Chapped lips are literally a pain during the winter season. We have so much fun spending time with loved ones, making gingerbread houses and opening gifts, but having chapped lips can make any of those activities less enjoyable when the cold and wind hit our dry, cracked lips.
What causes chapped lips?
Our lips are full of moisture and when the cold weather sweeps through and those frosty winds bite at our lips, they dry up and develop tiny cuts due to the lack of moisture. When our lips have these tiny cuts, our lips become more susceptible to aggravation caused by spicy and acidic foods, heat and even some toothpaste, according to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
How to treat chapped lips?
Stop licking your lips!
Knowing that our lips are dehydrated, it’s easy to think, “Well, if I lick them, I’m putting moisture back into them, right?” Wrong. Our saliva contains bacteria that break down food, and when we put that saliva on our lips it evaporates, making our lips more dehydrated than they were before we licked them.
Keep balm and carry on!
Lip balm is designed to keep moisture in and provide a protected barrier on your lips. Some lip balms can actually do more harm than good, so make sure you buy a petrolatum or beeswax based lip balm, and apply it right before you leave Your house to venture out into the cold.Good old fashion petroleum jelly will work just as well if you don’t have any lip balm around the house.
Use Those Veggies!
My mom used to cut up slices of cucumbers and put them on our lips.The moisture from the cucumber slices sinks into the chapped lips and feels extremely refreshing. Plus you get a treat when you’re done. Raw aloe from an aloe vera plant will also supplement moisture back into your lips!
Drink Plenty of Water!
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but drinking plenty of water helps fight dehydration, so the more water you drink the sooner your lips will be less chapped.
What about the little ones?
The good news is the same treatments you use for your chapped lips can be used on your children. The bad news is you may have to apply lip balm more often as children seem to like licking off as much as they can as soon as you put it on, especially if it is flavored.
You may also want to consider putting a humidifier in your child’s room when she’s sleeping. This will increase the moisture content in your home and cause fewer instances of chapped lips. Lastly, cover her mouth with a scarf when out in the cold or the wind during this winter season. This will block wind exposure to her lips and face.
With the winter weather, lips get chapped easy — even in Florida! Check out these tips to keep your lips moisturized this winter!
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