If, like ours, your lips have decided to do Dry January this year, you might be interested to know there are a few key causes of dry lips as well as a couple of bad habits that the majority of us are guilty of doing on a daily basis. As temperatures plummet, it’s worth cutting out these bad habits to try and salvage chapped, dry lips as well as take precautions to prevent them from getting worse.
Once you’ve eliminated the most common causes, you’ll need to invest in an intensely moisturising balm that’s packed with nourishing, reparative and protective ingredients to see your lips through to the warmer weather.
Keep scrolling to discover how to avoid dry lips as well a the best products to treat them…
1. Vitamin deficiency
Vitamin B2 is essential for cell function and in turn, healthy lips. Eat plenty of vitamin B2 rich foods like eggs and lean meat to keep yours in check all year round. Zinc and iron deficiency have also been linked to dry lips so load up on your greens to keep your mineral levels balanced.
2. Licking your lips
It’s counter-intuitive but licking your lips will actually make things a whole lot worse. Repeated saliva on the lips will end up washing the natural grease from the lips which can lead to dryness. Keep things kissable by avoiding unnecessary lip smacking.
3. Too much sun in the summer
If you soaked up too much UV rays over the summer then you could be paying the price now with your pout. Too much sun exposure can set your lips up for a chapped winter. So be mindful in the summer and make sure you slap on the SPF protection. Basically, year round protection is key, people.
4. Fragranced lip balm
If you are applying lip balm and still finding yourself with dry lips then check the ingredients of you chosen balm. Some contain fragrances that some lips are sensitive to and can cause them to dry out. You could have an allergy to the lip products you’re using, like shea butter, beeswax or castor oil. Take careful note of the products you are using and adjust accordingly.
5. Dehydration
If you aren’t putting enough hydration, your body can let you know via your lips. A dry pucker can indicate that you need to up you H20 intake stat. The reason that dehydration can show on our skin and lips is due to the havoc it causes to mineral levels. So drink up! It’s recommended to drink between eight and twelve glasses a day.
6. A yeast infection
Dry lips, particularly around the corners of the mouth can be an indicator that your body is producing too much yeast and that you have an infection. If you have been suffering a while then you might need to visit your GP in case you need a course of antibiotics to clear things up.