clove, tea tree, eucalyptus, or cinnamon bark, the place the focus of important oils can fluctuate. Pure doesn’t all the time imply light, particularly when the pores and skin barrier is already waving a white flag.
Search for an SLS-free toothpaste with gentle flavoring, and contemplate avoiding mint and cinnamon flavors fully whereas your lips are infected. If you happen to desire fluoride-free toothpaste, select a fluoride-free, SLS-free toothpaste with gentle, pure flavoring. Listed here are a number of of my favourite clear dental merchandise, all of which I take advantage of usually with no irritation.
Hidden Trigger #3: Lip Licking + Choosing
Considered one of my pricey buddies is a licker-picker, and her poor little lips all the time appear to be sandpaper. Human saliva comprises digestive enzymes that may be irritating to lip pores and skin, degrading the delicate barrier layer, or stratum corneum, of the lips. As soon as that barrier is broken, lips lose water extra shortly and turn out to be dry, pink, and flaky, which is when licking typically results in selecting. It’s so exhausting to depart a flaky lip alone.
Lip licking is a merciless little loop: your lips really feel dry, so that you lick them; saliva briefly makes them really feel moist, then evaporates; your lips turn out to be drier than they have been earlier than; then the flakes arrive, and shortly your fingers begin fiddling along with your face. The extra you lick, chunk, peel, or choose, the much less likelihood your lips should rebuild the barrier they should maintain moisture.
Lip licking is so frequent, in reality, that there’s a medical analysis code, L24.A1, referred to as Lip Licker’s Dermatitis, which is described as “irritant contact dermatitis as a consequence of saliva,” and may contain each the lips and the encircling pores and skin. In kids, lip-licking typically resolves itself with time and common utility of protecting lip merchandise like petroleum jelly or unflavored lip balm.
For adults, it takes a little bit of consideration to cease licking and selecting at your lips. Inform your family and friends to remind you in the event that they see you doing it, and contemplate wholesome chewing gum to maintain your mouth distracted whilst you break the behavior. In case you are a nighttime picker, apply a beneficiant layer of bland, therapeutic ointment earlier than mattress (I really like our Lip Restore for this), as a result of a protected lip is more durable to seize and fewer more likely to give you these tempting little edges within the first place.
Hidden Trigger #4: Your Skincare Merchandise
Sure skincare substances will be very irritating to your lips, together with retinoids, exfoliating acids, benzoyl peroxide, sturdy vitamin C formulation, pimples therapies, and peels. You will not be placing these merchandise straight in your lips, however skincare strikes. It migrates whilst you sleep, spreads once you apply moisturizer, travels below sunscreen, and sneaks its method onto your lips once you wash your face.
Retinoids are particularly well-known for this. Even when utilized appropriately, they’ll irritate the delicate pores and skin across the mouth and lips. Benzoyl peroxide will be drying and aggravating, and exfoliating acids are, fairly actually, designed to loosen and take away the outermost layer of cells. That may be helpful on facial pores and skin when used rigorously, however your lips don’t want the identical encouragement.
In case your lips are chronically chapped, take per week or two to deal with them like a no-fly zone. Apply a skinny layer of protecting ointment in your lips earlier than making use of sturdy facial merchandise, apply your lively skincare merchandise with additional distance across the mouth, and wash your arms after making use of them. This can be all of your lips must cease unintentionally collaborating in your skincare routine.
Hidden Trigger #5: Perfume and Important Oils
I really like fragrant vegetation. I’ve constructed a complete firm across the cautious, respectful use of vegetation, and I consider pure scent can have a lovely, supportive function in skincare and in our basic wellness practices. However chapped lips will not be the best time or place for perfume—pure or in any other case.
Artificial perfume, typically listed as “perfume” or “parfum” on a label, can include dozens and even a whole bunch of undisclosed chemical compounds, I don’t advocate utilizing artificial perfume on chapped or distressed lips—you haven’t any method of understanding what substances you’re exposing your lips to, and lots of of them are confirmed allergens and irritants. (Really, I don’t advocate artificial perfume in any respect.)
Important oils additionally include chemically lively substances, and lips will be particularly delicate to them. In our Lip Restore, we use a really low focus of two important oils: myrrh CO2 extract, chosen for its lengthy historical past of use on cracked pores and skin, and bergapten-free bergamot, for its antifungal properties. In our Lip Physician, we don’t use any important oils. As an alternative, we infuse olive oil with natural lavender to extract a few of the helpful compounds of lavender in a much less concentrated method.
That mentioned, even important oils which are properly tolerated on wholesome pores and skin will be an excessive amount of for lips which are cracked, peeling, or indignant. That doesn’t imply important oils should be averted in any respect prices, and it definitely doesn’t imply I’ve stopped loving them. It means I counsel warning, even with stunning, thoughtfully sourced important oils, when the lip barrier is compromised.
Hidden Trigger #6: Lip Scrubs and Over-Exfoliation
When your lips get dry and flaky, the temptation to clean away the flakes is virtually irresistible. Sadly, because you’re already coping with a compromised barrier, scrubbing away what little barrier you do have is unlikely to assist, a minimum of till your lips are performing like themselves once more. For most individuals, exfoliating the lips with greater than the swipe of a delicate konjac sponge merely isn’t crucial.
I do know the web loves a lip scrub, however most chapped lips aren’t affected by a sugar deficiency. They’re affected by irritation, water loss, irritation, and barrier disruption. Scrubbing might make them really feel smoother for an hour, however it might additionally expose newer, extra susceptible pores and skin earlier than it is able to be uncovered—over-exfoliation is an actual factor, and your lips is not going to thanks for it.
Hidden Trigger #7: Mouth Respiratory and Dry Air
You may not consider your self as a mouth breather, however chances are you’ll be respiration by means of your mouth greater than you notice, particularly whereas sleeping, exercising, or when you’ve a stuffy nostril. Each time air passes over the lips, it will increase evaporation, and if that air is chilly, dry, or shifting shortly, the impact is even stronger.
If you happen to dwell in a spot like I do, excessive within the sky and near the solar, you might be respiration dry air all day lengthy. If you happen to’re an out of doors athlete like I’m, you’re respiration that dry air exhausting and quick, a number of instances per week once you hike or bike or run. If you happen to dwell someplace humid however use indoor warmth within the winter, you’re respiration dry air inside your personal residence.
That is one purpose power chapped lips can flare in winter even for people who find themselves cautious with their lip merchandise. Compelled-air warmth, wooden stoves, lengthy sizzling showers, wind, altitude, and out of doors train all trigger dry lips. Humidifiers assist, particularly within the bed room, and so can making use of a protecting lip product earlier than out of doors exercise, earlier than mattress, and earlier than you get on an airplane. Your lips don’t want an elaborate nighttime routine, however they do admire a bit advance discover earlier than extended or elevated publicity to dry air.
Hidden Trigger #8: Solar Publicity
Your lips are uncovered to UV mild similar to the remainder of your face, and the decrease lip is very susceptible due to its angle towards the solar. Solar publicity can dry the lips, burn them, worsen peeling, and contribute to longer-term adjustments like actinic cheilitis, which is a precancerous situation brought on by power solar harm.
The difficult half is that some SPF lip merchandise include flavors, perfume, chemical sunscreen filters, or different substances that will hassle delicate lips. In case your lips are infected, search for a bland, broad-spectrum, zinc-based SPF lip product throughout the day, and use a hat or shade when doable. And everytime you apply your facial sunscreen, apply it to your lips, as properly.
Hidden Trigger #9: Meals Allergy symptoms and Irritating Meals
Meals can irritate the lips in a number of alternative ways. Cinnamon is likely one of the traditional lip irritants, and it reveals up in toothpaste, gum, sweet, tea, lip merchandise, and baked items. Spicy meals can be tough on chapped lips as a result of the capsaicin in peppers creates warmth and irritation, which is why it’s generally utilized in lip-plumping merchandise. Acidic meals like citrus, tomatoes, vinegar, and pineapple might sting or worsen irritation when lips are cracked (although that doesn’t essentially imply you might be allergic to them).
Mango pores and skin deserves a particular point out right here. Mango belongs to the identical plant household as poison ivy and poison oak, and compounds discovered largely within the peel can set off reactions in people who find themselves sensitized to urushiol or associated compounds. This doesn’t imply everybody must concern mangoes—that may be a tragic technique to dwell. But it surely does imply that it’s price washing your mangoes with cleaning soap and water earlier than dealing with and consuming them.
If meals appears to be triggering your lips, maintain the experiment easy. Keep away from the suspected meals or flavoring for a few weeks, shield your lips with a bland barrier earlier than meals, and rinse across the mouth gently after consuming.
Hidden Trigger #10: The Lip Merchandise You’re Already Utilizing
This one could be very private for me, as I needed to study the exhausting method that my absolute favourite lip product—our stunning, award-winning Lip Restore—contained an ingredient that I had turn out to be allergic to, although I’d been utilizing it fortunately for ages. Castor oil is a lovely ingredient that provides lip merchandise a cushiony, shiny, stay-put feeling, and it is likely one of the causes so many lip therapies really feel satisfying on utility. However ricinoleic acid, a compound discovered solely in castor oil, has been recognized in a number of massive case collection as a standard reason for allergic cheilitis as a consequence of lip cosmetics and balms, and I’m one of many unfortunate few who developed an allergy to it.
Once more, this doesn’t imply castor oil is unhealthy. It signifies that in case your lips are chronically infected and you’ve got tried every part, you must contemplate eliminating castor oil for some time.
Lanolin is one other allergen that may trigger hassle for folks, although the incidence of lanolin allergy within the basic inhabitants is sort of low (lower than one p.c). If you happen to’re allergic to wool or have struggled with dermatitis or eczema, the incidence of lanolin allergy goes as much as 2-5%. Lanolin will be extremely useful for dry, cracked pores and skin, but can even causes reactions in a small subset of individuals, particularly when the barrier is compromised.
Beeswax can be a problem for a small variety of folks, although true beeswax reactions seem unusual general. When reactions occur, they could contain residual propolis or different bee-derived compounds slightly than the wax itself. I nonetheless love natural beeswax as a protecting lip ingredient for many individuals, however I additionally assume it’s price remembering that “pure” doesn’t essentially translate to “properly tolerated by completely everybody.”
Lastly, any likelihood you’re you utilizing a “lip plumping” product? In that case, your lips may not be blissful about it. Some lip plumpers work by growing circulation to the lips with substances like capsaicin, cinnamon, and mint, all of which might additionally act as irritants. If you happen to’re coping with chapped lips, perhaps skip the lip plumpers for now.
Transient facet word: a product can work superbly for you for years after which out of the blue begin inflicting hassle. Allergic contact dermatitis can develop after repeated publicity, and the lips are a standard website for reactions to lip merchandise as a result of we apply these merchandise incessantly and depart them in place for hours.
What Really Helps Chapped Lips Heal
The mission is two-fold: 1) present moisture and/or non-irritating therapeutic substances to your lips, and a pair of) maintain them from shedding water. When your lips are extraordinarily dry and irritated, I generally advocate a number of days of utilizing solely pure, white petroleum jelly on damp lips to provide them an opportunity to reset and heal with out having to navigate any new substances. As soon as issues have began to quiet down, you possibly can rigorously add in some therapeutic substances like honey, tamanu oil, and cupuaçu butter, in addition to easy substances to extend barrier perform like beeswax and candelilla wax, which assist your lips maintain onto their moisture.
I do know petroleum jelly will not be glamorous, however when lips are in disaster, glamour will not be the task. The task is lowering water loss, lowering irritation, and giving the lip barrier a number of quiet days with out perfume, taste, or frustration of any variety. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends non-irritating lip balm, and pure white petroleum jelly matches the invoice. I desire petroleum jelly to different merchandise like Aquaphor (which comprises lanolin) when lips are acutely infected, as a result of it comprises just one ingredient.
A easy therapeutic routine for severely chapped lips may appear to be this: rinse your lips with water after brushing your enamel, pat them so they’re nonetheless barely damp, apply skinny layer of petroleum jelly, and repeat earlier than mattress. Through the day, use petroleum jelly with a clear finger as wanted.
Sadly, petroleum jelly doesn’t have superb endurance, so as soon as the indignant part has handed, you possibly can select a extra nourishing product primarily based on what your lips tolerate. Some folks do superbly with lanolin, beeswax, honey, tamanu, and castor oil. Others must keep away from castor oil or lanolin. Some folks love a richer butter-based formulation, whereas others desire a waxier, much less shiny balm. Lip care is much less about discovering the universally good ingredient and extra about discovering the best mixture on your lips, of their present state, below your present circumstances.
Osmia Lip Merchandise for Chapped Lips
Once I initially formulated Lip Restore—earlier than I developed an allergy to castor oil—I couldn’t WAIT to slather this thick, therapeutic balm on my lips each night time earlier than mattress. I had included a few of my favourite substances for distressed lips: manuka honey, for its distinctive antimicrobial and anti inflammatory properties; myrrh extract, which has been used for hundreds of years on cracked pores and skin; cupuaçu butter, which helps lips maintain water; and beeswax and lanolin to assist the balm keep in place, particularly when used as an in a single day lip masks.
As soon as I developed an allergy to ricinoleic acid, I needed to abandon my beloved Lip Restore. After looking for a castor-oil-free lip balm, I spotted I’d should take issues into my very own arms, as a result of nearly each lip product available on the market comprises castor oil. Once I formulated Lip Physician, I wished it to be easy, soothing, and have absolutely the good texture—not too heavy, tremendous clean, and simply sufficient endurance with out being sticky. It comprises no castor oil or important oils, making it an excellent alternative for very delicate lips, particularly for individuals who know or suspect that castor oil could also be a problem.
Word: If you happen to assume you may be allergic to beeswax or propolis, do not forget that each Lip Restore and Lip Physician include beeswax, and Lip Restore additionally comprises honey.
When Chapped Lips May Be One thing Extra
Most chapped lips are brought on by some mixture of dry air, licking, irritation, solar, merchandise, and a broken barrier. However persistent cheilitis can generally level to one thing else, and that is the place it’s price paying consideration.
Chapped lips that don’t enhance after a number of weeks of straightforward, constant care might point out any of the next:
-
allergic contact dermatitis
-
angular cheilitis
-
yeast or bacterial an infection
-
herpes simplex
-
actinic cheilitis from solar harm
-
Anemia
-
vitamin B-12 deficiency
-
autoimmune circumstances like Sjögren’s syndrome
-
Treatment unintended effects from drugs comparable to isotretinoin, chemotherapy medicine, diuretics, or different drying prescriptions.
Please see a dermatologist, dentist, or physician if in case you have cracking on the corners of your mouth that won’t heal, important swelling, blisters, bleeding, crusting, white patches contained in the mouth, one persistent scaly space on the decrease lip, extreme ache, or lips that maintain flaring regardless of eradicating apparent irritants. You could want remedy for an infection, patch testing for allergic contact dermatitis, analysis for a dietary deficiency, or a more in-depth take a look at sun-related adjustments.
I’ve an extended publish about lip cheilitis and dermatitis (linked on the high of this text), and that’s the one to learn in case your lips appear greater than merely dry.
The Backside Line
In case your lips are all the time chapped, the reply will not be essentially extra lip balm. It could be a distinct lip balm, fewer merchandise, a toothpaste change, a break from mint and cinnamon, a pause on lip scrubs and plumpers, extra safety from dry air and solar, or a number of quiet days with damp lips and plain ointment.
Lips are small, however they don’t seem to be easy. They’re thin-skinned, nerve-rich, oil-poor, extremely uncovered, and requested to tolerate meals, climate, toothpaste, skincare, sunscreen, lip merchandise, speaking, kissing, licking, sipping, snacking, respiration, and no matter else we put them by means of earlier than midday. After they get irritated, they want safety, endurance, and fewer alternatives to be irritated.
With love and more healthy, happier lips,
The knowledge contained on this publish is for instructional curiosity solely. This data will not be supposed for use for analysis or remedy of any bodily or psychological sickness, illness, or pores and skin circumstances.
References and Additional Studying
Kim J, Yeo H, Kim T, Jeong ET, Lim JM, Park SG. Relationship between lip pores and skin biophysical and biochemical traits with corneocyte unevenness ratio as a brand new parameter to evaluate the severity of lip scaling. Worldwide Journal of Beauty Science. 2021;43(3):275–282. doi: 10.1111/ics.12692. PMID: 33544395; PMCID: PMC8251770.
Tamura E, Ishikawa J, Naoe A, Yamamoto T. The roughness of lip pores and skin is expounded to the ceramide profile within the stratum corneum. Worldwide Journal of Beauty Science. 2016;38(6):615–621. doi: 10.1111/ics.12335. PMID: 27090066.
Fonseca A, Jacob SE, Sindle A. Artwork of prevention: Sensible interventions in lip-licking dermatitis. Worldwide Journal of Girls’s Dermatology. 2020;6(5):377–380. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.06.001. PMID: 33898702; PMCID: PMC8060673.
Lugović-Mihić L, Pilipović Ok, Crnarić I, Šitum M, Duvančić T. Differential analysis of cheilitis: learn how to classify cheilitis? Acta Clinica Croatica. 2018;57(2):342–351. doi: 10.20471/acc.2018.57.02.16. PMID: 30431729; PMCID: PMC6531998.
Tran A, Pratt M, DeKoven J. Acute allergic contact dermatitis of the lips from peppermint oil in a lip balm. Dermatitis. 2010;21(2):111–115. PMID: 20233551.
American Academy of Dermatology Affiliation. 7 dermatologists’ ideas for therapeutic dry, chapped lips.
Dyall-Smith D, Ting S. Contact reactions to toothpaste and different oral hygiene merchandise. DermNet. Final reviewed July 2024.
Enweasor C, Deane S. Lip licker’s dermatitis. DermNet. January 2020.
DermNet. Contact reactions to lipsticks and different lipcare merchandise.
Dyall-Smith D. Allergic contact cheilitis. DermNet. 2010.
Uldahl A, Engfeldt M, Svedman C. Scientific relevance of optimistic patch take a look at reactions to lanolin: a ROAT examine. Contact Dermatitis. 2021;84(1):41–49. doi: 10.1111/cod.13689. PMID: 32844454; PMCID: PMC7756495.
De Groot AC, Ipenburg NA, Rustemeyer T. Propolis and beeswax in cosmetics: a market survey and literature overview on their relationship and function in allergic contact dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. 2026;94(5):494–503. doi: 10.1111/cod.70108. PMID: 41663074; PMCID: PMC13070719.
Yoo MJ, Carius BM. Mango dermatitis after urushiol sensitization. Scientific Apply and Circumstances in Emergency Drugs. 2019;3(4):361–363. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2019.6.43196. PMID: 31763588; PMCID: PMC6861053.
