Chapped Lips

[Amira_25]

Solution: Whether they are responding to cold, dry weather, an arid climate, or just tend to be dry, chapped lips are a pain. Cracking, flaking, and chapping are not only uncomfortable but also unsightly, and applying lipstick often seems to make it look even worse. Not to worry because you can solve those dry-lips blues with consistency and patience. Chapped lips are not going to disappear in a day, and missing even one day of treatment can drive lips back to dryness.

Lips are more vulnerable to the environment than any other part of the face because they do not contain oil glands. This means that keeping your lips moist and sealed against the weather is essential. There are lots of emollient lip products that do just that, and the more emollient they are, the better. Ingredients like lanolin, shea butter, cocoa butter, and even Vaseline are all excellent emollients. However, many lip products are little more than wax coatings that make lips feel thick and protected when they are on (original ChapStick is a great example), but they don't really moisturize or provide protection from the weather outside or dry heat and air conditioning inside.

A lot of lip products also claim to be medicated. "Medicated" is a dubious term at best, with no regulated meaning. These products usually contain camphor, menthol, peppermint oil, or eucalyptus, but these are not medicines for dry lips! Instead, they can irritate and actually make lips burn, which isn't helpful for lips that are already dry and chapped. Products like Blistex, which includes 0.5% phenol, are the exception because they truly are medicated; phenol kills anything that gets in its way. However, phenol is strong stuff and can actually trigger some irritation and dryness all by itself. I would not recommend it for anything but very limited use.

You may have heard a rumor that lips can adapt to or become addicted to lip balm. It isn't possible. But if the lip balm you use contains irritating ingredients, your lips will stay chapped. When a lip product contains irritating, drying ingredients, there is no way the beneficial emollient ingredients can help. Likewise, if you use a lip product that is just waxy, with no emollients or water-binding agents, it can only plaster down the dry skin; it doesn't reduce the dryness.

I am quite fond of BeautiControl's LipApeel ($18 for 1.25 ounces). This two-step product exfoliates the chapped skin with a waxy cream you rub over the lips and then you apply a very emollient balm. It is one of the only really gentle and effective exfoliating products I've ever seen for lips. BeautiControl's ordering number is (800) BEAUTI-1. I also developed two products that work similarly: Paula's Choice Exfoliating Treatment ($7.95 for 0.5 ounce) and one of my personal favorites, Paula's Choice Lip & Body Treatment Balm ($7.95 for 0.5 ounce).

Here's what you need to do: At night, after cleansing your face, apply a thick layer of an emollient lip balm (even a very thick emollient lip gloss can work well). Do this every night as part of your nightly skin-care routine and you will be thrilled with the difference in how your lips look.

For daytime care, it is best to use an SPF 15 lip balm that contains avobenzone, titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide. However, if you wear an opaque lipstick, it may not be essential to have that kind of SPF protection. Research has shown that women who apply lipstick more than once a day are at a much lower risk of getting lip cancer than women who apply lipstick less often (Source: Cancer Causes and Control, July 1996, pages 458–463). Theoretically, opaque lipsticks have enough sun-blocking protection to enable them to screen out the sun's skin cancer–causing rays. Still, you may as well play it safe and use a lip balm or lipstick with sunscreen daily, especially when you are in the sun for long periods of time. Paula's Choice Moisturizing Lipscreen SPF 15 ($6.95 for 0.16 ounce) is great for portable lip protection, or if you want soft color and sun protection, consider Paula’s Select Sheer Cream Lipstick SPF 15 ($9.95), also available in Invisible for lightweight glossy sun protection without color. Revlon Moisturous SPF 17 and Almay Pure Tints SPF 25 are also options to consider.