The repair: Suppose past lip balm.
In case your lips are tremendous chapped and peeling, you might discover that your common lip balm isn’t sufficient, even in case you reapply it liberally. The dermatologists SELF spoke with advocate upping the ante through the use of an ointment containing occlusive components, like petrolatum and dimethicone, which utterly coat and seal the pores and skin to lock in moisture. Vaseline, or petroleum jelly, is a major instance, nonetheless, simply remember that whereas it can assist lure any water that’s already within the lips, it doesn’t in itself add hydration or provide any kind of reparative properties that can deal with dryness, Dr. Perez factors out.
You will have a few choices: You possibly can apply petroleum jelly on high of a lip balm that incorporates hydrating components, notes Dr. Westbay; shea butter and jojoba oil are good ones to search for, she says. Or you can take a delicate, very plain moisturizer (that’s fragrance-free and doesn’t include “actives”), dab that onto your lips, then apply a coat of petroleum jelly over high, Dr. Perez says. Ideally, she suggests searching for a moisturizer with ceramides, components which can be well-known for his or her skin-barrier-strengthening properties.3 Her high choose: CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream ($7, Amazon).
To make your life a bit simpler, it’s also possible to go for an all-in-one product that’s each occlusive and incorporates hydrating components. For instance, CeraVe’s Therapeutic Ointment ($20, Amazon) depends on petrolatum but additionally has ceramides and hyaluronic acid within the combine, Monika Kiripolsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, tells SELF. Dr. Westbay says Aquaphor Therapeutic Ointment ($15, Amazon) is a pleasant alternative, too, because it incorporates panthenol, a humectant that pulls water into the higher layer of the pores and skin: “It’s a extremely efficient combo for optimizing water content material and locking it in the place it’s wanted,” she explains.
The issue: lip licking
Consistently licking your lips (and by the identical token, drooling in your sleep) can be a possible downside. “Not solely can enzymes in saliva break down the pores and skin, however lips continuously getting moist after which drying out additional breaks down the barrier and results in chapping,” Dr. Kiripolsky says.
It may be a vicious cycle at that; it is smart that when your lips really feel dry you might innately need to lick them to moisten them. However that is so frequent that the next chapping and irritation is sometimes called “lip-licker’s dermatitis,” Dr. Westbay provides.
The repair: Hold your lips coated, day and (particularly) evening.
We all know, it’s simpler stated than completed, however Dr. Westbay suggests making an attempt to be as conscious as attainable of how typically you’re licking your lips. Maintaining them commonly coated with lip balm can assist as a result of in the event that they really feel much less dry, you might be much less tempted to lick. There’s no set rule concerning how typically you need to swipe on lip balm; Dr. Westbay says as typically as you are feeling is required is ok. Simply ensure you undoubtedly apply it earlier than mattress. Not solely can this counteract the dehydrating drool we talked about above, however the quantity of moisture that naturally evaporates out of the pores and skin (generally known as transepidermal water loss or TEWL) is increased at evening, she notes, making it prime time to load up on hydrating merchandise—on your lips, face, and physique.4
The issue: allergic or irritant contact dermatitis
In much less medical phrases, a sure ingredient your lips are uncovered to could also be triggering an allergic response or just creating irritation. “This causes irritation that impairs the pores and skin barrier, resulting in extra dryness, in addition to redness in some pores and skin tones, burning, and itching,” Dr. Westbay explains.