7 Expert Tips for Soothing Chapped Lips

If there’s a universal experience we’ve all shared, it’s having chapped lips at some point. Chapped lips, clinically called cheilitis, is a type of inflammation in which lips are red, dry, flakey, cracked, swollen, itchy, sore, and/or burning, according to UpToDate. Lips, their border, as well as the skin surrounding the lips can all be affected.

Chapped lips can be annoying, and they can have a variety of causes. The good news: You can find relief, and it may already be within reach.

Read on to get dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, cracked, and bright red lips.

1. Rethink Your Lip Balm

There are many reasons your lips may become dry, says Vancouver-based dermatologist Katie Beleznay, MD, who is board certified in the United States and Canada. Factors may include cold or hot weather, forced indoor heat and air, lip licking, and contact dermatitis.

But a common trigger for chapped lips, believe it or not, is using drugstore lip balms. “These products can make lips produce less of their own moisturizer, so lips feel drier, not softer. You then need more lip balm, creating a chronic cycle,” says Kavita Mariwalla, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in West Islip, New York.

Dr. Beleznay agrees. “Many popular lip balms contain potentially irritating ingredients, such as menthol, camphor, or phenol, as well as fragrance, she says.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) also suggests watching out for flavoring, eucalyptus, and salicylic acid.

One trick: If your lip balm provides tingle and flavor, that’s an indication it may irritate your lips, says Dr. Mariwalla.

You should definitely treat your lips when they’re chapped, but watch out for going overboard with very frequent applications of lip balm. “Lip balm is good for the outdoors and cold conditions, but your body has to produce its own oils to some extent,” says Mariwalla. When you use lip balm, look for lip-friendly ingredients, such as ceramides, dimethicone, petrolatum, and shea butter, and avoid fragrances, advises the AAD.

2. Reach for Petrolatum-Based Products

Two products Beleznay recommends in particular for healing dry lips: Aquaphor Lip Repair (amazon.com) and Vaseline Lip Therapy Advanced Healing (target.com).

“Vaseline and Aquaphor help to form a barrier from the environmental elements that contribute to chapped lips,” she explains. Whether you use a lip-specific product or a petrolatum-based ointment depends on your preference.

If you have a jar of petrolatum jelly, you can dip your finger right into the tub and use that on your lips. (Vaseline is one brand, but there are many generic formulas at stores such as Walgreens.) Same with a tub of Aquaphor Healing Ointment.

3. Try ‘Lip Slugging’ Before Bed

Made popular on TikTok, “slugging” is when you slather your skin with a petrolatum-based product that acts as an occlusive — meaning it seals hydration into your skin, explains the skin-care brand CeraVe.

This moisturizing trend gets its name from the gunkiness that a slug might leave behind — but in a good way, of course. In this case, Beleznay suggests using a moisturizer or hyaluronic acid serum on your lips and topping that with a coat of Vaseline or Aquaphor.

4. Opt for SPF on Your Lips Outdoors

Heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can do a number on your lips. That’s why it’s important to wear a lip balm with sun protection factor (SPF) when outside. Beleznay suggests EltaMD UV Lip Balm BroadSpectrum SPF 36, (dermstore.com) or SunBum Mineral SPF 30 Sunscreen Lip Balm (sunbum.com).

5. Use a Humidifier Indoors, Especially During the Winter

Also on the topic of heat: If you have forced air heat (as in: it’s chilly outdoors, and the heat is on), consider sleeping with a humidifier. A humidifier adds moisture to the air, and with less dry air circulating around the bedroom, your skin, including your lips, may stay more hydrated.

6. Leave Your Lips Alone

And finally, avoid certain habits that make chapped lips worse, such as peeling lips with your fingers or teeth. “Peeling off dry skin exposes new fresh skin that’s not ready to reveal itself yet,” says Mariwalla.

To this end, avoid lip scrubs, which can harshly remove skin from the lips, stifling healing, she adds.

7. Remove Lipstick Gently

If you wear matte or long-wear lipstick, know that it has a drying effect on lip skin, Mariwalla explains. If you have chapped lips or find that certain lipsticks aggravate lip dryness, it may be a good idea to change up what you’re using, at least temporarily. Lip gloss may be a better option. Lip gloss isn’t exactly hydrating, but it’s not drying, either, she says.

When taking off lipstick, use a gentle makeup remover, rather than scrubbing your lips. Mariwalla recommends micellar water, such as Dickinson’s Micellar Witch Hazel Makeup Remover (amazon.com). “It works like a charm on the reddest of red lipsticks,” she says.

When to See a Dermatologist for Chapped Lip Relief

Irritated, dry, or flaky lips may not simply be chapped lips. The flakiness “can be a sign of chronic sun damage,” says Mariwalla. If your lips are always chapped, see your dermatologist, who may want to rule out precancers, she explains. Actinic cheilitis is a precancerous condition that can turn into squamous cell carcinoma, which is a skin cancer, says Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms to watch for include rough, scaly, cracked, dry, discolored patches on your lips.