Chapped Lips & Their Cures

What are chapped lips?

Chapped lips occur when your lips are dry and cracked. If your lips burn, sting, or feel uncomfortable, they’re probably chapped. You may think of chapped lips as something that only happens in the winter. But unless you take special care of your lips, they can become dry, sore, and scaly at any time of year.

Coincidentally, lip balms can certainly help. There are also a variety of at-home remedies you can turn to for relief. In this article, we’ll look at some simple and proven home remedies that can help soothe your chapped lips.

Start with exfoliation

When your lips are chapped, the skin begins to lift and flake. The main purpose of exfoliation is to remove dead skin cells from your body to rejuvenate and said healthy skin promotion. Gently exfoliating your lips gets your blood pumping and rushes to the part of the body being exfoliated. The new blood helps to generate new skin cells which is what causes soft skin. In this case, soft lips.

You can make your own lip scrub with ingredients you already have at home. You’ll need:

1. 1 tbsp. of an exfoliating ingredient, such as sugar or sea salt;
2. 1 tbsp. of honey or oil;
3. a small bowl for mixing your ingredients;
4. a cotton swab to apply the scrub; and
5. a damp washcloth to remove it.

To make the lip scrub, combine the above ingredients in a bowl. Dip a cotton swab into the scrub, or you can use your fingers as an alternative. Apply the scrub to your lips in a circular motion using gentle pressure. Wipe off the excess using a damp washcloth. Once your lips have been exfoliated, apply one of the following ingredients to help soothe, moisturize, and protect your chapped lips.

Honey

Honey is popular for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties. It’s been used for centuries as a home remedy for skin care and a cure for a number of health conditions.

Honey can help to moisturise your lips and protect them from infection. It also works as a mild exfoliator and can help remove dead skin from your lips. Choose organic honey, and apply it to your lips throughout the day using your clean fingers or a cotton swab. While honey is typically safe, people with pollen allergies should avoid honey and honey products.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera has a number of uses and is best known as a home remedy for sunburns. Its anti-inflammatory properties and soothing effect make it a great choice for treating chapped lips, too.

You can buy organic aloe vera in gel form, or you can use fresh aloe vera from the leaf of an aloe plant. To do this, cut a leaf off the plant and slice it open to scoop out the gel. Store it in a container, and apply the gel to your lips with your fingers as needed. The enzymes in aloe vera have mild exfoliating properties, so you’ll want to limit your use of aloe vera to just two or three times per day.

Coconut Oil

Unlike most of the skin on your body, your lips have poor barrier function. This means they’re more sensitive to the elements, like the wind, heat and cold than the skin on other parts of your body. Coconuts can protect the skin by enhancing its barrier function.

Other benefits of coconut oil, especially with regard to chapped lips, are its anti-inflammatory properties Apply coconut oil as needed throughout the day. Use a cotton swab or a clean finger to dab the oil onto your lips. You can find organic coconut oil online and in most grocery and health stores.

Avocado Butter

Avocado butter works well as an emollient and thickener in lip balms. It isn’t greasy and is well-absorbed by the skin. It also contains several fatty acids and antioxidants known to benefit the skin, including oleic and linoleic acid.

You can buy organic avocado butter or make your own at home using organic avocados in your food processor. To use on chapped lips, apply as needed with your fingers or a cotton swab.