Our lips are not only constantly exposed to environmental agents that promote rapid water loss in the skin, causing dryness, but they also have different epidermal characteristics than the rest of the face, making them more susceptible to cracks and small cuts, which are often very annoying and sometimes painful.
LetiPharma explains that the skin on the lips is much thinner and has a low amount of glands responsible for secreting fats that protect it from dehydration. In addition, the lips have little melanin, a pigment that protects the epidermis from solar radiation, which makes them more vulnerable to the effects of the sun.
The above-mentioned factors are the main causes of dry or chapped lips, which can occur during the warmer or colder seasons of the year, and which, although not a major health problem, can be very bothersome, uncomfortable, or painful.
TEMPERATURE RISES AND FALLS
Just like our hands and faces, our lips need protection from rising temperatures, the effects of solar radiation, and other external agents. It is vital to keep them hydrated to prevent them from becoming chapped or dry, and to know which lip balms or protectors are best for caring for them, according to beauty specialists.
When outside temperatures drop, the skin on the lips suffers more than other areas of the body, and runs the risk of dehydration, as it is very thin and has few fatty secretions to protect it, they add.
It is necessary to take care of the lips, for the beauty that we want to convey to the outside, given that they are often the center of attention when we communicate, and because in order to give our best we need to feel good, something that is not easy to achieve with chapped lips that cause uncomfortable sensations.
DISCOMFORT IN SUMMER
“It is important to prevent and solve this problem both in summer when temperatures rise and we are more exposed to the sun, and in winter, when the cold arrives, since in both situations our lips suffer and need protection.
“In both cases, both women and men notice a rapid loss of water in the skin of the lips,” they point out.
Two key measures in this regard are “maintaining a good diet rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals necessary for most of the body’s cellular functions ), as well as the proper use of cosmetics specifically formulated for the lip area,” according to GC.
“Using a good moisturizing balm with sun protection every day, combined with high doses of water, is a perfect solution,” they say.
Other solutions for chapped lips include using a humidifier at home on a routine basis, as well as exfoliating your lips well at home, and carefully removing those small pieces of raised skin, they explain.
As for the use of lip products or balms, we must make sure that they have a sun protection factor, even in winter, and apply them once or twice a day, depending on the condition of our lips.
“Once we have applied the cosmetic to our lips, we should avoid reflex actions such as biting them or moistening them with the tongue, since these actions can cause further dehydration,” explains DC.
“If our lips are excessively dry and chapped, we should not eat or drink shortly after applying the lip balm or protector,” adds Dalire.
“We should also not allow the product to mix with toothpaste when we brush our teeth, nor try to remove the skin with our fingers, which could infect the area or cause more irritation, making it more difficult to heal,” they point out.
“A good lip balm must meet two key requirements, which we must check before purchasing it: it must guarantee a sun protection factor of no less than 15, and, on the other hand, it must contain vitamin E, which has antioxidant and skin-hydrating properties,” agree Gentleman Cosmetic and Dalire Cosmetics.
To relieve chapped lips, you can also use an HPA lanolin cream, which is designed to soothe and heal dry and cracked nipples in nursing mothers but is also recommended for the lip area, due to lanolin, a natural wax with skin-protecting and moisturizing properties.