Image of a female model with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing red winter gloves with snow flurries shown behind and white font text inside a blue text box.

All about chapped lips

Chapped lips are very common, especially during the winter months. Knowing the steps to take to prevent them is crucial to keeping lips smooth and beautiful.

DRY LIPS: CAUSES AND PREVENTION

Having dry, chapped lips can be uncomfortable. Besides their unsightly appearance, chapped lips can make it difficult – even painful – to smile, talk, and laugh. This is why the key is to know how to prevent your lips from getting chapped in the first place. Keep reading to learn how to keep your lips soft and smooth.

EVERYDAY CAUSES OF CHAPPED LIPS

Everyone suffers from sore, peeled lips sometimes – it’s more common than you might think and you may not even know how your lifestyle could be contributing to the issue.

Leading a busy, hectic lifestyle is common, but too much stress can take its toll on the thin and delicate skin on your lips. Being constantly on the go and not stopping to relax can leave your lips feeling sore and under-nourished. 

Chapped lips causes include dry air, stress, and dehydration. As the saying goes, what you put into your body is what will define how it looks on the outside. Experts recommend drinking about two litres of water per day (or eight glasses), which will keep your cells hydrated, and your lips looking smooth. Applying an external lip moisturizer is also helpful. If you’re looking for the best lip balm to keep your lips moist, consider trying NIVEA Soothing Care lip balm. It provides long-lasting protection against dryness, preventing lip dehydration. It also helps alleviate cracked lips and lip soreness due to dryness.


View of a female model wearing a white hat and scarf and a grey sweater while smiling against a white background.

YOUR LIPS ARE SENSITIVE TO THE COLD

The winter months can take their toll on your lips, leaving them cracked and dry. Extremely cold temperatures, wind and low humidity strip them of their moisture, so replenishing it with a good lip balm is essential.

Though the temperatures may have dropped, your exposed skin still needs to be protected from the sun! A lip sunscreen like NIVEA Sun Lip Care with SPF 30 shields the delicate skin on your lips from damaging UBA/UVB sunrays.


THE BEST WAYS TO HELP PREVENT CHAPPED LIPS

Here’s some good news: chapped lips aren’t inevitable! We’ve compiled some tips on how to keep your lips happy.
View of a female model with pink nail polish applying a Nivea chapstick to her lips.

LIP CARE –KEEPING LIPS SMOOTH AND HEALTHY

As the skin on your lips is much thinner and more delicate than the rest of the skin on your face, it needs special care to stay healthy.

When it comes to treating chapped lips, exfoliation is key. Remove flaky, dry skin by regularly using a lip exfoliator like NIVEA 2-IN-1 MOISTURE + SCRUB ALOE VERA lip scrub.


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TAKE CARE WHEN YOU DO YOUR FACE ROUTINE

When you do your regular face care routine, take special care around your lip area. Use a lip balm for dry lips like NIVEA Soothing Care lip balm and apply it frequently to keep lips feeling wonderful. 

View of a female model with brown hair and pink coloured lips smiling while staring off into the distance.

5 QUICK TIPS FOR DRY LIPS

  • Never pick at flaky skin on your lips
  • Skip the matte lip sticks and choose more moisturising products
  • When it comes to food, reduce citrus fruits, spicy food and too much salt
  • Try wearing a scarf around your mouth when it’s very cold
  • Always remove lipstick before going to sleep

THE DOS AND DON’TS FOR PREVENTING CHAPPED LIPS

Do’s:

  • Do stay hydrated
  • Do try and breathe through your nose and not your mouth
  • Do use a humidifier to keep moisture levels up in the room

Don’ts:
  • Do not lick your lips excessively
  • Do not go outside on a cold day without using a good lip balm
  • Do not forget to use an SPF lip balm to protect against the sun

HOW TO FIND THE BEST LIP BALM FOR MY CHAPPED LIPS?

There are a range of products on the market to help repair and nourish chapped lips. Whether you’re looking for a quick-absorbing lip balm, or one with a shinier look, NIVEA has a variety of options.

A lip balm like NIVEA Hydro Care absorbs quickly, but still provides long-lasting protection and will leave your lips feeling wonderfully soft. If having a hint of colour is more your thing, NIVEA Strawberry Shine lip balm could be just what you’re looking for.

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View of a male model wearing a yellow winter hat and jacket and a female model wearing a red winter hat and jacket kissing outdoors with a snow covered forest background.

DON’T LET CHAPPED LIPS STOP YOU FROM KISSING

Having a good lip care routine should keep chapped lips away so that you can enjoy kissing your partner with your smooth lips whenever you please – kiss away!

View of a Nivea Watermelon Shine Duo Lip Balm product overtop a rose petal covered background.

KNOW WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL HELP

If your chapped lips are particularly persistent or painful despite having good lip care, it’s best to see your doctor immediately. Severerly chapped lips could be an indication of other medical issues, and it’s always a good idea to get it checked out early.