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Dry lips can affect your whole day: you smile less, eating feels uncomfortable, and flaky skin keeps coming back. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to relieve dry lips and prevent them from returning. In this blog, you’ll discover what helps against dry lips, why they dry out so quickly, and how the right lip care can make them soft and smooth again.
What are the symptoms of dry lips?
You easily recognize dry lips, but symptoms can vary from person to person. The better you identify the signs, the quicker you can start treating your dry lips.
- Redness on and around the lips.
- Loose skin and flaking.
- Cracks or small fissures.
- A tight, burning, or itchy feeling.
- Pain when eating spicy, salty, or sour foods.
Try giving your widest smile. Does it feel tight or sensitive? Then your lips are telling you they need some extra care.
Dry lips: the causes
The skin on your lips is thin and delicate and contains no sebaceous glands. This means your lips have no natural protection against moisture loss. Several factors can speed up that process.
✧ Weather and environment
In winter, your lips dry out faster due to the cold wind outside and dry air indoors. In summer, sun and UV can pull moisture from the skin as well. Low humidity at home or in the office worsens this effect, leaving your lips vulnerable year-round.
✧ Habits and products
Licking your lips or pulling off flakes may seem harmless, but it damages the skin and dries them out further. Irritating lip products like matte lipstick, lip plumpers, flavoring agents, menthol, or toothpaste with SLS can worsen dryness. Smoking also increases irritation and cracking.
✧ From within
Not drinking enough water, vitamin deficiencies, or certain medications can dry out the skin from within. As a result, you may still struggle with dry lips even when using a good lip balm.
What can you do against dry lips?
Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to relieve dry lips. With just a few simple steps, you can help the skin recover and build a routine that prevents them from drying out again.
✧ Tips for dry lips
- Leave flakes alone so the skin can heal properly.
- Use a gentle, fragrance-free lip balm that strengthens the skin barrier.
- Apply extra balm before going outside, especially in cold or windy weather.
- Only scrub your lips when they have no wounds, and no more than once a week.
- Drink enough water to support your skin from within.
- Increase indoor humidity for a more comfortable environment.
- Avoid irritating products such as toothpaste with SLS or heavily fragranced lip products.
Our favorite lip care for dry lips
These Korean lip products provide deep hydration and help repair dry, rough, or cracked lips quickly.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask EXDeeply hydrating overnight mask that exfoliates and smooths the lips.
Tocobo Vita Glazed Lip MaskLip mask that nourishes, softens, and deeply hydrates.
COSRX Ceramide Lip Butter MaskNourishing lip mask with shea butter and ceramides that repairs and supports the barrier.
Frudia Blueberry Honey Lip BalmHoney-rich balm that softens and smooths the lips.
Dr. Ceuracle Kombucha Lip BalmVegan balm that soothes and strengthens the lip barrier.
Want to discover more great formulas? Explore all products in our lip care category.
Frequently asked questions about dry lips
✧ Why do my lips get so dry in winter?
Your lips dry out faster in winter because cold air outside and dry heating indoors together pull a lot of moisture from the skin. Using a nourishing balm and increasing indoor humidity can help prevent winter dryness.
✧ Is scrubbing good for dry lips?
Scrubbing mainly helps with flakiness, but it’s not suitable when your lips are open or painful. Wait until the skin has calmed down and then use a gentle scrub no more than once a week.
✧ Does drinking water help with dry lips?
Drinking water supports your skin from within, but it won’t solve dry lips on its own. The combination of a hydrating balm, protection against cold, and sufficient water intake works best.
✧ Which lip care is best for sensitive skin around the mouth?
With a sensitive skin, it’s best to choose a fragrance-free, gentle balm with soothing ingredients such as oils, shea butter, or ceramides. Avoid tingling or heavily fragranced products.
✧ Can lip balm make my lips even drier?
Lip balms with strong fragrances, menthol, or flavoring agents can irritate the skin and make lips feel drier. A simple, nourishing formula usually works better and prevents this problem.
Conclusion: how to keep your lips soft
Dry lips can be frustrating, but with the right routine they’re very manageable. By identifying the cause, protecting your lips daily, and choosing gentle products, your skin stays smooth and comfortable. This way you can enjoy soft lips all year round.
With love for skincare,
Little Wonderland
