Can you use a lip scrub to heal chapped lips?

Is lip scrub good for your lips?

For dry, cracked or peeling lips, leave exfoliation out of the healing routine. This is general care guidance, rather than a result for a particular scrub. Balm and ointment are the main tools for home care, so a scrub is not owed a place in the routine merely for existing. Whether a scrub suits otherwise healthy lips is a separate question; healing chapping calls for moisture and protection.2

What can you use for chapped lips?

Plain petroleum jelly is a useful option for sore, dry lips. Beeswax balms are another option, but stop any balm that feels irritating. For very dry, cracked lips, a thick ointment keeps water sealed in longer than waxes or oils. The aim of lip care is moisture and protection, a job description that leaves very little room for a polishing department.345

1. 1Wash your hands before applying lip balm.
2. 2Apply a nonirritating balm or ointment when you wake up and whenever your lips feel dry. Reapply after eating and drinking.
3. 3Before going outdoors, apply a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher, preferably with zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Reapply every two hours outdoors.
4. 4Before bed, apply balm or ointment again. Run a bedroom humidifier if the air is dry, especially if you breathe through your mouth at night.

What should you leave off chapped lips?

Choose fragrance free, hypoallergenic lip products. While lips are chapped, avoid menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, lanolin and salicylic acid. Cinnamon, citrus, mint and peppermint flavourings can also irritate them. Stop a product if it burns, stings or tingles; those sensations signal irritation, not healing. This applies to lipstick and other lip products, not just balm.25

Do not lick, bite or pick your lips. Saliva evaporating leaves lips drier, and handling flaky skin interferes with healing. Apply balm when you catch yourself licking instead. Avoid holding pens, jewellery or metal objects against your lips, and do not share lip balm. Cover your lips with a scarf in cold weather and drink enough water to avoid dehydration.125

Why are your lips chapped?

Lip skin is thinner and more sensitive than skin elsewhere, and lips have no oil glands. Cold or dry weather, wind, sun exposure, dehydration and frequent licking are common triggers. A lip product can also be part of the problem if you react to its ingredients.12

Cheilitis means inflamed lips. Allergies, infections, injury, nutritional deficiencies and medicines can cause it, including isotretinoin and acitretin. Treatment depends on the cause, so persistent peeling is not a reason to scrub harder. If symptoms began during prescription treatment, discuss them with your prescriber.6

How long should healing take?

Regular balm use should ease discomfort while your lips heal. Recovery usually takes two to three weeks, although severe chapping can take longer. If cracks bleed, use an ointment intended for lips; frequent bleeding that does not improve with home care needs medical attention.2

See a doctor if your lips worsen or have not improved after two to three weeks. Get them checked if they are hot, painful and swollen, or if you have a sore that will not heal. A pharmacist can help you choose a balm and decide whether you need a medical appointment.124