How to Keep Lips Hydrated

If you’ve ever suffered from chapped or dry lips, you know the struggle can be real. Our lips are unique in that they don’t have oil glands, so they are more susceptible to dryness. The skin is also thinner and more delicate than other areas of the face and body. Having a lip care routine that keeps your lips hydrated and smooth, and keeps those cracked peeling winter woes away, is so important.

How To Keep Lips Hydrated

Keeping your lips hydrated throughout the seasons when experiencing temperature changes is key. Having dry cracked lips can be painful, while also making you self-conscious of how you look with peeling skin. And it can sometimes lead to infection, which is something we definitely want to avoid.

If you want to keep dry lips at bay, having a lip care system is key to protecting and hydrating. Once you understand what can cause dry lips, and how to keep your lips hydrated, you can create a lip care routine you can stick to that keeps your lips looking and feeling their best.

What Causes Dry Lips

Your lips are a highly sensitive area that is susceptible to environmental factors, temperature changes, sun exposure and more. Thanks to having no oil glands, and thin, delicate skin, many things can easily cause your lips to become dry. Here are a few major causes that will pull moisture out causing dry, cracked lips.

• Cold or dry weather – low humidity will pull moisture from your lips
• Harsh winds – strong or cold winds can strip natural moisture away
• Frequent lip licking – this may feel good initially, but saliva evaporates quickly and makes your lips drier
• Dehydration – not drinking enough water can show up as dry lips
• Sun exposure – lips can get sunburned just like skin, thanks to UV rays
• Breathing through your mouth – especially while sleeping
• Certain medications – Acutane, retinoids and allergy meds can suck the moisture out of your skin
• Environmental changes – traveling to a new destination with different moisture levels can easily cause your lips to be drier

Some of these are avoidable like a lip-licking habit, or breathing through your mouth. And some are simply unavoidable like the weather. No matter which issues may be causing your dry lips, there are products and tips to stay hydrated.

What Do Hydrated Lips Look Like

Hydrated lips should appear smooth, a little plump, and free of cracks. You should see a nice natural soft sheen too. No flakiness or fine cracks, just smooth skin. This is the goal, and we can achieve it even if we’re struggling with cold dry weather!

How To Keep Your Lips Hydrated

Prevention is really one of the best ways to keep your lips from becoming dry. So to keep your lips hydrated and protected, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Avoid Lip Licking

Some habits need to change if they’re causing you discomfort. Avoid lip licking to keep your lips from drying out. Keep your lips soft and hydrated by applying lip balm throughout the day to keep you from licking your lips.

Use a Humidifier

With the dry winter months, or living in a dry climate like the desert, a humidifier at your bedside is key for lip health. Adding moisture to the air will help your skin become more hydrated while you sleep. The Carepod humidifier is my personal favorite and one of my best skincare tips for cold weather.

Try Mouth Tape If You’re A Mouth Breather

At night, breathing through your mouth can cause your lips to become super dry. Try using mouth tape at night to encourage breathing through the nose. And be sure to add a nighttime lip mask to protect your delicate skin.

Regular Application Of Lip Products

To keep your lips looking and feeling their best, regular application of a hydrating lip product is key. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin or aloe. You can then lock this in with an occlusive product like Vaseline or Aquaphor. These occlusive products will not provide moisture, but they lock in moisture underneath. If you’re currently suffering from dry cracked lips, you’ll want to use an emollient to help repair the skin.

Protect Your Lips From The Environment

If you’re heading outside in the dry, windy weather, or live in a dry desert like area, you’ll want to protect your lips from the environment to avoid dryness and chapping. Before leaving the house, it’s essential to apply a lip product that adds moisture, and then one over top to seal it in. It can also be helpful to cover your lips from the elements with a scarf or balaclava when in the harsh winds or dry weather.

If you’re in the sun at all, it’s also essential to protect your lips from UV rays. Sunburns can easily happen on your lips and cause them to be red, irritated and peel. Use a lip balm with spf when out in the sun for extended hours. You may think a face sunscreen is enough, but if you’re at the beach all day long, or on the mountains for hours, your lips should be protected with an SPF lip product specifically.

If you’re traveling, you’ll want to keep lip care in mind. Airplanes are super dry, and I always add a hydrating balm and Vaseline on top before boarding. These are some of my travel skincare tips to help ensure your skin and lips survive temperature and humidity changes.

Stay Hydrated

If you are avoiding drinking water, and not keeping your body hydrated from the inside, this can cause your lips to also become dry. Drink plenty of water to keep your body, inside and out, hydrated.

What To Use To Hydrate Lips

While protecting your lips, adding an SPF, and avoiding lip licking, lip biting and the like will help to keep your lips from getting dry, here are the products to use to hydrate your lips and manage cracked or peeling skin.

Occlusives For Cracked Lips Like Vaseline or Aquaphor

Occlusives are a protective barrier that help to lock in existing moisture and protect from wind and cold. They can help to strengthen the skin barrier, too. Occlusives include products like Vaseline and Aquaphor. These products don’t add any moisture, but they lock in moisture and protect.

Humectants That Hydrate

Humectants are going to be products that help to pull water into the skin. These are best for already dehydrated lips, fine lines, and prevention. Think of these as your daily lip product you apply first. For ingredients, look for hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe. You can then put a layer of Vaseline or Aquaphor on top to seal that all in.

Exfoliants To Remove Dead Skin

Many people may think an exfoliant is needed once you have hit that dry cracked peeling stage of dry lips. But you’ll want to avoid harsh exfoliants which can tear the skin further, slow healing and worsen the dryness. Instead, exfoliants are really great for if you just have a bit of loose, flaky skin. Think peeling skin that catches on lipstick or maybe dry patches after you’ve already hydrated. Exfoliating once a week is all you need, or right before a lip stain application

If using an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells, look for a lip scrub that has some grit to it, something like a sugar scrub. Or even a chemical exfoliant, something with AHA in it. Try exfoliating your lips only once a week, as over-exfoliating is actually a major cause of lip dryness.

Emollients Will Soften And Repair Lips

If your lips are officially cracked and peeling, you’ll want to use emollients. These will help to soften and repair your lips, almost like a conditioner for your lips. Look for ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, ceramids and fatty oils like jojoba or squalane. These will help to repair your lips over time. You can then add on top of a protective barrier like Vaseline or Aquaphor.

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Taking care of your lips to keep them soft and looking their best is all about hydrating from the inside out, proper protection, and using the right products. I hope this guide on how to keep your lips hydrated helps you fine-tune your lip care routine and find products that work for your lip concerns.