Having dry or chapped lips can be very painful and unattractive. Causes for chapped lips can be many, such as dehydration, allergic reaction, smoking, licking the lips too much, harsh weather, vitamin deficiency or over exposure to sun and the symptoms are cracking, flaking, sore or tender lips, redness and dryness.
There are many over the counter medications and lip balms on the market, but if you make your own natural remedy at home it can save you lots of money and exposure to harsh chemicals.
Here I will give you some advices on how to use natural ingredients to moisturize your cracked lips.
1. Apply honey to your cracked lips
You can use raw, organic honey as home remedy for your cracked lips because it has great healing properties. It’s not just soothing, but it is also an antibacterial agent and can help you cleanse your lips and prevent infections. All you need to do is apply a small amount on your lips several times a day. To be able to use it regularly, buy an empty lip balm container and fill it with organic honey.
2. Drink plenty of water
First of the signs that you are dehydrated is dry skin and this also includes dry lips. By drinking lots of water throughout the day you can easily prevent dry lips, and this especially applies in the colder months when you would rather sip on warm coffee which is a diuretic and can cause dehydration and dry lips. If you drink enough water you will keep your skin and lips healthy and elastic.
3. Apply Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera with its natural anti-inflammatory and soothing properties can help you relive the pain and get rid of the cracked skin of your dry lips. At the same time, it has hygroscopic properties, which means that aloe vera absorbs moisture and keeps the lips hydrated and smooth. You can use aloe vera by applying it of the whole leaf or as a gel. Apply it by using your finger or a Q-tip and use it as many times as you need throughout the day.
4. Coconut oil or natural oils as a natural lip balm
Coconut oil has many skin soothing and anti-inflammatory properties so it’s great to cure your dry lips. Use the coconut oil simply by applying a small amount on your lips whenever you feel it necessary.
For chapped lips you can also use other natural oils such as olive oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil. Jojoba oil is rich in vitamins E and B complex and several minerals, so it’s ideal for skin care because it’s chemically similar to the skin’s natural oil. To make your own natural lip balm with jojoba oil, just melt and blend 2 teaspoons of jojoba oil and 2 teaspoons of beeswax over a double boiler on low heat, pour the mixture into a small glass container and leave it to cool.
5. Cocoa butter, Shea Butter or Mango Butter
Cocoa butter is a great skin moisturizer and will help you heal your skin for sure and at the same time it’s a great source of natural antioxidants and can help you slow down the aging proces.
Shea butter can be also used to soften and moisturize the skin and mango butter is rich in oleic and stearic fatty acids as well as omega-9 which are great for softening your skin.
All of these natural butters are emollients, which means that they can soften or soothe the skin, and are frequently used to heal chapped lips.
Melt 2 tablespoons of natural butter and coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of beeswax over a double boiler on low heat and mix well to make your own natural butter lip balm. Put this mixture into a small glass container, let it cool and it’s ready to use.
Here are some additional tips for preventing chapped lips naturally:
*Don’t lick your lips – Avoid licking your lips, because it dries your lips even more because when your saliva starts to dry, it takes more moisture from your lips.
*Don’t peel your chapped lips – don’t peel the chapped skin off with your fingers, because it can cause rips or tearing. Instead of doing this, just gently wipe the dead skin off with a soft brush or a cotton ball soaked in warm water and apply some natural ingredient to soften them.
*Try to breathe through your nose – try to breathe through your nose because the breath on your lips can dry them even more.
*Apply sunscreen on your lips – always apply sunscreen on your lips before going out, even in the winter, because it can prevent dry lips from sun damage.