11 Ways to Prevent Chapped Lips

Stocking up on lip balm seems like the easiest route to go when battling dry, cracked lips, but’s it’s not the only—or even most effective—remedy. Try one or all of these great ways to prevent chapped lips   instead.

1.  You may need to say goodbye to those hot wings for a while, because yes, spicy foods can dry out your lips.

2. Before you wash your face, apply a balm to your lips. Your cleanser may actually be drying out your lips—both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide disrupt your pH balance and can cause chapping.

3. Turn on your humidifier – at night—it helps keeps your lips (and skin) moisturized.

4. For chapped and sore lips, slice up a cucumber into thin pieces and leave them over lips for five minutes (try it while you’re watching TV). It helps re-hydrate your lips and feels fantastic.

5. Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.  Make an at-home paste with sugar and honey. For very sensitive lips, use a clean, soft toothbrush and brush back and forth.

6. Don’t lick your lips. We lick our dry lips to add some moisture, but it actually dries them out even more. Your saliva contains acids that break down food, but they also irritate your lips. Plus, continuously licking will remove any natural oils you have on your lips.

7. If your lips are chapped, take a pass on drinking orange juice, eating grapefruit, and putting any other citrus fruits near your lips—they can cause more dryness.

8. Chapped lips will heal best when they’re moist, so stick to lip balms and skip lip waxes.

9. Stick to lipsticks with conditioners like vitamin E and Shea butter.

10. Drink water. Hydrating from the inside will help keep your lips from getting dry.

11. Sometimes fragrance can cause allergic reactions. If you suspect your lips might be suffering because of a scented balm, stick to one without strong scents or flavors.

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