ephas
25 May 2021
The cold winter temperatures we get in Australia have a negative impact on the skin. Low air humidity coupled with harsh winds and freezing weather dry out our skin making it rough and dull. Your lips aren’t the exception from this rule. In fact, they suffer the most because the skin on your lips is thinner and more sensitive than skin on the rest of your body. We share tips on how to get rid of chapped lips below.
When lips are dried out, they become chapped, start peeling which looks and feels uncomfortable. Luckily, you can easily prevent this problem from happening, or get rid of chapped lips if the problem already occurred, with useful tips from this article.
What causes chapped lips?
Before we find out how to avoid or treat chapped lips, let’s see what causes this problem. Causes of chapped lips are:
Licking your lips – most people do this thinking licking lips hydrates them. In fact, this habit only dries out your lips. When saliva evaporates, more moisture escapes from the gentle skin of your lips thus making them dries.
Excessive consumption of Vitamin A
Dehydration – lips don’t have oil glands and they tend to dry out due to weather (cold temperatures) or due to lack of hydration in your body.
Sun damage – sun’s UV rays can make a significant damage on your lips.
Mouth breathing – yes, you read it correctly. When air constantly passes over your lips it dries them out at the same time. This is particularly expressed in people with nasal allergies or sleep apnea.
Deficiency of Vitamin B2 and B6
Toothpaste – many types of toothpaste contain the ingredient called sodium lauryl sulfate. This ingredient can irritate and cause dryness in your lips.
Allergies
Citrus and cinnamates – acid in citrus fruits can cause irritations on your lips. Furthermore, even tomato juice can be irritating if a person already has cracked and chapped lips. Furthermore, cinnamates from candies, gums, etc. can have the same effect.
Lip balms with irritating ingredients.
Now, when we’ve seen numerous causes of chapped lips, let’s see how to tackle or avoid this issue.
Treating Chapped Lips
First things first, you should bear in mind that chapped lips won’t go away overnight. Luckily, they can disappear quite fast and all you need is willpower. Below, you can see various ways you can get rid of chapped lips effectively.
Don’t lick your lips
This is the most important rule. If you want your lips to get better, then you have to stop with this habit that only dries them out.
Exfoliate
Use simple exfoliant mixture of brown sugar and water for your lips. Do this twice a week.
No flavoured lip balms
Flavoured lip balms seem like a great idea. You need lip balm and why wouldn’t you get the one that has the same flavour as your favourite fruit e.g. cherry. It’s needless to mention they have pretty colours that we, simply, adore. But, it’s a good idea to stay away from flavoured lip balms because you’d get tempted to lick your lips.
Apply lip balm before washing your face
You’re probably thinking “this doesn’t make any sense”, however it does. Your cleanser might cause your lips to dry even more, and lip balm acts like a physical barrier between cleanser and the skin.
No citrus juice
Until your lips recover, stay away fro citrus juices etc. And yes, once your lips become smooth you can drink your favourite freshly squeezed orange juice again.
Cucumber
Another way to get rid of chapped lips is to apply thin slices of cucumber onto lips and keep them on for a few minutes to reenergise and hydrate them.
UV Protection
When purchasing lip balm, you should go for product with UV protection to protect your lips from damaging UV rays.
Don’t peel the skin!
When you have chapped lips, you get the urge to peel and pick the skin. This can only aggravate the condition. Instead, soften the skin with quality lip balm or calendula cream. The skin will be eliminated during exfoliation.
No matte lipsticks
Matte lipsticks are IN right now, however you should avoid using them every day. Instead, use matte lipsticks on special occasions or Saturday’s night outs.
Scarf
A scarf is the best accessory you will need this winter and it’s also beneficial for your lips. When you’re out on cold air, put scarf over your mouth to protect lips.
Drink water
To get rid of chapped lips, drink plenty of water. Your skin require hydration that comes from products and your body as well. Your skin and lips will thank you for it.
Calendula cream
This cream should be your best friends. It can be used for everything related to skin care: dry skin patches, burns, dry lips etc. it’s natural, doesn’t irritate the skin, and your lips become smooth and gentle quite fast.
Go fragrance free
Scents and strong flavours in lip balms can cause irritations and allergic reactions. You should opt for products that don’t contain scents or these intense flavours.
Get rid of chapped lips today
Chapped lips can make you feel uncomfortable and insecure. Fortunately, treating this problem is extremely easy. With the tips from this article, you can get rid of chapped lips and have perfectly smooth lips throughout the winter.
