Is your lip balm actually making your lips drier?
I think it’s safe to say that everyone has experienced dry lips at some point and it’s typically during the Winter months. Your lips are more prone to dryness that other areas because they lack a cover of sebum to protect them from the elements. It’s only natural to want to do two things to help: lick your lips and apply a lip balm. But did you know that one should definitely be avoided and the other might actually be causing dryness? Let’s explore.
According to Dr. Dennis Gross, board-certified dermatologist and dermatological surgeon, “As your saliva evaporates, it pulls from the remaining moisture that’s deep within your skin, and causes your lips to become drier.” He goes on to say “Saliva also has digestive enzymes that can break down the lips’ fragile barrier and cause cracking and peeling, and it quickly evaporates, leaving lips even drier, starting the menace cycle all over again.”
Your next course of action would naturally be to apply lip balm, right? Here’s the thing. Ingredients matter! Thankfully, lip balms can soothe irritated, chapped lips, but some chemicals, fragrances, and preservatives used to formulate lip balms can dry and irritate your lips even further.
Dr. Collins suggests running the other way when spotting any potential allergens in a formula, such as lanolin, parabens, phenol, or salicylic acid, because they can irritate sensitive skin. “Lanolin [a wax extracted from sheep’s wool] is a common additive, and it’s a major culprit for allergic contact dermatitis and irritant dermatitis,” the dermatologist says. The most important thing to look for in a lip balm is humectants, ingredients that reduce the loss of moisture. Our all-time favorites are beeswax and shea butter, which will shield your lips from dry, cold air and wind. Regularly using a very gentle exfoliant like a lip scrub, can also help in maintain healthy moisture levels.
There’s are tons of products out there that claim to help reduce dryness and many of them do work! You just have to be sure to check your ingredients and buy from trusted sources.
