Are ceramides good for lips?

What do ceramides do for lips?

Ceramides are fats naturally present in the outer layer of skin. They help support the skin barrier, the protective surface that keeps moisture in and outside irritants out. Added ceramides in skincare help replenish those fats and keep skin hydrated.3

Lips have thinner, more sensitive skin than the rest of your body and no oil glands, leaving them prone to dryness. A ceramide lip balm is an option for everyday dryness and chapping. Lip care can be a balm or an ointment, without turning a small patch of skin into a separate department.1

Which ceramide lip balm should you choose?

Look for a lip balm labelled fragrance free and hypoallergenic. Ceramides are one helpful option; dimethicone, petrolatum, mineral oil and shea butter can also help chapped lips. For very dry, cracked lips, a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly seals in water longer than waxes or oils.2

While your lips are chapped, avoid fragrance, menthol, camphor, eucalyptus and lanolin. Cinnamon, citrus, mint and peppermint flavouring can also irritate them. Stop using any lip product that burns, stings or tingles, even if it contains ceramides.12

How should you use it?

1. 1Apply a gentle lip balm when you wake up and whenever your lips feel dry during the day.
2. 2Reapply after eating or drinking.
3. 3Before going outdoors, apply lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. For chapped lips, choose sun protection containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Reapply every two hours outdoors.
4. 4Apply balm or ointment before bed. An ointment helps keep lips hydrated through the night.

Avoid licking, biting or picking your lips: these habits worsen dryness or irritation and interfere with healing. A bedroom humidifier can help if you breathe through your mouth at night. Keep lip balm handy, which is a more useful job for it than living permanently at the bottom of a bag.12

How long should healing take?

Regular lip balm use should ease discomfort while your lips heal. Chapped lips usually recover in two to three weeks with consistent care; severely chapped lips can take longer. That timing applies to lip care generally, rather than a specific ceramide formula.1

See a healthcare provider if your lips worsen, fail to improve after two to three weeks, or bleed frequently despite home care. Persistent chapping can have another cause, including an allergy, infection or medication reaction, and treatment depends on the cause.12