Ask The Beauty Editor: How Do I Heal My Dry, Chapped Lips?

One Viva reader writes in with a beauty dilemma.

Dear Ash,

Around this time every year, my lips become incredibly dry and flaky.

I love wearing lipstick often, but I find it makes my flaky lips far more noticeable, which makes me feel self-conscious.

Is there anything I can do to help get rid of the flakes for good?

From,

Flake It Till You Make It

Dear Flake It Till You Make It,

Believe it or not, chapped, flaky lips aren’t necessarily a seasonal issue. This fickle inch of skin can become dry and cracked at any time of year.

Despite our best efforts to keep lips smooth and hydrated (courtesy of the five lip balms lurking in the bottom of your handbag), treating chapped lips can feel like an endless battle.

Before we offer tips on treatment, we first have to talk about what causes chapped lips in the first place.

Inclement weather is a contributing factor, yes, but so too is sun exposure, harsh winds, dehydration, vitamin deficiencies (especially vitamin B), diet, frequent lip licking, some medications, or sensitivities to toothpaste, certain foods or ingredients in lip products.

With that said, it seems dry lips are inevitable at one stage of life or another. Thankfully, there are a handful of treatments to try to maintain moisture in your lips and prevent them getting to a cracked, painful state.

Incorporating an exfoliating lip scrub into your routine is a must, and helps gently slough away any dead skin cell build-up that may be contributing to your lips’ chapped appearance.

Try Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, $34, which is brimming with brown sugar crystals, shea butter and jojoba oil to banish flakes and leave lips hydrated.

Next, consider a lip serum containing well-known humectant hyaluronic acid to help lips retain their moisture and leave skin dewy and hydrated, no matter the time of year.

Or Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid + Peptide Lip Booster, $40, which cocktails hyaluronic acid with peptides and squalane to firm and hydrate lips.

Don’t have a lip serum with hyaluronic acid? Never fear - a regular facial serum containing the ingredient will work equally as well, just remember to apply it to skin that’s slightly damp for best results.

Seal in all of that goodness with a moisturising ointment that contains occlusive ingredients like plant butters and oils (think cocoa and shea butters or coconut oil) to help form a protective barrier over lips, helping to rehydrate them faster.

Otherwise, products containing hardworking hydrators like squalane, peptides and ceramides will also help to rehydrate and plump lips.

Consider La Mer’s The Lip Balm, $150, an emollient-rich balm said to help deeply nourish lips and fortify their natural moisture barrier to fend off any future environmental damage.

Another solid pick is Kiehl’s Lip Bam #1, $26, which combines squalane, aloe vera and vitamin E to soothe and smooth dry, dehydrated lips year-round.

Apply your ointment of choice throughout the day (careful not to overdo it) or try an overnight lip treatment like the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, $35, before bed and let it work its magic while you snooze.

The final step? When you apply SPF to the rest of your face in the morning, don’t forget your lips - and remember to reapply throughout the day. Yes, even in the middle of winter.

A handful of beauty brands boast standalone SPF lip formulas, including the Aesop Protective Lip Balm SPF30, $29, which serves a dual purpose in hydrating and nourishing lips while fending off harmful UVA rays thanks to its zinc oxide filters.

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