Dry, chapped lips in the winter? Use lip balm but with care, and consider alternatives

In winter, the cold and wind can cause chapped lips. Lip balm can help, provided it contains the right substances. But you have options

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In winter, the cold and wind can cause chapped lips. A lip balm can help, says a dermatologist, but there are other options. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15pm, 17 Dec 2024

Are you among those who “never leave home without it” – lip balm, that is? For many people, it is always in a pocket or handbag, particularly in winter, when cold and wind can cause chapped lips.

German dermatologist Dr Uta Schlossberger explains why our lips get chapped, and when lip balm use can become a problem.

Our sebaceous glands produce an oily secretion, sebum, that hydrates the skin. Too little of it and the skin dries out.

The colder it is, the less sebum the lips’ sebaceous glands produce. This starts at temperatures of 8 degrees Celsius (46 degrees Fahrenheit) and below. And there are fewer sebaceous glands on the lips than on most other areas of the body .

Lip balm will make dry lips feel soft again, but it is not always your best friend when lips get chapped. Photo: Shutterstock

What is more, changes in temperature are challenging for the sebaceous glands. We go from outside, where the air is cold and damp, to inside, where there is dry, heated air. The sebaceous glands cannot keep up, and our lips dry out.

The general remedy for dry skin is to apply cream or salve. They should have the right ingredients, though.