How to heal dry and chapped lips

Yep, chapped lips can be painful, and nobody wants them hanging around! Dry lips are usually characterised by dryness, chapping, cracking and flaking, and they can become painful over time. But, they can be brought back to their soft, smooth selves with a bit of patience and a few handy tools. Hydration on the way!

Here’s how the conversation went...

Skin Care Expert Robyn Hutch sat down with Ailen and Rachel to talk all things lips, specifically how to heal lips that have become chapped and dry

The top ways to cure dry and chapped lips

A quick slick of lip balm or a glass of water won’t quite do the trick when it comes to soothing dry and chapped lips. It’ll take time and persistence, but you’ll be happy to hear it can be done! Some of our fave dry lip remedies include:

Wear a lip balm

Because your lips don’t have any pores (and therefore can’t produce hydrating oil and sweat), using lip balm regularly is your best bet for providing the moisture they need. Lip balms work by locking in moisture and preventing it from evaporating into the air. Look out for some of our fave nourishing ingredients like Provitamin B5, Glycerin and Vitamin E, all of which do wonders when it comes to keeping your lips soft and smooth. And, for outdoors - a lip balm with added SPF is an absolute must!

Drink plenty of fluids

Dehydration often shows up on your lips first, so if they’re dry and chapped, it could be a sign that you’re not getting enough water. Drinking around eight glasses a day can help keep dehydration at bay, as can increasing your intake of water-dense fruit and veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, oranges and berries. Bonus – they’re all packed with skin-loving vitamins and minerals!

Use oils on your lips

There are probably plenty of dry lip remedies already sitting in your kitchen cupboard! Natural oils like coconut, olive and almond, as well as jojoba and rosehip, are great for relieving chapped and cracked lips, as they provide moisture and protect your lips from further damage. Easy as pie!

Exfoliate

Stick with us here… just like exfoliating your face will get rid of dead skin cells and dirt build-up, doing the same to your lips can remove the dry, flakey skin sitting on the surface to reveal fresh, smooth skin underneath. You can easily blend your own lip exfoliant at home using a mix of coconut or olive oil and sugar. See here for more recipes…

Consider using a humidifier

Dry air can be one of the biggest underlying causes of chapped and cracked lips. If you work or live in a building with particularly dry air – such as an air-conditioned office – a humidifier can help moisten the air, and in turn, your lips.

Apply a dry lip treatment overnight

An overnight treatment is a great way to soothe dry, chapped lips (and it requires next to no effort). Over time, applying a moisturising lip balm before you go to sleep can mean waking up with smoother, softer lips come morning.