How To Get Rid Of Chapped Lips Fast With Little Effort
Chapped lips are no fun. It feels tight, dry, cracked, and uncomfortable. Yet, not many people know exactly how to cure chapped lips. There are actually quite a few things you might be doing now unintentionally that is causing it. Once you realize those habits, preventing chapped lips will be so much easier. Here are the common causes and how to get rid of chapped lips fast.
What causes chapped lips?
Licking your lips
One of the worst things you could be doing for your lips is licking them. I know, it’s tempting, but your lips will quickly feel less dry when you stop the habit. The reason why this happens is because saliva contains digestive enzymes that wear down the skin on the lips.
Dehydration
A big cause of chapped lips is not drinking enough water. When you’re dehydrated, your body pulls water from other parts of the body to hydrate the cells. This makes your skin and lips feel dry and eventually chapped.
Sun Damage
Exposure to ultraviolet rays doesn’t just affect the face but can also damage the skin on the lips. This causes dryness and patchiness on the borders of the lip. That’s why using SPF on the lips will really help prevent chapped lips.
Dry Weather
The season heavily affects the quality of our skin. During winter when the weather is dry, cold air pulls moisture from the lips, including the natural lipids that keep the lips moisturized.
So, how do you get rid of chapped lips fast?
1. Use a moisturizing lip balm
The dry lips treatment you should implement first is to moisturize your lips with a high-quality SPF lip balm. You should reapply at least three times a day for maximum moisture. Here are some of the best lip balms I love:
Pacifica lip balms are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. It’s also formulated with natural ingredients like almond, coconut, avocado, jojoba oils, and other natural flavors. The formula doesn’t contain parabens, petroleum, or alcohol. It’s also formulated with zinc oxide, one of the best ingredients for sunscreen.
Honest’s tinted lip balms are vegan and cruelty-free. It comes in seven beautiful shades and is very affordable. Its formula is made with avocado oil and the product slides onto your lips so smoothly. The only thing lacking is that it doesn’t have SPF. But there aren’t many good lip balms out there that are tinted, has SPF, and is vegan and cruelty-free.
2. Exfoliate your lips
Exfoliation is another beneficial chapped lips treatment. It can help get rid of dead skin cells which are essentially the dried skin you feel on your lips. To use it, simply rub a bit of the exfoliator on your lips and rinse it off. Even though it seems to work wonders for the lips, exfoliating everday can actually irritate the skin. So just exfoliate in moderation – around once every few days. Here are the lip exfoliators I love:
If you love Lush, you’re going to love this lip scrub. This one is made with peppermint oil, exfoliating castor sugar, vanilla, and organic jojoba oil. The peppermint leaves your lips feeling very cool and smooth. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free.
This product is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free. It’s also marked as ‘Clean at Sephora’ meaning the formulation is free from parabens, sulfates, and other chemicals. Additionally, the product is made with fair-trade golden sugar and papaya enzymes which are great ingredients for an exfoliator. It’s also an Allure Beauty Award Winner.
3. Use a lip sleeping mask
Lip sleeping masks are another chapped lips remedy that’s so healing for your chapped lips. It has a similar consistency as a lip balm. However, it’s formulated in a way that lasts longer and is even more hydrating on the lips. The way it works is you put it on at night before bed. Then, leave it on the entire night and wash it off the next morning.
Tatcha is known for its Japanese-inspired skincare products. This lip mask in particular has Japanese Peach Extract, three rose extract, and Japanese Camelia Oil – all which smooths and hydrates the lips. Most importantly, the product is vegan and cruelty-free.
This lip mask by Tarte contains avocado oil, jojoba oil, and argan oil – three very hydrating ingredients. It also has hyaluronic acid which gives extra moisture and adds firmness to the lips. This product is also vegan and cruelty-free.
4. Steaming
Steaming helps the lips become softer and smoother by hydrating them. It helps to remove dead skin layers so that lip balms and other products can be absorbed more easily. To do this, fill a cup with hot water and simply place your lips on top of the cup, letting the steam touch your lips. Leave it there for 5-10 minutes.
5. Drink Water
Since dehydration causes dry and chapped lips, one of the best natural remedies is to drink more water. Mayo Clinc recommends women to drink at least 11 cups of water a day, but this includes liquid that comes from other foods and drinks. For men, it’s recommended to consume closer to 15 cups of water a day. The ultimate goal is to drink water throughout the day and keep yourself as hydrated as possible. One of the best ways is to carry around a large water bottle everywhere you go.
6. Don't pick at it
When your lips starts to feel a bit of texture from the formation of dead skin cells, don’t pick at it! If you do, there’ s a chance you might pick too much and your lip will start bleeding. Rather, you should let it be and apply lip balm, exfoliate you lips, and maybe even apply a lip sleeping mask. If you’re using an exfoliator, make sure to not rub too hard or else the skin may be irritated.
