How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips

In the canon of nonverbal communication, licking your lips can betray a myriad of emotions—the nervous twitch, the seductive trick, the liar’s telling tic—but sometimes there’s no deeper meaning for licking one’s lips than having chapped lips.

While many people think of dry, dehydrated lips as a winter weather ailment (the colder the air, the less moisture it can hold), the truth is your lips can become dry and sore any time of year. That’s because, unlike much of your skin, your lips don’t have sebaceous glands (oil glands), which keep your skin moisturized. Plus they’re exposed to the elements most of the time.

Chapped Lips, Be Gone!

So your lips are kind of on their own, which means you’ve got to give them extra TLC whenever and wherever you can. Here are a few tips for how to treat your kissers well and avoid those cursed chapped lips.

Tip 1: Invest in Lip Treatments

Investing in treatments specifically for your lips is a surefire way to keep them healthy and happy. There are many products on the market designed to treat and restore sore, cracked lips, made with ingredients (like essential oils) that will hydrate, soften and smooth. Applying a lip scrub or lip mask a few times a week, as well as a lip conditioner and lip balm regularly, will work to both protect and treat your lips.

Dermstore's Picks:

Overnight treatment: Nightly Lip Treatment by Dermalogica
Lip scrub:Lip Strip by Laura Geller New York
Lip mask:Lip 20 Mask by Kaplan MD(This product contains dimethicone, which repairs dry, cracked lips and locks in moisture.)
Lip conditioner:Oasis Smooth Lip Conditioner by H2O+ Beauty
Lip balm:Ultra Repair Intensive Lip Balm by First Aid Beauty (This product contains beeswax, which creates the creamy, emollient formula that softens your lips.)

Tip 2: Drink Up

Dehydration, or lack of water, is a leading cause for chapped lips and a relatively easy one to solve. Consume more fluids (water, tea, certain fruits and vegetables, etc.) to avoid getting dehydrated. Check out this guide for more info on how much water you should be drinking each day. If you aren't staying hydrated, chapped lips will be the least of your problems—as other problems associated with dehydration will arise, include heatstroke, urinary problems and more. Yikes!

Tip 3: Indulge in Coconut Oil

Not that you need another reason to love coconut oil, but it’s absolutely great for treating dry or dehydrated lips. That’s because the components of coconut oil, including saturated fats and vitamin E, help retain moisture and promote tissue repair—keeping skin looking youthful. Regular use of a lip conditioner with coconut oil and weekly application of a coconut scrub will help to rejuvenate your skin and keep your lips feeling soft and smooth.