Ask Well
It can be a helpful barrier between your lips and the cold wind, but not all products are created equal.
Credit…Joyce Lee for The New York Times
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Q: My lips are always dry, and I’m applying lip balm on repeat. Could this be exacerbating the problem?
Every winter it’s the same: The wind whips. Your lips crack. So you reach for lip balm and wonder — is it really helping?
Lip skin is thin, so it needs a little extra protection, said Dr. Heather Rogers, a dermatologist in Seattle. And lip balm is one of the best and most convenient products to add that layer of armor.
But some lip balms can actually exacerbate irritation and dryness, prompting the need for more, Dr. Rogers said. That’s why it’s important to know what to look for and what to avoid when applying certain products to your lips.
In addition to being thin, the skin on your lips lacks certain moisture-locking characteristics that other areas of skin have, such as hair follicles, oil glands and a thick layer of dead skin cells, Dr. Rogers said. That’s what makes lips “so soft and sensitive,” she added.
When our lips are exposed to environmental stressors like ultraviolet light, air pollutants, cold or hot temperatures and certain foods and drinks, they can become dry and irritated, said Dr. Sam Awan, a dermatologist in McKinney, Texas. Licking your lips, which you’re likely to do when they’re dry, can worsen the problem because the digestive enzymes in saliva can cause irritation.
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Chapped Lips? Your Lip Balm May Be Making It Worse. – The New York Times
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