How can I heal my chapped lips?

July 8, 2005 10:57 AM

My lips have been extremely chapped lately.

I'm guessing it's from all the time I've spent in the sun this summer. I've been using Burt's Bees Lip Balm for the last few years (which I LOVE), but lately it hasn't seem to be doing the trick and my lips are far more chapped than they have ever been before. So I guess I have two questions:

1. Does the Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Lip Balm have SPF protection in it? It says it's "weatherproof", but there doesn't seem to be a mention of SPF. I know there are other brands of chapstick that offer SPF protection, but I'd really like to stick with Burt's Bees if I can.

2. Is there something better I could be using, at least to temporarily heal the chapping? Has anyone tried the new Neosporin Lip Treatment?

posted by geeky to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (16 answers total)

It's possible that you're relatively dehydrated. Always makes my lips more chapped. Try lots of water.
posted by callmejay at 11:31 AM on July 8, 2005

I second callmejay's advise.
posted by elderling at 11:55 AM on July 8, 2005

Er... advice.
posted by elderling at 11:58 AM on July 8, 2005

Response by poster: I've been drinking lots of water since I know that helps (and it's pretty much all I drink), but my lips are still really chapped. I'm thinking maybe I burned them from laying out in the sun?
posted by geeky at 12:12 PM on July 8, 2005

The last time my lips were severely cracked, upon a couple of recommendations from mothers with nursing newborns I tried Lansinoh, which is made for breastfeeding mothers to heal cracked nipples. It's essentially made from a very pure lanolin, so the texture is kind of sticky and gross, but it worked wonders for my chapped lips. A tiny bit goes a long way, so get the smallest tube you can find. You can find it at most drug/department stores where infant/nursing products are sold.

For regular lip balm, I swear by Labello when I can get it. It's not available here in the U. S., but you can order it online here. Or just have Canadian or English friends send you some...
posted by Dr. Zira at 12:41 PM on July 8, 2005

Possibly, stop using lip balm.

If you lip balm contains phenol, camphor, menthol, peppermint oil or eucalyptus, it's most likely making your lips more chapped than not. All of these compounds irritate your skin, even though they provide a "cool" feeling. Your balm should list any of these on the packaging under "active ingredients" if it does. Other "balms", like Blistex, are simply waxes that don't soothe your lips, they just coat them.

Just Say No!
posted by bonehead at 12:46 PM on July 8, 2005 [1 favorite]

City slicker asks the Vermont farmer what to do about his chapped lips, looking for a downeast remedy.

Farmer tells him to smear cow crap on his lips.

"That cures chapped lips??", he asks.

"No", says the farmer, "but it will keep you from licking them.
posted by GernBlandston at 12:56 PM on July 8, 2005

Best answer: The Burt's Bees Lifeguard's Friend does include SPF. I don't like it, though - it's a different texture and taste than the regular stuff, and it turns my lips white (which makes people think I'm wearing lipstick I bought in 1980).
Dr. Zira's recommendation of Labello is a good one.
posted by Coffeemate at 1:16 PM on July 8, 2005

I've gotten a minor sunburn on the lips. Very unpleasant.

I am a fan of Lip Rescue from Desert Essence - smells like a creme-sicle!

Also, I didn't think I'd be the first to post it, but there's the Lip Balm Annonymous page (I still don't know if it's "for real" or not).
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 1:39 PM on July 8, 2005

I've used Vitamin E capsules on chapped lips before. Break open the capsule and smear the goop on your lips. It's pretty sticky stuff so usually I'd just use it before going to bed.
posted by Melinika at 2:21 PM on July 8, 2005

Pure lanolin. If it's too "sticky and gross," you can cut it with sesame oil: Heat the oil gently and stir in the lanolin, cool before applying. About 1/1. That makes it smell slightly less weird, too.
posted by bricoleur at 3:31 PM on July 8, 2005

I used to be a huge fan of the Burt's Bees balm, but Jack Black Lip Balm has proven to be far, far superior - and it's spf 25.
posted by sluggo at 3:42 PM on July 8, 2005

Nose oil. This actually works.
posted by breath at 3:44 PM on July 8, 2005

Best answer: I tried everything in the book- including Burt's Bees- 'till I got hooked up with Bag Balm, originally used by Vermont farmers to keep cow teats from getting chapped. Now that's a customer testimonial. Just don't think "udders" when you slather it on at night.

And the portable product that worked like a dream during the day through the harsh harsh winter was the lip balm made by Neosporin. Odd, yes, but it cleared things up within a day or two. However, neither of these products have sunscreen, and if you're physically active you should use some extra sun protection when you are out on the slopes or your bike or your cliff face.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 4:06 AM on July 9, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks everyone. I discovered that the Burt's Bees has both lanolin and vitamin e in it - good to know! I think I'll get some of the Neosporin lip balm for now, and look into some of these other products for SPF protect when I'm in the sun.
posted by geeky at 8:10 AM on July 9, 2005

Probably too late but:

Herbal Answer by Blistex might work for you. Although I normally use Burt's Bees (used to be hard to find in Canada, now it's all over the place), I've used Herbal Answer and it does a nice job.
posted by deborah at 1:21 AM on July 10, 2005