Chapped lips?

I've got some pretty serious lip chappage going on right now and no ammount of chapstick seems to be doing it any good.

I was wondering if any of you had any other ideas on how to combat this... it feels awful, they're sore and I hate kissing my fiance like this.


I feel so disgusting...

hmmm vaseline- put a lot all over your lips, wait about 20 minutes and then use a toothbrush to scrape off the dead skin. It won't hurt ...I do this ,your lips will feel awesome afterwards..

Originally Posted by ut0pia

hmmm vaseline- put a lot all over your lips, wait about 20 minutes and then use a toothbrush to scrape off the dead skin. It won't hurt ...I do this ,your lips will feel awesome afterwards..

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I'll have to try that. What I do is put the chapstick on and then peel off the dead skin and then chapstick back over it. But for some reason this time it hasn't been working...

Put a layer of 1% Hydrocortizone cream first, and only then you put the other stuff on the top of it (chapstick is the same as nothing)...
A good one, sold only in Europe before under the Labello brand, is now sold here, under NIVEA.
Go to the store, and get the Nivea a kiss of moisture on the BLUE TUBE: This is EXCELLENT!! - The others, white tube, pink, etc, are not as good... this is the most moisturizing one...
Hydrocortizone/Vazeline is another option.... no matter what you do, until your lips are healed, use the hydrocortizone cream first. It will help bunches.

All I can suggest is finding a lip balm without petrolatum(I think that's what it is) in it. That stuff drys out your lips, and since I've switched to a different lip balm my lips don't chap nearly as much.

Start taking L-lysine and use Blixtex in the little tub. It burns a little bit, but it works. In the winter my lips get so chapped they start to crack and bleed and that is the only thing that helps me.

I love my Nivea chapstick!!!

However, sometimes chapped lips are a sign of not drinking enough water. If you haven't been drinking enough, try drinking more and see if that improves.

What I've found is that there are really two different kinds of Chapstick - there's the traditional kind (that my dad uses) that feels like wax, and there's "Lip Moisturizer". The Lip Moisturizer is the only kind I use regularly, and for the most part it keeps the severely chapped lips away. The big thing for me is that I'm allergic to Paba, which is in almost every other kind of lip stuff out there. The Chapstick Lip Moisturizer is one of the few that doesn't have Paba in it, that isn't really pricey. But I swear by it. It may not be the thing for solving the problem, but it may be something to look into for later.

It happens here commonly because it's just winter. Inside humidity is terrible this time of year - not so much a person being dehydrated.

Originally Posted by MonaxLisa

All I can suggest is finding a lip balm without petrolatum(I think that's what it is) in it. That stuff drys out your lips, and since I've switched to a different lip balm my lips don't chap nearly as much.

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Exactly. Chapstick, Carmex, and a lot of "popular" ones just make your lips worse. Lips, like other skin it needs to be at the right ph to be healthy - if you constantly apply stuff like this it just makes your lips worse. You'll get into a cycle and your lips won't heal.

Either go with something more natural and/or try to cut down your dependence on putting anything on your lips. I had to stop putting stuff on my lips entirely to make them heal.

You'll get a different answer from everyone I'm afraid, b/c different things work for different people. The only thing that has ever worked for me is Chapstick's 100% Naturals Lip Butter. Even when my lips are super chapped and sore, I put it on about every 1/2 hour, and my lips are usually healed in a day or two. It doesn't take long. I only use something on my lips if they hurt pretty bad, otherwise I just let it heal on it's own. I don't use chapstick on a regular basis.



It has mostly all natural oils and butters in it, no petroleum. I agree with the pp, anything petroleum based will just dry your lips out more.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

I only use something on my lips if they hurt pretty bad, otherwise I just let it heal on it's own. I don't use chapstick on a regular basis.

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I think this is the important bit.

Well first you need to heal the chapped lips....... I have had some pretty bad experience with this myself, working outside in extreme cold, extreme winds, well extremes .... Chapstick is only a preventative, as most lip balms. You should be careful not to ingest it, but Neosporin ointment, original, a light coat before bed, works wonders! I use Carmex for extended day wear when battling the elements, and it works great for me!

Thank you so much for all of your responses!!

I realized that every answer would probably be different but so far it seems the general consensus is that I should stop using petroleum based chapstick. Since that's what I'm using, I guess that could be the problem.

I know for sure I have enough water intake because I keep a 2-liter full of wyler's flavored water next to me all day long as I am prone to kidney/bladder infections.

I also shouldn't put neosporin on my lips at night because I DO bite my lips while I sleep which is part of the problem of them being so chapped/scabbed all the time.

I'll go out tomorrow and invest in a few different kinds of lip balms and see what works for me.

I LOVE the original Bert's Bees lip balm. It has peppermint oil, so it has a nice tingle. Nothing else really works for me.

Oh, carmex is by far my most favorite lip balm. It is addicting, at first I thought the smell was horrible but then I got so used to it and I started to sniff at it like it's a drug
I use it all the time in the winter and it makes me happy ...I think it does a good job protecting my lips but I don't know, the main thing for me is to get rid of the dead skin because it is very annoying, once that happens I am good I just prevent the chapping by using carmex. And my lips are also starting to get chapped already even though the weather isn't that cold here ...I have started using a heater though and blowdrying my hair and I think those are main contributors. I can't not dry my hair when it's cold though, I get sinus headaches if I let it air dry and it's not summer

I know what you mean, I love the way carmex smells too.

right now I am using Blistex Raspberry Lemonaide Blast Lip protector. Tastes yummy! I have a generic carmex too called ChapIce. Works good and smells like Carmex

When I was recovering from Cellulitis last year, I had the worst chapped lips I've ever had. My doctor told me to use stuff called Aquaphor. It's very similar to vaseline...

it is the ONLY thing I use anymore. It helps heal my chapped lips and heals them... I love this stuff.

About 2 months ago, I had bought a tube of Burt's Bees lip stuff that I was using just occasionally (I had never tried it and was curious) and the corners of my lips started to crack and bleed. So when I went to the Dr office for my pre-op, I mentioned this to the PA and she told me that it was probably a vitamin B deficiency and that taking supplements would help.

They didn't help. So I figured that maybe I was allergic to the Burt's Bees and I got Carmex. Now my lips are raw and peeling all around the edges and at the corners. It is very painful. I put the carmex on to keep my lips moist so they won't peel any more, but it dries them out. This morning I put some Hydrocortisone Cream on, but it seems to be burning more than helping.

I have had dry lips before, but never had the cracked and peeling corners of my lips or the edges of my lips cracking and peeling. The actual lip surfaces are fine.

Vaseline works best I think...thats what I use when things are very dry. I slather it one real thich when I go to bed.