Cooler weather can strip your skin of the moisture it needs. If you’re dealing with dry hands or chapped lips this fall, you’re certainly not alone. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to get rid of chapped lips. There are many products and supplies you likely already have in your house that can provide much-needed relief from dry, red, peeling lips. Here’s how to get rid of chapped lips with home remedies.
How to Make Homemade Exfoliating Lip Scrub
For the moisturizer you’ll use to penetrate the dry, flaky layer of skin that is the earmark of chapped lips, you’ll first need to exfoliate. Homemade exfoliating scrubs couldn’t be easier to make. Sea salt or sugar make perfect exfoliants, while honey and oil serve as natural emollients.
Mix approximately one tablespoon of sugar or sea salt with one tablespoon of honey or oil in a bowl. Then, using a cotton swab, apply the homemade lip scrub in a circular motion. Wipe any remaining residue off with a damp washcloth.
Moisturize Chapped Lips Using Products from Your Cupboards
Once you’ve gently removed flaking, peeling, dry skin, you’ll need to rehydrate and nourish your lips. Fortunately, you likely already have everything you need in your cabinets.
Petroleum Jelly
Commonly known by the brand name Vaseline, petroleum jelly is recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) as an inexpensive way to nourish chapped lips. Petroleum jelly is known to seal in water better than most oils and lotions. For best results, apply throughout the day and before you go to bed.
Honey
Honey is an incredibly versatile home remedy, so it’s wise to keep a jar of organic honey at home. Natural healers have lauded the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey for centuries. Today, studies confirm that honey is a must-have in your medicine cabinet. Honey helps prevent infections caused by chapped lips and helps soothe itchy, red, painfully dry skin on and around your lips. Honey can be applied with a cotton swab or your finger throughout the day. A word of caution: if you’re allergic to bee venom or pollen, select another home remedy.
Aloe Vera
If you happen to have an aloe plant, you can use the oil right from the plant’s leaves. Otherwise, the aloe vera gel you may have in your cabinet for sunburns will also moisturize your lips. Bear in mind that enzymes in it may have mild exfoliating properties, so only use aloe vera a couple of times per day.
Coconut Oil
Is there anything coconut oil can’t do? This kitchen staple is a wonderful product for a host of conditions, including chapped lips. A natural anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial home remedy, coconut oil can help soothe chapped lips. Feel free to apply coconut oil as often as needed throughout the day.
Avocado Butter
Look to your refrigerator or countertop if you’re wondering how to get rid of chapped lips. Avocados turn into soothing, moisturizing butter by putting them in a food processor. You can also use store-bought organic avocado butter liberally throughout the day.
How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips? Prevent Them from Developing.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so the saying goes. So, the best way to get rid of chapped lips is by never letting them become dry in the first place. Here’s what you can do to protect your lips year-round:
- Avoid Licking Your Lips
Our lips don’t hold much moisture as is, so licking your lips will only further dry them out. Carry a lip balm or Chapstick with you to keep your lips moisturized year-round. - Drink Plenty of Water
Staying hydrated is crucial for physical health and the health of our skin, lips, nails, and hair. Aim to drink at least 64 ounces of water each day. - Use a Humidifier at Home
Our skin, including our lips, is vulnerable to dry air. During the cooler months, run a humidifier in your home or home office to maintain a healthy moisture level in the air.
Put Your Best Face Forward with Holistic Skin Care Treatments in Newport Beach
If you’re wondering how to get rid of chapped lips, home remedies are a cost-effective way to heal this common condition. But for more complex skin issues, such as fine lines, acne, and dull, worn-out skin, you need to call in the experts. At Swiss Clinique in Corona Del Mar, our clinicians can help you present a youthful, luminous face to the world. Using medical-grade, holistic products, our skincare treatments are safe and effective. To schedule a premium skincare treatment in Orange County today, contact us online or call (949) 500-1210.