It is typically during winter, when the air becomes drier and the epidermis is subjected to significant temperature variations, that lips dry out and become chapped. However, this phenomenon can also persist throughout the year, depending on your skin type. To know what to do to remedy this, follow the guide.
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Chapped lips all year round: what solutions should be adopted?
Summary
- Rebuild your hydrolipidic barrier
- Apply lip balm several times a day
- Drink plenty
- Monitor the temperature of your home
Published February 14, 2024,
by
Stéphanie, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences
—
5 min read
Topics:
Rebuild your hydrolipidic barrier.
If your lips are chapped all year round, it's a sign that your hydrolipidic barrier is not performing its protective function. This could be due to several factors such as the use of fragranced or overly astringent products on this particularly sensitive area of your face. In order to rebuild, this area requires gentleness during makeup removal, which is best optimised with a makeup removal oil. This will remove the accumulation of impurities (from pollution, dead cells) and makeup, while maintaining the protective film of your lips intact.
Another hypothesis: Paraffin! While it is considered the solution for combating all sorts of skin dryness - including chapping - it is a component that is far from natural and is not absorbed by the skin. The greasy film it leaves indeed provides an immediate sense of comfort but suffocates the epidermis and its renewal mechanisms. One good practice to adopt: leave jojoba oil or shea butter on the skin in the form of a mask for a few hours. These will provide a significant and necessary lipid source for the preservation of the skin barrier.
Apply lip balm several times a day.
The lip balm remains the best substantial ally in the fight against chapped lips, in both winter and summer. However, it's crucial to choose the right one. Firstly, it should only contain clean ingredients and none derived from any form of petroleum. It is also important that it can both hydrate and nourish the lips simultaneously.
Drink plenty.
Dehydration can occur when the skin is exposed to drastic temperature changes or unsuitable local treatments, but it can also originate from within. On average, your body needs 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day to meet all its needs. When these needs are not met, the body will draw from its own water reserves. It is through this process that the skin becomes dry and lips start to chap. Therefore, always keep a bottle of water (or a more eco-friendly flask) within reach to be able to quantify the volume of water consumed throughout the day.
Monitor the temperature of your home.
If the temperature of your interior environment is too high, it will trigger a process of perspiration and thus water loss. An ideal thermostat should be set between 19 degrees for the kitchen, living room and bedroom, and 22 degrees for the bathroom. Beyond this, your body draws from its own resources, and dries out the most vulnerable areas of your epidermis.
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