Tried-and-True Ways to Heal Dry, Chapped Lips Once and For All
Perpetually dry, chapped lips are more common than most people think, and the discomfort that they can bring is enough to send you into a tizzy, looking for the best product to help heal them. While many people associate dry, chapped and dehydrated lips as a winter ailment due to a lack of moisture in the air, truth be told, your lips can become dry any time of the year. That’s because the lips lack oil glands to keep themselves moisturized, so a myriad of factors, from your diet to your lipstick, can suck the moisture right out of them. Gone are the days of layering on do-nothing lip balms, and in their place come hydration-restoring treatments, serums, and masks that go beyond the standard to heal dry, chapped lips for good.
What Causes Chapped Lips
Dry, chapped lips aren’t limited to one cause. In fact, several factors are to blame. While the lips are comprised of thin, delicate skin, they also lack oil glands, so there’s far less natural moisture than other parts of the face, making them easily susceptible to dryness, chapping, splitting, and cracking.
Licking your lips is a common cause of chapped lips, as is exposing them to the sun, wind, and cold weather. These environmental factors can quickly dehydrate the lips. So can allergies, the common cold, dehydration, and other medical conditions. No matter the cause, there are tried-and-true solutions for treating chapped lips and getting instant relief.
Ways to Get Rid of Chapped Lips
1. Apply a Good Lip Balm
Jane Iredale LipDrink Lip Balm
195 reviews
$25.00
So much more than the standard lip balm, this soothing and hydrating formula adds a hint of pretty color for the perfect-looking lip. The blend of waxes and oils works together to leave the lips moisturized and soft while protecting them from the sun and the environment.
Glo Skin Beauty Barrier Balm
$19.00
This multi-purpose conditioning balm helps relieve the symptoms of dry, chapped lips for less flakiness and discomfort. Packed with botanicals to revive the lips, the thick formula can be used anywhere on the body where dry skin is an issue.
2. Use a Lip Mask Nightly
RMS Beauty Lipnights Overnight Lip Mask
$29.00
Let this ultra-nourishing overnight lip treatment work its magic while you get some shut-eye. Infused with botanical butters, peptides, and plum seed oil, the formula melts into the lips for long-lasting hydration and barrier repair, so you wake up to softer, smoother, plumper-looking lips that feel good, too.
GRANDE Cosmetics GradnePOUT Plumping Lip Mask
$24.00
Dry, chapped lips don’t stand a chance against this lip mask, which floods them with moisture for a subtle plumping effect. Layer this mask onto the lips on its own or under your favorite lipstick or gloss to help reinforce the lip’s moisture barrier so it stays hydrated for longer.
3. Load Up on Moisture
By Terry Baume de Rose Lip Care
138 reviews
$60.00
Slather on a thick layer of this super-rich lip balm and impart instant relief to chapped lips. The concentrated formula works on cracks and dry areas to help regenerate the skin while hydrating the lips and providing anti-aging benefits, too.
NUDESTIX Hydrating Peptide Lip Butter
$20.00
Perfect for hydrating dry, chapped lips, this peptide-powered lip butter helps restore moisture to the lips for a softening effect. You can also use it to create a plumper look while infusing the lips hydration, making this lip treatment an all-around must.
4. Exfoliate the Lips Regularly
Grande Cosmetics GrandeBUFF Lip Scrub
$24.00
Dead skin buildup on the lips can prevent them from feeling soft, hydrated, and supple. This moisturizing lip scrub gently buffs away dead, dry skin while nourishing and protecting the lips so they're kissable and smooth again.
Futurna Skin Triple Olive Lip Polish
$45.00
Give the lips a good polishing without causing unnecessary irritation, redness, or sensitivity. This exfoliating lip polish lifts away dead skin to leave the lips perfectly primed yet never stripped of moisture.
5. Always Protect Them with Sunscreen
StriVectin Hyaluronic Omega Moisture Lip Mask
$28.00
This leave-on hydrating lip treatment strengthens the moisture barrier for instant comfort, protecting against further dryness and chapping. It also contains SPF to protect the lips from potential sun damage and free radical exposure.
Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Color Balm
111 reviews
$42.00
Protecting the lips from the sun is just as important as protecting the skin on your face from it. This unique stick balm glides across the lips to shield them from damaging UV rays and environmental aggressors while leaving behind a light wash of color perfect for everyday wear.
6. Stick to Natural Ingredients That Won't Dry Out the Lips
Kypris Lip Elixir Balm
$49.00
Formulated with botanical waxes, cocoa and shea butters, hyaluronic acid, and peptides to hydrate and soften the lips, this ultra-comforting lip balm is like a tall drink of water for dry, thirsty lips. Its rich and creamy texture swathes the lips in moisture and comfort while lending an aromatherapeutic benefit, too.
Allies of Skin Peptide and Ceramide Repair Lip Balm
2 reviews
$25.00
One of the best ways to nurse chapped lips back to health is by treating them with skin-softening oils and butter, which make up the bulk of this hydrating formula. Offering immediate relief and improved elasticity for instantly smoother-looking and feeling lips, we like that this dermatologically tested balm also takes away the feeling of tightness that comes along with seriously parched lips.
7. Prep the Lips Before Makeup
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Balm
$14.00
Chapped, dry lips can feel worse when lipstick is layered on them. To restore moisture to the lips before applying lipstick, swipe on a layer of this rich, buttery balm to banish flakiness and dryness while giving the lips a pretty yet subtle sheen.
Sisley Paris Nutritive Lip Balm
$105.00
Perfect for hydrating dry and uncomfortable lips, this nourishing balm provides instant softness. But its nonstick finish makes it a must for makeup prep, leaving the lips feeling smooth and plump.
Related Article: An Honest Review of Sisley Paris, Tested and Approved By Our Beauty Editor
8. Steer Clear of Products with Alcohol and Fragrance
PCA SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster
193 reviews
$50.00
Alcohol is a known lip dehydrator, so looking for lip-plumping formulas that rely on peptides and hyaluronic acid to boost volume and add softness is essential. This clear formula makes chapped, dry lips a thing of the past while relying on skin-safe hydrators to boost volume subtly.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips Hydration Restore Lip Balm
$9.99
This fragrance-free ultra-hydrating lip balm is the perfect antidote to dry lips. Its non-greasy formula offers instant and long-term moisture and helps to restore lost moisture for a noticeable difference.
9. Nurture the Lips After Injections
RescueMD Restorative Lip Treatment
1 reviews
$48.00
Filers can do wonders to help amp up the look of limp lips, but often, they leave the lips feeling dry. That's where a post-filler treatment like this one comes in handy. It is formulated with fruit extracts and Lapachol, a proprietary ingredient that supports the lips' ability to repair themselves so that your lips feel as good as new in next to no time.
How to Prevent Dry, Chapped Lips
Getting rid of chapped lips is one thing, but preventing them is another. When treating chapped lips, it's best to take a restorative approach, but preventing them requires a little more willpower in how you care for them. The best way to prevent the lips from becoming dry and chapped is to infuse them with hydration constantly. Lip balms, masks, treatments, and serums rich in plant-based oils and waxes moisturize the lips and provide a protective barrier.
Equally as important is to avoid licking the lips. While you may think your saliva acts as a natural hydrator, it doesn't. Whether your lips are chapped or not, licking them can only dry them out and make things worse. The same goes for exposing them to extreme heat and cold in temperature and foods.
FAQs
How to Get Rid of Flaky Lips
One of the best ways to easily get rid of flaky lips is by gently exfoliating them with a lip-safe exfoliator. Removing the buildup of dead skin cells from the lips not only softens and smoothes them but also allows everything else in your lip care routine to penetrate and absorb better so that you can reap the benefits. Following a regular lip care routine is also important to keep them soft, smooth, and flake-free.
Can Lip Plumpers Cause Dry Lips?
Unfortunately, some lip plumpers can lead to dry lips and even chapping. That's because many lip plumpers contain irritants like menthol and cinnamon, which cause short-term volume changes. However, these irritants can also cause a lack of moisture in the lips, leaving them dehydrated and uncomfortable.
The Bottom Line
The best way to prevent dry, chapped lips is to invest in high-quality lip care products with good ingredients. Avoid using ones with alcohol, fragrance, and irritants, which can cause the already thin and sensitive skin on and around the lips to become dry and more susceptible to damage. Sticking to the basics of lip care—think exfoliation, hydration, and sun protection—will help reinstate hydration for soft, smooth, kissable lips.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
