Keeping lips moisturized can be a relentless struggle, especially in winter. If you live in a harsh climate, your lips are likely to be chapped at certain times of winter. You can tackle this problem head-on by harnessing moisture, protecting your lips from harm, and avoiding certain products and foods to help heal your lips.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making Friends with Moisture
Step 1. Drink plenty of water
When you don't drink enough, you will become dehydrated. Dehydration will dry out your skin, including your lips. Drink eight glasses of water a day to help your lips.
Step 2. Try using a humidifier
Dry air can make your skin dry, whereas moist air can keep your skin moisturized. Dry air is a problem in winter, so keep a humidifier in your room to keep your skin and lips moisturized.
Step 3. Use cucumber
Some people feel the benefits after using cucumber to restore lip moisture. Just cut a cucumber. Use the slices to moisturize your lips by holding them for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 4. Try aloe vera
When chapped, your lips will form small cracks, and aloe vera can help heal them. In addition, aloe vera can also soothe the pain caused by chapped lips. You can apply pure aloe vera gel several times a day to your lips.
Step 5. Try a lip treatment or moisturizer that contains ceramides
Your lips usually have a natural barrier to keep them moist, but sometimes weather and food can break that protection. Treatment with ceramide will restore lip protection, thus refreshing your chapped lips.
Step 6. Use hydrocortisone cream
If your lip condition is very severe and other remedies don't work, you can try using a hydrocortisone cream several times a day. While you shouldn't use this option long term, you can use it for up to a week to restore your lips, so they are healthy again.
The best time to use this cream is at night, when you are not eating or drinking anything
Step 7. Try a moisturizer like Aquaphor in the morning
When you just wake up, apply a moisturizer to start the process of moisturizing your lips throughout the day.
Method 2 of 3: Keeping Lips from Danger
Step 1. Use a scarf
Not only can the scarf protect your neck and chest, it can protect your lips too if you position it so that it covers your mouth. Wind is one of the causes of chapped lips, so preventing wind from hitting your lips can help prevent the problem.
Step 2. Use lip balm every day
Use natural lip balm often, especially in winter. Lip balm not only moisturizes, but also protects your lips from harmful ingredients.
Step 3. Apply lip balm before washing your face
You will likely use a face wash, which is designed to exfoliate skin cells and remove oil. These ingredients can cause damage to your lips, and don't help them, so protect your lips by applying a lip balm first to help counteract the bad effects of facial cleansers.
Step 4. Apply sunscreen
Use sunscreen on your lips, or choose a lip balm with at least SPF 15 in it. This ingredient can protect your lips from the sun, which can cause chapped lips.
Method 3 of 3: Things to Avoid
Step 1. Avoid wetting your lips
Licking your lips when they feel dry you might do automatically. In fact, this will only worsen the condition of your lips, because your saliva will actually make your lips dry.
Step 2. Avoid chemical products
When choosing a lip balm, avoid products that contain artificial colors or flavours. Natural oils, such as shea butter and coconut oil are the best ingredients for moisturizing lips.
Step 3. Don't eat citrus fruits
The acid content in this fruit can cause chapped lips, so try to avoid it when your lip condition is severe.
Step 4. Stop eating spicy food
Just like oranges, spicy flavors can irritate your lips, especially if they also contain acid, such as spicy chicken wings. Stop consuming these foods if you have problems with your lips.
Step 5. Don't use exfoliants that contain salicylic acid
This type of exfoliant will actually make your lips dry and make the problem worse.
Step 6. Check your medications
If you have chronic dry lips, one of the medications you're taking may be to blame. For example, high blood pressure medication can cause dry lips. While you shouldn't just stop taking the drug because of chapped lips, your doctor may be able to replace it with another medication that won't cause you any problems.
Step 7. Change your toothpaste
Some toothpastes, especially those with artificial chemicals, can irritate your lips. This irritation can make your lips chapped over time.
Tips
- Do not lick the lips or their surroundings.
- You can use coconut oil to treat your lips.
- Use Vaseline, a very effective lip balm.
- Check with a doctor if chapped lips have been a problem for you for a long time. This may mean that you have a yeast infection around your mouth or that you are having an allergic reaction to a product.
