| - | Chapped lipsHow to keep your lips looking good during winter One of the most vexing lip problems is dry, chapped lips. Because lips do not contain oil glands, they tend to dry out very easily and become chapped. Chapped lips have many causes and can occur in any season. Dry winter (Related: Skincare during winter) air or hot summer sun can contribute to the problem as can dryness in the home. People who lick their lips frequently may find that the more licking they do, the drier their lips get. (Related: Lip enhancement)
To keep your lips moist, use a petroleum- or beeswax-based product, or plain petroleum jelly. Avoid flavored products because they can tempt you to lick your lips more often. Dr. Bruce P. Robinson recommends that people whose lips are especially chapped use a plain balm because medicated balms often contain menthol which can potentially be drying. The following tips can help prevent chapped lips: | | | Increase the moisture. Keep the air in your home moist with a humidifier. Make sure you clean the humidifier often and place it out of the reach of young children.
Don't lick. The constant wetting and drying that occurs with licking quickly causes chapped lips. Instead of licking, apply lip balm.
Cover your face. In the winter, especially on windy days, make sure you have a scarf or hat with a mask that covers your lips.
Use lip balm with sunscreen. Because the sun can worsen the condition, use a product that has sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, of 15 or higher.
According to Dr. Bruce P. Robinson, "Contrary to popular myth, lip balm is not addictive. People find that they like the smooth feeling they get from it and tend to reapply it more often to keep getting that feeling. There is nothing inherently addictive in lip balm nor is using a lot of it a bad thing." | | |
