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Living in an arid climate, I’m no stranger to dry skin, including chapped lips (or worse, cracked lips!) After trying a number of chapsticks and lip balms that didn’t seem to help at all, I finally wised up and asked my dermatologist for guidance, and she turned me onto the best thing for chapped lips: Aquaphor!
In this post, we’ll be diving into the subject of chapped lips and leaving no stone unturned. We’ll examine the causes of chapped lips, find out why lip balms often make things worse, and explore how to soothe, moisturize, and repair dry lips. So let’s get started!
What Causes Chapped Lips?
When I brought up my dry, chapped lips to my dermatologist, she gave me some great information about lips and why they’re vulnerable to dryness. A lot of it has to do with relative thinness of lip skin compared to skin in other areas, because thinner skin is more prone to dryness.
Our lips also have fewer oil glands than other areas do, which means less natural hydration. And once you account for environmental factors that can dry out skin, like cold weather, makeup, UV rays, and pollution, it’s easy to see that our lips are constantly under siege, with results ranging from simple dryness to irritation and inflammation.
Luckily, the product my dermatologist recommended worked like a charm, and now Aquaphor is my go-to fix for chapped lips! I’ll tell you all about that below, as well as share some other useful tips that can help you maintain soft, moisturized lips all year long.
Related: Easy Microwave Honey Lip Balm
Why Aquaphor Is So Good For Lips
You may already know that Aquaphor Healing Ointment is a great fragrance-free option for healing dry hands and feet, especially when worn overnight under gloves or socks. But can you put Aquaphor on your lips and expect similar results? Yes, you can!
Related: This Is The Best Remedy For Really Dry Heels, No Contest
According to my dermatologist, it’s better to skip the lip balms and instead use Aquaphor to repair dry lips. Not only is Aquaphor inexpensive and available in most drugstores, but thanks to moisturizing ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil, lanolin, and glycerin, it actually heals your lips instead of making things worse.
Aquaphor comes in a variety of sizes, so I got a tub to keep on my nightstand and a smaller tube to keep in my purse. Now that I know Aquaphor is good for lips, I’ve vowed to always have some on hand!
Note: Make sure to look for Aquaphor Healing Ointment specifically, which is not to be confused with Aquaphor Lip Repair. The two products have totally different formulas, and you’ll definitely want the full-fledged healing ointment if your lips are severely dry!
FAQs About Aquaphor For Dry Lips
Can I Use Aquaphor On My Lips Every Day?
Yes, you can apply Aquaphor every day, or whenever your lips feel dry or tight. It’s a good idea to apply it before going to bed too. Many people see results the first time they use Aquaphor on their lips overnight!
Can’t I Just Use Lip Balm?
Lip balms and chapstick may help keep your lips soft and moisturized, but if your lips are already dry, chapped, or cracked, you should steer clear! They often contain ingredients like alcohol, synthetic fragrances, and added flavorings, which can aggravate dryness and irritation and make things worse.
These effects can be subtle enough that you may not even realize it’s happening. It’s also why some people find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of constantly reapplying lip balm throughout the day, without any real improvement to show for it.
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Aquaphor is better than chapstick because it moisturizes dry lips and promotes healing, rather than contributing to dryness.
What Is Slugging?
Aquaphor is popularly used in slugging, a practice that involves applying a thin layer of an occlusive (like petroleum jelly or Aquaphor) over the top of your skincare products. It’s typically done before bed to moisturize skin overnight. Learn more about slugging here.
6 Bonus Tips For Chapped Lips That Dermatologists Swear By
1. Use A Lip Scrub
In severe cases where your lips are peeling or flaking, it’s a good idea to use a lip scrub to help remove all that dead skin. Using a gentle abrasive like sugar will help to gently exfoliate your lips, allowing the moisturizers you apply afterward to penetrate your skin more effectively to ensure a flake-free future!
2. Drink Water
The science here is simple: the better hydrated you are, the more hydrated your lips will be too. Need some help reminding yourself to drink more water throughout the day? Check out these tips.
3. Apply Ointment Often…
One reason why Aquaphor is so effective at healing irritated and dry skin is because it forms a protective barrier. It seals moisture in to hydrate and heal your skin while keeping dry air and other environmental stressors out.
For this reason, it’s important to reapply ointment to your lips often, especially after eating and drinking. The more diligent you are about keeping your chapped lips covered and moisturized, the faster and more effectively they’ll heal.
(Need something to help keep your legs and the rest of your body moisturized? Check out the “miracle” cure that I recommend to everyone!)
4. …And Slather It On At Night
You don’t need a special “overnight lip mask” for chapped lips! Put a generous amount of Aquaphor on your lips overnight to moisturize, heal, and soften the delicate skin. You’ll wake up to softer, smoother lips every time!
I’ve even started apply a little bit around my nostrils when my nose starts to feel raw after using a lot of tissues, and it works like a charm.
5. Avoid Long-Lasting Lipstick
To my fellow lipstick wearers out there, I hope you’re paying attention! If you’re going to wear lipstick, make sure to choose one that won’t make dry lips even worse.
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Lipsticks marketed as “long-lasting” often contain alcohol, which will sap the moisture out of your lips in no time. Long-lasting color is nice, but not when it means dealing with dry, flaky lips for days afterward!
A good rule of thumb for lipsticks is to stick to products that feel moisturizing and are easy to remove. (For more tips and tricks for avoiding lipstick faux pas, check out this post!)
Related: 9 Easy Remedies For Lip Lines That Don’t Cost A Fortune
6. Use A Humidifier
In addition to Aquaphor, using a humidifier at night has been another game-changer for my lips! Rather than trying to treat the symptoms of dryness separately, using a humidifier can help stop those symptoms at their source!
Not only have my lips been less dry since I started using my humidifier at night, but the skin on my nose and legs has improved too. I definitely plan to continue using it throughout the winter to help keep the unpleasant effects of dry winter air at bay!
I hope one or more of these chapped lip tips prove as useful to you as they have been to me! May we all maintain beautiful, pain-free smiles through the dry months to come. :-)
Do you have any tips for healing chapped lips?
How To Heal Chapped Lips
Instructions
- Avoid traditional lip balms — they often contain ingredients that can dry out or irritate chapped lips.
- Use a gentle lip scrub to remove dead skin.
- Apply a generous amount of Aquaphor Healing Ointment after exfoliating, and reapply it frequently, especially after eating or drinking and at bedtime.
- Drink plenty of water. The more hydrated you are, the more hydrated your lips will be.
- Avoid long-lasting lipsticks, as they often contain alcohol that will further dry out your lips.
- Use a humidifier at home, especially overnight.
