Lips Care Guide: 8 Natural Home Remedies for Chapped Lips

Chapped lips are a common condition that affects people of all ages, particularly during the winter season when the atmosphere is cool. We are more likely to experience dryness and cracking on our lips because they are delicate and thin. Dry, chapped lips can be uncomfortable and even painful, and they can lead to the development of cold sores and other infections if left untreated. In this article, we'll look at what causes chapped lips, why it's important to take good care of your lips, tips to take care of chapped lips, and some useful home remedies you can use to get rid of chapped lips and get smooth, soft lips.

What Causes Dry Lips?

Dry lips can be caused by a variety of factors, such as:

● Dehydration: When your body becomes dehydrated, it can end up causing your lips' skin to become dry and cracked.

● Weather: Dry, windy, and cold conditions can dehydrate your lips and cause them to become dry and chapped.

● Sun Exposure: UV rays from the sun can harm the skin on your lips, causing them to become dry and cracked.

● Lip Licking: When you lick your lips, it removes the natural oils of lips that keep them moisturized, making them more prone to dryness and cracking.

● Certain Medical Conditions: Dry and cracked lips can be a symptom of a number of medical conditions, including eczema, psoriasis, and some autoimmune diseases.

The Importance of Perfect Lip Care

Lip care is an important part of maintaining overall oral health. Dry, chapped lips can be uncomfortable, and can even become painful if left untreated.   Additionally, dry or chapped lips can lead to the emergence of cold sores and other infections, so it's important to take action to prevent and treat them.

Suggested Home Remedies for Dry Lips:

We generally use lip balms to coat our lips in order to protect them from harsh environmental conditions. They support maintaining moisture in the lips and halting further drying. The majority of lip balms on the market, regrettably, contain chemicals in their composition. Home remedies for cracked lips can also be made from a variety of natural ingredients. They can be implemented all day long as well as at night for a more focused course of treatment.

1. Virgin Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil possesses a number of properties that make it ideal be used as a lip balm. It moisturizes the lips' skin, preventing dryness, and helps give them a youthful look. Due to its potential for disinfecting and antimicrobial properties, it might even help with keeping lips free of germs and preventing infection. Additionally, it is simple to use because of its properties of easy spreading, smoothness, and stability at room temperature. It can be applied to our lips as often as necessary in the morning and at night by gently dabbing it there.

2. Shea Butter

Shea butter is a fat obtained from the African shea tree's nut. It is typically found as an ingredient in many moisturizers and is off-white or ivory in colour. Due to its semi-solid characteristics and buttery consistency, it functions as a rich moisturizer and softener for the skin, hair, and scalp. Additionally, it exhibits sun-screening activity, preventing sunburn. Shea butter can therefore be a perfect accompaniment to your winter lip care routine. It can be applied to the lips either directly or after being blended with other oils.

3. Kokum Butter

Kokum butter is manufactured using kokum seeds. It is a stable solid that represents hard butter. In the production of soaps, moisturizers, and cosmetics, kokum butter is used. It acts as a naturally occurring moisturizer to keep the skin silky, supple, and smooth. Therefore, it's a common go-to for treating extremely dry skin, lip fissures, and lip ulcerations. It can either be applied directly to dry or cracked lips or used to make homemade lip balms by combining it with other ingredients.

4. Cocoa Butter 

Cocoa butter is made from cocoa beans, which are the product's natural source. Cocoa beans also produce butter, which is rich in fat and has a creamy softness, in addition to the beloved chocolate that we all adore. Our lips receive intense hydration from it, and it also helps them heal when they become dry and chapped. Additionally, it includes antioxidants (free radical neutralizing compounds). In the manufacturing of lotions and lip balms, cocoa butter is utilized commercially. Additionally, it can be used to make homemade lip balms that can be applied to chapped lips. We can simply use it by combining it with another oil as well.

5. Olive Oil

Olive oil has been used for centuries in various countries around the world to treat skin problems. Studies on animals have revealed that olive oil has properties that are helpful for skin healing, such as significantly reducing oxidative stress (antioxidant), reducing inflammation (anti-inflammatory), and promoting skin regeneration. Olive oil can therefore also be used to treat cracked lips. It can be applied directly to chapped lips. It has also been suggested that olive oil be consumed by using it in cooking.

6. Sunflower Seed Oil 

Sunflower seed oil contains a significant amount of linoleic acid, which is a type of fatty acid. As linoleic acid has many advantageous properties for the skin, this makes it appropriate for use in a variety of skincare products. Sunflower seed oil has been shown in studies to hydrate the skin and aid in the maintenance of skin cell structure.  As a result, sunflower seed oil can be used as a home remedy for chapped lips. You can apply it directly or use it in cooking.

7. Beeswax

It is the wax produced by the bees, as the name implies. Skincare products often contain waxes of various types, with beeswax being one of the most popular. It is extremely beneficial in healing dry and chapped lips because it contains natural compounds (fats) that aid in moisture retention. Furthermore, it helps to protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays. Beeswax has protective properties that are popular among lip balm producers, especially for the sensitive skin on the lips. Beeswax can be applied to our lips after being mixed with a favorite oil. Natural beeswax can also be obtained and used without any additives. Be careful; if you are a vegan, you may choose to avoid using beeswax.

8. Honey

Honey is another by-product of bee labor, honey is renowned for its countless applications in medicine. For a very long time, people have used honey to treat various skin conditions. It is used to treat cuts and wounds since it promotes skin cell repair and antimicrobial activity against a variety of microorganisms (antimicrobial activity). Honey is widely used in skincare products. Due to its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties, honey can be used topically to treat dry, chapped lips.

Conclusion:

With increased awareness, almost everyone now ensures to maintain a skincare regimen, as they should, but we frequently forget to take care of our lips. By using simple and direct DIY remedies made from natural ingredients like shea butter, virgin coconut oil, honey, etc., we can shield our lips from dryness and stop them from becoming chapped. As a result, take good care of your skin and do not carelessness your lips.