Easy Tips to Prevent & Cure Dry Chapped Lips This Winter

The cold weather has arrived and in London, we’ve even got snow scheduled for tomorrow, which for the UK is a big deal!

It couldn’t be better timing! With the kids home, and everything else closed, there really isn’t much to keep them busy with. Snow is a welcomed change and I hope it really does come. You can never really rely on the English weather!

With the cold weather comes the disadvantage of dry skin. It’s a side effect you can’t run away from, if you stay indoors it’s the heating drying you out, and outdoors it’s the frigid cold. Looking after your skin in the winter is super important.

Lips tend to get dry quicker than other parts of the body simply because they are exposed all the time and because the skin on the lips is thinner. This makes the lips more sensitive and in need of more TLC!

I’ve put together the best tips and tricks on the internet to keep your lips soft and hydrated throughout the cold winter months!

Easy Tips to Prevent & Cure Dry Chapped Lips This Winter

1. Don’t lick your lips

Not licking your lips when you have dry lips is really a catch-22. The more chapped your lips are, the more likely you are to lick them. The reason you do this is that all of us subconsciously think that by licking them, we’re adding moisture, thereby, softening them.

This couldn’t be further from the truth! The truth is, the more you lick your lips, the more you are drying them out! Saliva only adds temporary relief but in the long run, dries out the lips more.

I know it’s a hard one, but try not to lick your dry lips, you’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes!

2. Use a chapstick

Using chapstick may sound a little too obvious and perhaps it is. The trouble is many of us forget to carry one around with us!

Put one in your handbag or coat pocket now, that way when you’re out next and your lips are bothering you, instead of attempting to lick your lips, use your chapstick that’s in easy reach. Check out these colour-changing lip balms by Too Faced! They’re cute and fun!

3. Stay hydrated

Keeping your body hydrated inside and out is extremely important throughout the year. Because we don’t get as thirsty in the winter as we do in the summer, drinking water is often overlooked.

One of the first places to feel the change is your lips. So stay hydrated even during the winter months, not only will it help your lips but it will also help the rest of your body!

4. Use an overnight mask

Most have heard of overnight masks for the face, but lips masks aren’t quite as popular yet. They really should be though, they are the magic trick to getting soft lips!

An overnight lip balm works a lot like an overnight facial mask. Over the course of the night, the ingredients seep into your lips giving your lips the hydration and vitamin boost that they need.

5. Stick to natural ingredients

Stick to natural ingredients for lip care

Use lip balms and lipsticks with ingredients that are good for you. Avoid the ones which contain alcohol, alcohol may give short-term relief to your lips, but in the long run, it dries out your lips quicker.

Use products that are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic, even if you don’t suffer from allergies. When it comes to ingredients, less is more. Look out for natural oils and butter in the ingredient list.

Check out my review on Milk Makeups Pride Edition Kush Lipbalm. It’s good for your lips and sparkly too!

6. Don’t pick the dry skin

This is another one of those amazing tips that’s a lot easier said than done! Actually, it’s one that I need to keep reminding myself of too. It’s an instinct to pick at dried skin, especially on the lips.

You may get the false feeling of it helping, but in the long run, it does more harm than good. Picking your flaky lips can open the skin more and create other lip problems like cold sores. Stick to your lip balm!

7. Use a lip scrub

You need to exfoliate your face regularly, so too, your lips benefit from regular exfoliation. Don’t exfoliate more than twice a week or you risk undoing any benefits that the exfoliation does.

You can use natural ingredients like sugar and honey. All you need to do is mix the 2 together, rub gently on damp lips and then wash off.

8. Protect your lips outside

Cover your lips when you’re out and about in the cold. This can be anything from a scarf to your favourite hydrating lipstick. There are loads of lipsticks that are hydrating on the lips and won’t dry them out.

Covering your lips protects them from the cold and wind and what better way to protect your lips than with your favourite lipstick?!

Give your lips a boost of moisture with Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Lip Oil Crystal Elixir! Read my review here!

My Thoughts

Looking after your lips can be quite a chore but it doesn’t need to be so! The trick is to start looking after your lips before they get dry and chapped. Prevention is always easier than curing. Follow these simple tips to prevent dry and chapped lips this winter.

Please note: if your lips stay chapped for a long time with none of these tips helping you may need a doctor to look at them. There can be underlying conditions that can be causing it, so seeking professional help is a must.

I hope these tips have helped you and your lips this winter! Let me know in the comments which tips have helped you the most!

Hollie xx