If You Have Dry, Chapped Lips, This Is How to Heal Them

Our lips are very tender — they don’t have melanin, so they are susceptible to sunburns, and we can destroy their protective cover simply by licking them (the enzymes in our saliva do the damage). So all of us can use a trick or 2 to have smooth, healthy, and kissable lips.

Avoid matte lipsticks.

Yes, they are trendy, but matte lipsticks will dry out your lips. This is why Instagram stars use extensive treatments and moisturizing primers to avoid damage to their lips while showing off new products or makeup trends.

Use a lip scrub.

Exfoliation is crucial for healthy lips, yet acidic exfoliants are damaging, so it’s better to stick to natural treatments. You can buy them (check the ingredients list thoroughly) or make them yourself. The base should be an oil (such as shea or coconut oil) with a natural fine sugar as an exfoliant. For taste or personal pleasure, you can add essential oils or mashed fruits and vegetables.

Lip rescue recipe

Use this overnight mask for quick results.

• Organic honey
• Cocoa butter
• Olive oil

Mix these ingredients into a thin paste, and apply it to your lips before going to bed. The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t use beeswax or Vaseline, so you can probably whip it up using things in your pantry.

Use oils with high comedogenicity.

Comedogenicity is a measurement that not everybody knows about. This measurement shows the ability of oils to clog pores. For example, coconut oil has high comedogenicity, so you should not apply it to your face (it will clog your pores), but it’s wonderful for your body and lips as it fills in the small creases in them.

Moisturize inside and out.

The state of your body is consistent — if your skin and insides are lacking water intake, it will show on your lips as well. Make sure you drink plenty of water daily and use moisturizers.

Use a humidifier.

Dry air in your house and workplace is a big cause of dry lips, more so in winter. There are also ways of making the air more humid in your house by leaving the bathroom door open while showering, buying some houseplants, and leaving bowls of water on counters.

Cucumber mask

Remember those funny scenes in movies where women sit with 2 cucumber slices on their eyes? That works for your lips too! Take a thin slice of cucumber or a cucumber paste, and apply it to your lips for 5–10 minutes. Try this as part of your beauty routine for winter times.

Lip balm with ceramides

Your lips naturally have an outer layer of protection, but food, treatments, makeup, and the weather all tend to destroy it. Ceramides work to help your body naturally restore this protective layer.

Avoid highly acidic foods and spices.

Acidic and spicy foods disrupt the natural protective layer of your lips and “open” it up to destruction. If you are trying to avoid chapped and irritated lips, avoid such foods too.

Use sunscreen.

Your lips are as tender toward sun rays as the skin on your face and body. To protect them, use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.