Cure chapped lips once and for all

by Rigel Celeste (Subscribe to Rigel Celeste's posts)
Jan 24th 2007 7:18PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health

I think having chapped lips with no lip balm available ranks right up there with having lemon juice poured on a paper cut -- in the scheme of pain it's pretty minor, but somehow it's one of the most miserable things that can happen! I mean really, can you concentrate on anything else when your lips are chapped? I know I can't.

Of course the fastest and easiest solution is to keep a good lip balm handy, but there are other things you can do to help prevent dry lips this winter: using a humidifier, eating foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids (walnuts and avocados), and using vitamin E can all help keep uncomfortable chapping at bay.

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Comments (59)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Sue 1-25-2007 @ 4:13AM

One thing you can do to sooth your chapped lips if you don't have lip balm at hand is put a little dab of OLIVE OIL on your finger and rub it on your lips. It won't heal it but it will sure sooth your lips temporarily.

Sue 1-31-2007 @ 7:44AM

When you don't have access to anything but the contents of your purse i.e. olive oil (!), I know this sounds disgusting but it really works: use your finger and rub the natural oils from your face onto your lips. IT WORKS!

Susie 1-31-2007 @ 8:13AM

Hi, here are some suggestions from someone with chronic chapped lips: I notice when I sleep too much they get much worse. Also, I've read that chapped lips can be a sign of dehydration so drinking 8 glasses of water per day should help. Additionally, look at the ingredients in your lip balms and lipsticks, many have alcohol in them which dries lips out worse. I have been helped by products for chapped lips that contain no alcohol whatsoever. Also, try exfoliating them weekly with a toothbrush and some vaseline or other ointment. I still get chapped lips but they aren't as bad anymore.
Susan

Lisa 1-31-2007 @ 8:09AM

The best cure for chapped lips..dry skin...vaseline. It works wonders!!!

Becky 1-31-2007 @ 8:31AM

Susan and others here, the absolute best thing to try for chapped lips and in the long run is soooo much cheaper!! You can buy it at most pharmaceutical stores, is A & D ointment. It contains vitamins A & D and will completely get rid of chapped lips overnight!!! It can also be used during the day, but by using it at night before you go to bed, when you wake up, no more chapped lips.

Ellen 1-31-2007 @ 8:37AM

Yes, your own body oils will HEAL chapped lips. Give them exactly what they need, your own natural oils, like from behind your ears or the side of your nose - wherever you tend to get oily. Also, switch to only all-natural cosmetics and lip balms (like the beeswax brand) I suffered with red, inflamed lips for years then discovered that I was allergic to some of the additives and preservatives commonly used in lip balms and lipsticks.

John 1-31-2007 @ 8:34AM

If you have chapped lips, put Vicks VapoRub on them when you go to bed. A very light coating and you'll wake up with no more chapped lips. It works for chapped spots anywhere. If you hands are chapped, put Vicks all over them, and wear latex gloves to bed. You'll wake up with no more chapped problem.

Webguyster 1-31-2007 @ 8:35AM

This blog has the answer to everything. I love it!

Lew 1-31-2007 @ 8:35AM

Drinking water on a regular and consistant basis will eliminate chapped lips. Not only avoids, but is the least expensive remedy.

Luvdarain5 1-31-2007 @ 8:44AM

Also, if you do have chapped lips and have a hard time finding a good chapstick try the Avon "Dew Kiss". It's the only one i like-even better than 'medicated' sticks that are mostly useless. A little harder to get your hands on since they arent sold in stores but trust me, it's worth it!

Richard Howard 1-31-2007 @ 9:02AM

This old remedy is a tried and true cure for anything "chapped"... Does anyone remember an old product by the name of Cornhuskers Lotion? Cures overnight. Another amazing cure for anything chapped is
Bag Balm.

Helia 1-31-2007 @ 9:12AM

THE best product out there to prevent chapped lips in the first place, hands down, is CocoCare lip balm. After discovering this stuff in a drugstore in 2002, I now go to their website and order about a dozen tubes at a time and keep them everywhere--one in my desk at work, one on my bedside table, one in my purse. The stuff is amazing; you put it on and forget you're even wearing it. AND it has no taste at all. I'm not being paid by the company--I just really love their product.

Britts 1-31-2007 @ 9:13AM

chap .block from CVS pharmacy

Tina 1-31-2007 @ 9:34AM

To the person who said to use Vaseline for chapped lips....don't do it! Vaseline draws moisture out of the skin and will only make the problem worse eventually. Lips have less natural oils than the skin elsewhere on your body, which makes them more susceptible to drying out. I like the suggestions about using the natural oils from other parts of your face if you don't have a good (non-drying) lip balm handy. It's just what they said, "natural", and makes a lot of sense.

Karen Jones 1-31-2007 @ 9:54AM

Chronic chapped lips can be a symptom of vitamin B deficiency. When my lips were really chapped and nothing releaved the condition, I started taking a multiple B vitamin daily. It took about 6 weeks, but it cleared up my problem.

Sarah 1-31-2007 @ 10:03AM

I work in an Operating Room so I have to wear a mask all day. Bag Balm is great to keep your lips from drying out. I think what works better than that is vitamin E though. It's easier to carry also. You can get a small bottle of that rather than the big tub of the bag balm. Vitamin E works on keeping colors vibrant on tatoos also.

carissainvenice 1-31-2007 @ 1:11PM

The real problem with using Vaseline, mineral oil or any other petroleum derived product is that it prevents skin (keep in mind, that is the largest and one of the most important organs of our bodies) from doing it's job. Our skin has tiny pores for a reason- to let toxins out and let oxygen in. Unfortunately, the chemical structure of mineral oil and vaseline are much larger than the skin- which is why it creates such a great "barrier"; keeping the moisture in. So what is the real problem? Stop using those products...how does your skin feel? Immediately after breaking the "grease/oil" habit, skin will feel as dry or even drier than it was before. It is a temporary solution. I have chronic dry skin. The only cure is keeping yourself hydrated by drinking enough water, along with eating foods high in Omega Fatty acids, proper diet AND exercise. When your skin is really dry for long periods of time, your body is trying to tell you something. Besides- mineral oil and Vaseline are the by-products of the distillation process that turns petroleum into gasoline- yes, the stuff we run are cars on. And while it is natural and comes from the earth- so is cow poop and I wouldn't put that on my skin.

Maple 1-31-2007 @ 11:56AM

Lanolin is in many hand lotions and lip balms and it can perpetuate peeling. No medical advice is in this article, couldn't chronic chapped lips be a sign of an illness like schleroderma?

Corkie 1-31-2007 @ 10:09AM

I agree that bag balm is great but I have also found a little pot of wonder in Carmex. It's about $1.89 for a pot that lasts me over a year, even though I use it every day. It not only helps with chapped lips but since it has a shine like a gloss, I use it every day to PREVENT my lips from chapping. I too drink plenty of water and the combo keeps my lips "kissable".