How to Heal Dry Chapped Lips

The lips are one of the most sensitive areas of the body, and they’re used in a wide variety of life’s most pleasurable activities: eating, drinking, kissing, talking, smiling, and more all involve moving, stretching, and using the lips. So when your lips are painfully dry, chapped, or peeling, all of those things that are normally such enjoyable activities become strained at best, impossible at worst. So when you want to keep your lips looking and feeling their best, what do you do?

Choosing The Right Lip Balm

The more expensive lip balm is actually better in most cases. Waxy balms without moisturizers, such as Lip Smackers and Chap Stick, actually draw the moisture out of your lips in the long run— which helps create more people who consider themselves “chap stick addicts.” You want to look for lip balm that’s specifically for softness and hydration, from brands that you trust when it comes to first aid and skincare. And don’t automatically assume that your lipstick or lip gloss is just as good as medicated lip balm: things that are for shine and “moisture” may just mean a moist looking lip finish, not actually for lip hydration. Your best bet is to put lip balm underneath any other lip treatment you may do cosmetically.

Dealing With Peeling Lips

If your lips are peeling and you want them to look fresh and full for a date, a photo session or something else which requires you to look your best, there’s a temporary trick that will help you exfoliate without hurting too much. Get a soft-bristled child’s toothbrush, lick your lips, and gently brush your lips until the dry skin peels off. You’re going to want to go very slowly, and depending on how well anchored the skin is and how dry it is, this is definitely not a technique for the faint of heart. But using the child’s toothbrush to brush away the dead skin on your lips is a fantastic way to get rid of the cracks and peels on your lips without bleeding or too much pain, and it’s certainly better than using your teeth or fingers to do the job for you. Once you’ve gotten as much of the dead or loose skin off of your lips as is necessary or possible, it’s vitally important that you moisturize. Again, use lip balm before putting on any other lipstick or gloss you might use.

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