Luckily, there are also a variety of ways to prevent and solve this skin care concern. Though we must admit, a lot of the issues can be resolved with the help of a good clean lip balm. Keep scrolling to check out all the different causes for dry lips and how to fix them! Beyond this, though, Henry also points out, “Lips are also quite prone to burning because they often have less UV protection in the form of melanin. They are also an area that we often forget to apply SPF.” So the solution is simple: Don’t forget to apply SPF to your lips on a regular basis. There are tons of great options from Supergoop Play to Fresh Sugar Lip Balm. Both zinc and B vitamins have been shown to promote healthy skin and support wound healing, and as essential vitamins to a healthy system, a lack of these vitamins can lead to dry lips. “Vitamin B 12 deficiency specifically can lead to a condition that leads to dry, cracked lips with difficulty healing,” Henry says. Neither zinc nor B vitamins are naturally produced by the body, which means you need to get these vitamins from other sources, such as food. “This can be diagnosed and treated by your primary care physician or dermatologist,” Henry clarifies. Though the best treatment is to give your lips a lot of moisture, not all hydrating products are created equal. Ideally, a thick ointment will deliver a boost of hydration while also helping to protect the skin’s barrier to prevent further water loss. Since eczema is a skin disease, we recommend consulting with your medical practitioner to find a lip balm product that works for you. The National Eczema Association also has a seal of approval for their list of eczema-safe products; look for their recommendations as a good place to start. You can treat the dryness with lip balm, but to avoid flare-ups, steer clear of any possible triggers. If you’re experiencing contact dermatitis, stop use of any topicals until you can locate the irritant. So what’s the easiest solution? “Be kind to the delicate lip skin,” encourages Zalka. “Keep the lips lubricated with products that retain the lips’ natural oils.” “Masks tend to trap moisture on the lips, then when you go out in the cold, the lips get ‘zapped’ by wind and low temperatures, and lips can lose moisture via evaporation,” said Zalka. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Henry notes face masks made out of cotton or paper can absorb the moisture from the lips and dry them out. “Therefore, it’s very important that we’re using lip balm as a protective covering and to reduce friction,” she explains. Or the most likely culprit is that the lip balm contains mineral oil. You see, mineral oil actually has a very large molecular size, making it difficult to impossible to actually penetrate the skin—meaning moisture can’t wiggle its way down into the epidermis. As you avoid all of these problem ingredients, instead Zalka recommends looking for ingredients like botanical or beeswax, plant-based oils (like moringa seed oil), and butters (such as shea butter).
