How do you all prevent chapped lips during the winter? I typically use lip balm or chapstick but it never really does the trick. Earlier this year, in the summer, I became obsessed with cocoa butter. I carry my Palmer's Cocoa Butter swivel stick everywhere and use it all the time on my lips. It really helps. But, I already feel the cold creeping in. My lips already feel dry and chapped; in the mornings, they feel like they will crack! While I love cocoa butter, I don't want to feel like my lips cannot take care of themselves. What do you do to prepare for the cold weather? I feel like I'm good with everything else when it comes to wintertime - but my lips...! My lips just cannot handle it. Please help!
The lips are prone to crack much easier than the rest of the body skin due to lack of melanin. Several factors contribute to the cracking of the lips, for example, the cold of winter and the habit of constantly licking the lips. I have an alternative that is very simple. Once or twice a week, I put on my lips a mixture of sugar and lemon. That preparation leaves lips softer and gives a very special glow. I'm a man and I don't do it for aesthetic, only is a matter of convenience. Another little trick here is to rotate a finger against the nose. Oddly enough, if you feel your lips extremely dry and has no evidence whatsoever to the hand, there is a beauty trick that can bail out is to put a finger beside the nose and then rub your finger over the lips. This action picks up some of the oil that is found naturally in the nose which is the type of oil needed by lips.
I have not tried it but I have been told petroleum jelly works really well for dry, chapped lips. I think I will try sugar and lemon mixture Bloomatic mentioned before trying petroleum jelly!
I exfoliate my lips once a week with equal parts brown sugar and jojoba oil. Then I use jojoba oil on my lips right when I get out of the shower. It is so moisturizing. I like shea body butter and coconut oil too. I use Burt's Bees lip balm and never have chapped lips.
Perhaps I will use petroleum jelly or Vaseline at night time. I've heard that this is very effective, but honestly I do not like the feel of the petroleum jelly on my lips. It feels heavy, like it will slide right off of my lips and down my face. But, I'll be sure to look into this for night time! That nose trick sounds funny! But, it makes a lot of sense if I did not have anything else to put on my lips. Thanks so much for your exfoliation tip with the sugar and lemon; does it burn at all with the lemon?
I would say that the best way to cure dry lips is to up your water intake. If skin is dry on the outside, a bit more moisture on the inside might not hurt. I think that all of the dry lip remedies mentioned so far in this thread will work, but they are only providing external relief. I think some internal relief may be warranted as well. I remember my feet used to get really dry. I would do the ol' vaseline all over the feet at bedtime and then put socks on. Of course my feet were nice and soft when I woke up in the morning, but I actually found something that worked even better. The thing that I found that worked even better was water. I upped my water intake significantly, and in a matter of days, my feet were soft to the touch, without any help from Vaseline. Because of that experience with my feet, if I was experiencing dry lips, I would definitely try drinking more water for about a week straight (and of course continuing on thereafter) to see if I felt any improvement in my lips.
Kissable lips season is a must! In order to keep them from chapping Dr. Karyn Grossman a dermatologist suggests the following: 1. Hydrate!-Keep applying lip balm, petroleum jelly or Aquaphor Healing Ointment every thirty minutes to an hour. 2. Don't peel!-If you have some dry skin don't peel it off. This will only make it worse. Once you have diligently performed step 1 for a day gently remove the flakes using a soft toothbrush. 3. Don't use products with menthol or eucalyptus-These ingredients can irritate lips that are already inflamed. 4. Don't lick your lips too often-Saliva dries your lips.
I don't have a problem with chapped lips in winter, but I do apply lipstick every time I go out. That seems to keep my lips moisturised. I also make sure I drink plenty during the winter, to keep my skin hydrated. On the odd occasion when I do have slightly dry lips, I rub a little olive oil on them. That usually does the trick.
I make sure I don't lick my lips, because they get wind burned every time I do that. I usually keep my carmex with me, it works good with chapped ips
Don't lick your lips because that will make it more dry. Try Vaseline too. It really works best with chapped lips. It moisturizes with just few applications. See for yourself. If it does not work try using Burt's Bees lip balm. I've heard they work wonders on your lips.
I used Chapstick for years. I carried it all the time and applied it constantly. Now I just use petroleum jelly morning and night. It works well for me. I do think any sort of lipstick or gloss dries out my lips, so I have to apply the petroleum jelly more often.
You should probably drink more water. Chapped lips are often caused by dehydration, and people tend to forget that we need to drink water in the wintertime as well.
I know this may seem a bit unusual, but I just started using lanolin on my lips and hands. A tiny dab goes a VERY long way. The taste is something to get used to, but lanolin is very moisturizing and seems to be the best option for my dry skin.
I use Burt's Bees lip balm, but it only goes so far. The one thing that will make a difference in keeping your lips soft is being properly hydrated. You have to drink your water, otherwise you will be applying lip balm over and over and over and over. If you're super dry, try taking potassium or mixing some emergenC into water or juice.
Last year I was on a treatment with a drug called Isotretinoin. I'm a guy, but seriously, chapped lips can really be a b*tch (that was a side effect). My lips were constantly getting peeled off, and there wasn't a single time when they looked normal. The best way to prevent that was applying cocoa butter on them twice a day. Again, may not be ultra-macho for some people, but I don't think any girl would want to date someone they can't kiss
I use Vaseline on my lips. I apply it on my finger and warm my finger slightly near over the stove and rub it gently on my lip for a minute. A few times a day helps when it is bad takes care of the problem for me. Applying Lip balm at night is a regular thing with me in winter.
I agree it is very important to drink plenty of water to keep your skin moisturized. I use a coco butter stick. You know the kind you can buy at Walmart for under a dollar. Shealoe butter is another natural option that works really well.
I tend to use a lip butter on my lips in the winter. I think that Yes To Carrots lip butter and Carmex work the best.
I see a few men have answered this, do you openly use a chap stick in public? Or do you slink off to the toilet and do it where nobody can see?
