Why do lips get chapped, and should we be doing more than simply applying ChapStick?
Yes! Applying ChapStick is treating the symptoms, not addressing the underlying cause. Daily use of poorly compounded lip products can ruin a beautiful smile and create a revolving door of trial and error to treat this condition. Proper care and selecting the right ingredients can reverse chronic conditions and create soft, beautiful lips. Whatever brand you buy, look for a simple list of ingredients that can include the following:
What are some ingredients should we look for in quality ChapSticks/lip balms?
- Olive Oil – Omega 3 fatty acid to nourish and soothe
- Comfrey – nature’s most healing botanical stimulates the production of healthy skin cells, heals damaged tissue and reduces inflammation
- Calendula – helps soothe sunburned/windburned lips
- Coconut Oil – Provides intense moisture – excellent to address candida often associated with red, inflamed skin conditions
- Aloe Vera – Powerful Wound Healer
- Evening Primrose Oil – Essential source of vital fatty acids that treat deficiencies that can cause this condition
- Bees Wax – Excellent, non-toxic skin protective balm
What ingredients should you avoid?
- Alcohols (very drying – found in lip stains and colorants)
- Fluoride in Toothpastes – Dryness, itch, pain, and blistering may be experienced with daily use of this ingredient. Look for Xylitol based dental products instead for healing benefits
- Petroleum – Provides no healing benefits – temporary skin coating that aggravates the condition
- Mineral Oil – coats skin and prevents skin from breathing leads to skin dehydration and compounds the problem
- Camphor, phenol, menthol and salicylic acid – all feel comforting initially, but quickly dries and requires frequent re-application and aggravates dryness
Why do some people seem to deal with chronic dry lips each season while others do not?
Overall health and nutrition, daily beauty rituals, climate, and lifestyle all play a part in the development of chronic chapped lip conditions. Chapped lips start with scaling skin and can progress to cracks, redness and bleeding, and can be compounded by the application of poorly compounded oral care and cosmetic ingredients. Lips tend to get chapped in the winter because the air is especially dry and cold and the lips are constantly in contact with saliva — especially if you lick them. Water dries the skin and removes the layer of skin oil that’s a skin protectant. Certain nutritional deficiencies can cause the skin to dry out and crack. Vitamins A, C, E, as well as the B vitamins are known to deeply nourish the skin. Certain medications and supplements may also increase the risk of developing chapped lips including retinoids, lithium, chemotherapy drugs, and vitamin A. Healthy, healing ingredients in oral care and lip products are vital to avoid or reverse chapped lip conditions.
My solution for chronic chapped lips Rapid Repair Balm. Rapid Repair Balm is also the perfect “extreme climate cream” – a must-have on the ski slopes and in desert climates. This elegant skin balm fits easily into any skincare routine and is ideal for anyone suffering from chapped and chronic dry lips.
My Passion is Your Solution!
