How to exfoliate lips safely

What to do instead of scrubbing

1. 1Check your lips before applying anything. Skip exfoliation if they have open cuts, wounds or sunburn.
2. 2Wash your hands before applying lip balm. Leave attached flakes alone rather than biting, picking or pulling them off.
3. 3Apply a plain lip ointment, such as white petroleum jelly. For very dry, cracked lips, a thick ointment holds water in longer than waxes or oils.
4. 4Reapply lip balm or ointment when your lips feel dry and after eating or drinking. Apply it before bed, too.
5. 5Before going outdoors, apply a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. For chapped lips, choose zinc oxide or titanium oxide, and reapply every two hours outdoors.

Should you exfoliate chapped lips?

No. Flaky skin protects the new cells underneath while they prepare for exposure to air and irritants. Pulling it away early can cause irritation, dryness and even infection. Peeling skin is not an instruction to remove it, despite the scrub aisle's enthusiasm. Avoid licking your lips as well: saliva evaporates and leaves them drier.12

How often should you exfoliate lips?

Do not build a daily or weekly lip scrub routine; skipping manual exfoliants is the safer choice. General skin exfoliation guidance ties frequency to skin type and method, with stronger exfoliation used less often. That is not a reason to give lips the same schedule as the rest of your face. Moisturizing is the routine to repeat, not removing more skin.14

Can a lip scrub damage your lips?

Yes. Manual lip scrubs strip away surface protection and compromise the skin barrier, the layer that helps protect your skin. Scrubbing harder is not a fix for persistent flakes. General exfoliation also needs extra caution when you use prescription retinoid creams, retinol or benzoyl peroxide, because these can increase sensitivity or peeling. Do not add exfoliation to already irritated skin.14

What should you put on lips after exfoliating?

If you have already exfoliated, follow with a plain, fragrance free lip balm or ointment. Petroleum jelly keeps lips moist; the useful part is the ointment, not an elaborate product name. Other helpful ingredients include ceramides, dimethicone, mineral oil and shea butter. While lips are chapped, avoid fragrance, mint or cinnamon flavoring, menthol, camphor, eucalyptus, lanolin and salicylic acid. Stop any product that burns, stings or tingles: those sensations mean irritation, not progress.124

When should dry lips improve?

Regular balm use should ease discomfort while your lips heal. With gentle care, chapped lips should noticeably improve within two to three weeks. See a dermatologist if they do not improve, or if they worsen. See a doctor if your lips are hot, painful and swollen, which can signal infection, or if bleeding keeps returning despite home care.235

Persistent inflammation of the lips is called cheilitis and can have causes including allergy, medication or infection. Continuous peeling can also occur in a rare condition called exfoliative cheilitis. Similar looking conditions need medical assessment rather than more scrubbing; treatment depends on the cause.67