Can you use lotion for chapped lips?

Why choose a lip product instead?

Lip skin is thinner and more sensitive than skin elsewhere, and lips have no oil glands. That makes keeping moisture in particularly useful. A balm's coating helps keep moisture from escaping, which is a more useful job than merely looking busy on a bathroom shelf. Choose by the formula and whether it irritates your lips, rather than assuming your usual lotion will suit them.23

What should you look for?

Lip care products come in sticks, salves and ointments, so the twist up tube does not have exclusive rights to the job. A plain petroleum jelly product is a practical starting point.4

• Choose fragrance free, hypoallergenic products. Helpful ingredients include petrolatum, ceramides, dimethicone, mineral oil, castor seed oil and shea butter.
• While your lips are chapped, avoid fragrance, flavoring, menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, lanolin, phenol and salicylic acid.
• For outdoor use, choose SPF 30 or higher with zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Avoid lip products containing octinoxate or oxybenzone while your lips are chapped.

Stop using any product that burns, stings, tingles or feels uncomfortable. Those sensations mean irritation, not that the product is working. Fragrances, dyes and other cosmetic ingredients can cause sensitivity, so change products if one makes your lips worse.125

How to care for chapped lips

1. 1Wash your hands before applying lip balm, and do not share it with other people.
2. 2Apply a non irritating lip balm or lip moisturizer several times during the day, including when you wake up. Reapply after eating or drinking.
3. 3Apply a thick lip ointment before bed, especially if your lips are very dry or cracked.
4. 4Before going outdoors, apply lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. Reapply about every two hours outdoors, including in winter.

What else helps lips heal?

Avoid licking your lips: saliva evaporates and leaves them drier, while its digestive enzymes can irritate them. Do not pick or bite peeling skin. Skip lip scrubs and manual exfoliants, which remove the protective outer layer and can worsen dryness. Let loose skin come away on its own rather than trying to smooth it off.134

Drink enough water to avoid dehydration. A humidifier can help when indoor air is dry, particularly in your bedroom if you breathe through your mouth at night. Cover your lips with a scarf in cold, windy weather. Avoid holding metal objects, such as paperclips or jewelry, between already irritated lips.15

What if the cracks are at the mouth corners?

Painful cracks at the corners can be angular cheilitis, inflammation often caused by prolonged contact with saliva. A thick moisturizing ointment applied frequently is often enough for saliva related cases. Persistent cracks, crusting or oozing need assessment because treatment depends on the cause, including whether an infection is involved.6

How long should healing take?

Regular balm use should ease discomfort while your lips heal. Expect noticeable improvement within two to three weeks; severe cracking can take that long to recover fully. See a clinician if your lips worsen, fail to improve after that time, bleed frequently despite home care, or develop sores that will not heal.1237

Arrange medical care if your lips are hot, painful and swollen, which can signal infection. A pharmacist can help you choose a treatment and decide whether you need a doctor.5