Do lip scrubs work?

Why removing flakes can make things worse

The skin on your lips is thinner and more sensitive than skin elsewhere, and your lips have no oil glands. Cold or dry air, sun exposure and frequent licking can leave them dry, tight, cracked or peeling. Those flakes are not simply debris waiting to be polished away: the damaged outer skin protects new cells underneath while they prepare for exposure to dry air and other irritants. Let it come away on its own rather than scrubbing, biting or pulling it off.13

Lip scrubs get plenty of attention on social media, but popularity is not a skincare instruction. For chapped lips, skip manual scrubs, polishes and exfoliators rather than trying to find a weekly schedule that makes them helpful. The useful goal is to protect the surface while it heals, not remove more of it.1

What should you do instead?

1. 1Wash your hands before applying lip balm. Choose a product without fragrance that does not irritate your lips.
2. 2Apply balm several times during the day, including when you wake up and whenever your lips feel dry. Reapply after eating or drinking.
3. 3For very dry or cracked lips, use a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly. Ointment seals in water longer than waxes or oils.
4. 4Before going outside, apply a nonirritating lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. For chapped lips, choose zinc oxide or titanium oxide for sun protection, and reapply every two hours outdoors.
5. 5Apply balm or ointment before bed. A bedroom humidifier can help if the air is dry, especially if you breathe through your mouth at night.

Avoid licking your lips: as saliva evaporates, it leaves them drier. Picking and biting also interfere with healing. In cold weather, cover your lips with a scarf, and do not share lip balms because sharing can spread germs.24

Which lip products should you avoid?

Lip balm comes in sticks, salves and ointments, because apparently even lip care needs a format menu. Petroleum jelly is an option for soothing chapped lips; beeswax balms are another option if they do not irritate you.15

While your lips are chapped, avoid products containing menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, fragrance, lanolin, phenol or salicylic acid. Cinnamon, citrus, mint and peppermint flavorings can also irritate dry lips. Stop any lip product that burns, stings, tingles or feels uncomfortable. Those sensations mean irritation, not that an ingredient is working. If a balm repeatedly causes discomfort, replace it rather than applying more.2

How long should healing take?

Regular balm application should ease discomfort while your lips heal. Expect noticeable improvement within two to three weeks; severely chapped lips can take longer. Keep protecting and moisturizing your lips after they improve, particularly in dry conditions. See a dermatologist if they have not improved after two to three weeks, or seek medical advice sooner if they get worse.23

Get medical advice for lips that are hot, painful and swollen, frequent bleeding that does not respond to home care, or sores that will not heal. Persistent inflammation of the lips, called cheilitis, can have causes beyond dryness, including allergy, infection or medication. Treatment depends on the cause, so persistent peeling calls for assessment rather than stronger exfoliation.3456