8 Sneaky Reasons For Dry Lips & How To Hydrate Them Naturally (2024)

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Medical reviewer:

September 13, 2023

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By Emily Rekstis

Contributing writer

Emily Rekstis is a freelance writer who has worked at Harper's Bazaar, Self, And UsWeekly. Her bylines appear in Healthline, Byrdie, Women's Health, MyDomaine, BuzzFeed, The Cut, Allure and many more.

Medical review by

Apple Bodemer, M.D.

Dermatologist

Dr. Apple Bodemer is board certified in both Dermatology and Integrative Medicine. She is an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, and sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Integrative Dermatology.

Causes of dry lipsSymptoms

September 13, 2023

Dry, chapped lips are a common nuisance. But between the cracking and peeling, dry lips can often be more than just uncomfortable—they can even start to feel a bit painful. Though there are the more recognizable reasons for dry lips, such as dehydration or sun exposure, there's also a variety of other factors that could cause lips to feel chapped.

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!

Dry lip causes

There are many things that could be making your lips chapped and parched. Here, the most common.

  1. Dehydration
  2. Sun damage
  3. Vitamin deficiencies
  4. Eczema
  5. Contact dermatitis
  6. Skin picking & licking
  7. Face masks
  8. Poor quality lip balms

1.

Dehydration

Possibly the most common cause of dry lips is dehydration. Proper hydration is key to healthy, glowing skin, and the same goes for plump, healthy lips. But unlike other areas of your face, the skin on your lips is so thin that it's actually one of the first areas to show signs of dehydration.

Solution:

To avoid this, maintain your 64-ounce daily intake of water, give or take some ounces depending on activity, height, and sex.

2.

Sun damage

There's nothing like soaking up a little vitamin D from the sun, but we all know that too much sun exposure can be damaging to the skin. This includes the skin of your lips.

"The sun can dry out the lips and compromise the lips' ability to hold water and hydration," Michelle Henry, M.D., founder of Skin & Aesthetics Surgery of Manhattan,explains. Board-certified dermatologist and founder of Surface Deep Alicia Zalka, M.D., confirms, "The cells suffer DNA damage and start to lose natural barrier function."

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." Read more about sunburned lips here.

Solution:

So the solution is simple: Don't forget to apply SPF to your lips on a regular basis. Check out our favorite lip balms infused with SPF here.

3.

Vitamin deficiencies

"Interestingly, certain deficiencies particularly of zinc and B vitamins can lead to lip peeling or redness," Zalka confirms.

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.

Solution:

It's important to consult with your doctor about vitamin deficiencies, as they can test your levels and help find a solution. "This can be diagnosed and treated by your primary care physician or dermatologist," Henry clarifies.

It's also worthy of note that 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.

Check out zinc-rich foods here, as well as vitamin B foods.

4.

Eczema

It may be surprising, but lips can experience a lot of the same skin conditions that you've heard about flaring up on the body or face. One of these conditions includes lip eczema.

Lip eczema doesn't result in just your average chapped lips. Instead, it mimics common eczema symptoms such as red patches, cracked skin, flaking, and general dryness. This can lead to painful breaks in the lips.

Solution:

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.

5.

Contact dermatitis

Beyond dehydration, Henry says the most common cause of dry lips is irritation from products like toothpaste that can lead to contact dermatitis. Also referred to as allergic contact cheilitis (or ACC), this reaction can occur when an allergen or irritant comes into contact with the lips. Beyond toothpaste, general irritants include fragrances, metals, or certain foods like cinnamon.

Solution:

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.

6.

Skin picking & licking

"Once we have chapped lips, we are prone to licking them and picking the little bits of dry, peeling skin on our lips," says Zalka. "But this far worsens the problem."

The lip skin is simply too delicate to take the beating.

Plus, it can lead to long-term effects like scarring or discoloration. Zalka also points out that licking the lips cancause a loss of natural oils, especially during cold weather months.

Solution:

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."

In a lot of cases, skin picking is a nervous tick—used as a soothing mechanism when anxiety sets in. If you suspect this is the case for you, find a stress management practice you can utilize in its place.

Breathwork is a great option, as it's simple, free, and anyone can do it! Try the simple box breathing method in stressful situations.

7.

Protective face masks

If your lips feel chapped after a long day of wearing a face mask, you actually might be on to something. Many folks—including medical professionals, nail technicians, and so on—need to wear then for their job. In addition, lots of folks choose to wear them in situations where they'll be exposed to large crowds (like concerts) or small environments (planes). But while these masks may be protecting your immune system, they could also be the catalyst for your dry lips.

"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.

Solution:

Before putting on your mask, simply coat your lips with a layer of moisture. "Therefore, it's very important that we're using lip balm as a protective covering and to reduce friction," she explains.

8.

Using poor-quality lip balms

This may seem counterintuitive, but certain lip balms can actually make lips feel drier and more chapped after using them over a period of time. They could include irritating ingredients causing contact dermatitis. Some known irritants to look out for are cinnamon, peppermint, camphor, menthol, and certain preservatives like parabens.

They could be formulated with only humectants, which, if the air has low humidity, could pull the moisture out of your skin, and then it evaporates away.

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.

Solution:

The key to a good lip balm is to make sure it has a balance of humectants, occlusives, and emollients. Zalka recommends looking for ingredients like botanical waxes or beeswax, plant-based oils (like moringa seed oil), and butters (such as shea butter), and humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid.

Symptoms of dry, chapped lips

It may seem obvious, but some symptoms of dehydrated skin are a bit sneaker.

  • Flakes
  • Peeling
  • Cracks, especially at the corners of the mouth
  • Regular irritation
  • Pain or tenderness
  • Itchy feeling

How to prevent dry, chapped lips

We went over solutions and treatment options in the list above, but for ease, here's how you can prevent and treat chapped lips.

  • Hydrate with a high-quality lip balm. Lip balms should be a mix of emolient, occlusive, and humectant ingredients—this trio can ensure that it's attracting moisture, sealing in cracks, and creating a protective buffer over the skin. Look for glycerin, hyaluronic acid, botanical oils, butters, beeswax, and plant waxes.
  • Identify and avoid irritants. Lips can become inflamed from exposure to allergens and irritants. Exposure can be due to food, drinks, or skin care products. Common ones include essential oils, gluten, cinnamon, capsaicin, certain preservatives, fragrances, and mineral oils. Identify the ingredients that are issues for your skin, and avoid them.
  • Address vitamin deficiencies. Given dry skin can be the result of nutritional deficiencies, consult with your practitioner if you suspect this is the case. They can take blood tests to confirm, and then set up a treatment or supplementation plan to help address the deficiency.
  • Stop picking and licking the lips. While this is a normal and common tick, picking or licking the lips can dry the skin out. Try another stress management modality, such as breathwork, which can help you manage anxiety—without picking the skin.
  • Wear sunscreen. UV damage is a huge cause of dry skin—and most folks forget to use SPF in the area. Be sure to apply sunscreen before spending time outdoors.

The takeaway

Dry, chapped lips are not only a nuisance, it can be a sign of something more serious, such as a vitamin deficiency or underlying stress. Be sure to evaluate why you might be experiencing dry lips so you can find the appropriate solution. Want more tips on keeping the skin hydrated, from head-to-toe? Check our guide to properly moisturizing skin.

8 Sneaky Reasons For Dry Lips & How To Hydrate Them Naturally (2024)
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