Here’s something you should know before we get into how to heal chapped lips fast with the most effective home remedies: water is an essential component of every cosmetic routine. It aids in the hydration of your body and skin. If you don’t drink enough water, your lips will turn chapped no matter how many cures or lip balms you use (1). So, first and foremost, drink lots of water throughout the day and treat cracked lips with the solutions suggested in this article. Note: Chapped lips are unlikely to get treated in a single day, but you can restore their health by following these remedies and advice. This post discusses in detail the solutions that can help you restore your dry, sore lips to their luscious glory. We also have listed the numerous causes of dry and chapped lips, including dehydration. Continue reading.
What Causes Chapped Lips?
Chapped lips are typically caused as a result of environmental factors and personal habits. Dr. Soma Mandal, MD, a general practitioner, says, “The causes of chapped lips are multifactorial. Cold and dry weather can induce chapped lips. If someone is overly dehydrated, this can cause the appearance of dry skin and dry/ chapped lips. Frequent licking of the lips (from stress) can irritate the lips and cause them to chap. Certain medications (like oral medications for acne) can cause chapped lips. If someone is exposed to the sun for prolonged periods of time or gets a sunburn, this can also cause chapped lips.” Let’s look at the causes below:
1. Environmental Factors
Cold weather Dry weather (2) Sun damage (2) Wind exposure
2. Other Common Causes
Excessive licking of lips – Licking dry lips and coating them with a layer of saliva may seem like a quick relief, but it actually aggravates the chapping. Smoking and drinking Skin irritants in toothpaste Vitamin deficiencies Dehydration Certain medications, such as retinoidsi Chemical compounds derived from Vitamin A that helps reduce the signs of aging and repair skin damage by the sun. and chemotherapy drugs
Your lips may get dry and chapped due to various reasons, leading to discomfort. Learn more about the symptoms in the next section.
Symptoms Of Chapped Lips
Symptoms of chapped lips include (3): Roughness, dryness, and flaking Redness due to irritation and inflammation Painful fissures or cracks Bleeding Swelling, tenderness, and soreness Burning and stinging sensation
Acute or chronic cheilitis (lip inflammation) may cause severe symptoms. Your lips may:
Develop painful sores and ulcers Develop white plaques Turn dark red (due to severe inflammation) Develop an uneven texture
If you notice these symptoms, it is best to consult a doctor or a dermatologist immediately and start treatment. One of the most common solutions to treat chapped lips is using chapstick or lip balm. This may provide instant relief, but in most cases, it does not provide a long-term solution. The remedies given below will help you understand how to get rid of chapped lips effectively.
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Chapped Lips
1. Coconut Oil
Carrier oils, such as olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil, are excellent remedies for chapped lips as they are natural moisturizers and lubricants. They contain healthy fatty acids that hydrate and condition your lips to make them soft and supple (4), (5). Adding essential oils, such as tea tree oil or grapeseed oil, will speed up the healing process of dry lips. They also prevent infections, especially if the dryness has led to cracks in your lips (6), (7).
Virgin coconut oil OR olive oil OR castor oil OR almond oil OR jojoba oil 1-2 drops tea tree oil OR grapeseed oil OR neem oil
Twice or thrice during the day. It can also be applied before going to bed and left on overnight. This is one of the best natural treatments for chapped lips.
2. Honey And Vaseline
Honey has antibacterial properties and is one of the most nature’s best healing agents. It is also a humectanti A common moisturizing agent in any product or substance that allows moisture retention in the skin and hair. (8). Vaseline for lips or petroleum jelly is widely used to soften and nourish the skin and prevent it from drying. It seals in the moisture in the skin (9). By combining these two ingredients, we get a very effective home remedy for chapped lips.
Raw honey Vaseline
Once every day for about a week for lasting results.
3. Rose Hip
Rose hips contain vitamin E (10). Thus, they can nourish your skin. They also help retain the natural color of your lips. Milk contains lactic acid. Lactic acid gently exfoliates the dead skin from the surface of the lips (11). The essential fats, vitamins, and minerals present in milk may help hydrate and nourish dry lips.
5-6 rose petals 1/4 cup raw milk
Every day for a week or so.
4. Cucumber
This cool vegetable can be your best friend during the summer, so utilize it to treat your dry and parched lips. Cucumber is an excellent hydrating agent for the skin. It also has a nourishing and soothing effect on the skin (12).
A cucumber slice
Once or twice every day.
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is very good for lips. It has natural cohesive properties that bind flaking cells to give you softer skin. It soothes your skin and gently removes dead skin cells. It also has protective and cooling effects on the skin (13).
An aloe leaf
Regularly before going to bed.
6. Green Tea Bags
Green tea contains polyphenols that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and photoprotectivei The process of skin protection by reducing the effects of UV rays on the skin through sunscreens, creams, lotions, gloves, and scarves. effects on the skin (14). There is no scientific evidence that it can heal sensitive and irritated lips. However, it is said that green tea bags can relieve the burning sensation on your chapped lips caused by dryness.
1 green tea bag A cup of hot water
Once daily.
7. Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter and shea butter contain essential fatty acids that deeply condition, nourish, and protect dehydrated skin (15), (16). Dairy products like yogurt and buttermilk also help improve skin health (17) and can act as an overnight dry lips treatment.
Organic cocoa butter OR shea butter OR peanut butter OR yogurt OR buttermilk
Every day for a few days.
8. Sugar Method
The coarse granules of sugar are excellent for exfoliating your chapped lips. Scrubbing your lips with sugar can help you get rid of the rough top layer of dry and flaky skin. As a result, your lips will become soft and supple.
1 teaspoon brown sugar (or white sugar) A few drops of olive oil 1/2 teaspoon honey
Every alternate day initially. Then, continue to use it once or twice a week to maintain soft and smooth lips.
9. Vanilla Extract
Both sugar and baking soda act as exfoliants in this mix (18). The vanilla extract simply adds a pleasant flavor to this DIY lip scrub.
2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons jojoba oil or olive oil 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Every day for a few days, then once every 3-4 days.
10. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) forms a protective layer on the lips and rehydrates the skin to speed up the renewal process (9). As the jelly seeps into the inner layers of the skin, the surface skin gets smoother.
Petroleum jelly
You can reapply it several times a day.
11. Beeswax
If you want to know how to make your lips soft, we have the secret ingredient! Beeswax contains hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, and other natural antibacterial agents that can help prevent the painful inflammation that comes with an infection. It helps improve wound healing and stimulates skin cell turnover (19). Thus, it can help you get rid of the dead skin on your chapped lips to give you softer, smoother lips.
A lip product containing beeswax
You can reapply this salve several times a day. The main aim of these remedies is to remove the dead and flaky skin from the surface of your lips and reveal the soft skin present below it. To maintain this softness, nourishing agents have also been included in the remedies. Follow these simple natural solutions and preventive tips to understand how to get rid of dry lips and make them soft and supple in no time.
Preventive Tips For Chapped Lips
Abetweene, a YouTuber, discussed her struggle with dry and chapped lips during the winter. She shared a remedy she uses to combat this issue, made with Epsom salt and sea salt soaks to exfoliate and heal the lips, ultimately keeping them soft and healthy. She says,” Epsom salt soaks help me exfoliate my feet so well, so why not my lips? It turns out sea salt is also great for wound healing so this is how I got rid of my chapped splitting lips and keep them baby soft (i).” Does chapped lips mean I’m sick? Dr. Mandal says, “Chapped lips do not necessarily mean that someone is ill, but they can be indicative of some of the issues that were listed above.” What do precancerous lips look like? According to Dr. Mandal, “Precancerous lesions (like actinic keratosis) can appear on the lips but often have a dry, scaly appearance. They can range in color from pink, red, gray, yellow, or white and have a flat or raised surface.” How long do chapped lips take to heal? With the above lip care remedies and tips, you can get rid of chapped lips in 2-3 weeks. Can lemon help heal chapped lips? Although lemon is used on lips for its anti-pigmentary properties, there is no scientific evidence that proves its efficacy in healing chapped lips. What foods get rid of chapped lips? Foods that are rich in iron, zinc, and B vitamins are said to help get rid of chapped lips. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove the same. What deficiency causes chapped lips? Lack of B vitamins like folate, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 may cause chapped lips (20), (21), (22). Can stress cause chapped lips? Yes. Being under stress for a prolonged period can cause chapped lips (23).
Illustration: Get Rid Of Chapped Lips Fast Using These 11 Home Remedies
Learn how to achieve naturally pink and baby-soft lips at home! This video explains the causes of dry lips and how to treat them with home remedies. Watch it right away!
