In today’s post, we will talk about how to repair dry lips ? Indeed, not so long ago, this is a question that a young woman asked me and by probing it, I realized that there was a lack of knowledge about products to take care of lips. I wish to remedy this by giving you all the necessary information to pamper your mouth !
I have dry lips…
Dry lips result in discomfort in these area. It’s tight. Sometimes the dryness of this area can cause redness around the mouth (irritation), cracking or loose skin. Some areas may also thicken.
Why do I have dry lips ?
Here are some causes that may explain dry lips :
- Dry air : lack of moisture in the air is one of the causes of dry lips. Negative temperatures, heating and even sunlight are a nuisance for the lips.
- Moisturizing the lips : When your lips are tugging, we tend to pass our tongue over, which instantly relieves. But when the saliva dries, it carries with it moisture, making our lips even more painful and chapped than before.
- Some lip balms : Getting lip balm is good. Except that a majority of them are composed of mineral oil. When we read about packaging, it makes us think of “mineral water”. Except that all that is mineral in cosmetics comes from petrol. In lip balms, we usually find paraffin oil. This “oil” forms an impermeable film making the lips smooth and soft. However, the balm ends up drying leaving an unpleasant feeling that pushes the consumers to use some permanently. This oil is not absorbed by our skin and is “worse than better”.
- Some toothpastes : depending on the sensitivities of each, some toothpastes can irritate or dry out. Personally, it was my dermatologist when I was a teenager who advised me to stop using it.
- Lack of nutrients : If you suffer regularly from dry lips, this may be due to a lack of nutrients. If there is vitamin B2 or iron deficiency, the skin and lips dry up.
- Infections : can also promote the drying of the lips. The most known is the herpes labialis, in this case, we must act quickly with the antibiotic creams provided for this purpose. Go consult a doctor in case of doubt and most importantly, do not kiss !
- Stress : In stressful situations, the body goes into a state of emergency and produces less saliva, which dries out the lips. There are exercises to reduce stress and relax or even alternative medicine (aromatherapy, homeopathy, etc.). Nevertheless, the most important thing is to find the source of the stress and to treat it.
- Lack of hydration : To avoid having dry lips, you must…drink plenty of water !
Repair dry lips : tips and tricks
First, let’s talk about hydration. In order to make our body work better and bring comfort, it is important to drink at least 1 liter of water (not tea, coffee or soda). Water is what mainly makes up our cells…And if we do not renew it (since we lose between 1 and 3 liters per day), we are going to end up like a dried grape all shriveled in the sun ! I repeat it often enough : drink, drink, drink!
Another important point is to clean up your cosmetics. Indeed, some cosmetic products or skincare may consist of ingredients that do not hydrate or even irritate the skin of our lips. Examine the ingredients of these and avoid all that comes from petrochemicals. Some facial creams could be drying on localized areas. For example, for toothpaste, opt for organic formulas or solid toothpastes formulated with baking soda – which is an ingredient that does not create allergies. It is even possible to use food baking soda to brush your teeth.
To repair dry lips, and before moisturizing, I also invite you to have a scrub. No need to buy any product, just mix a little honey with sugar and rub this paste on your lips. The sugar will help eliminate dead skin and honey to repair and provide comfort.
The advice I can give you is to stop ALL non-organic lip balms – even in drugstore/pharmacy, because almost all are formulated with mineral oils. Choose the natural with a moisturizing base from a plant such as almond, shea, olive oil, etc. Otherwise, homeoplasmisne is a good alternative to rehydrate the lips deeply.
Some products that I like to use : Burt’s Bees balms, Banana Lip Balm from Kadalys (if you like Haribo Bananas !), Aesop Rosehip Seed Lip Cream (you have to like the aromatic products) and lip balms from Institut Karité.
Other skincare posts :