Does Lip Balm Dry Out Your Lips? Dermatologists Weigh In

Not all lip balms help soothe dry lips. Some lip balms can make dryness worse. Staying hydrated can help lips stay hydrated.

“You have to be very careful when choosing a [lip balm] because some can make dry lips worse,” said Shari Lipner, MD, PhD, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. Health.

Lip products containing certain ingredients, as well as fragrances, can contribute to dryness, especially in winter. They can be especially harmful to people who apply lip balm multiple times a day, said Michele Green, MD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist based in New York City. Health.

“There is no rule of thumb for how often you should apply [lip balm]”Green said.”[Lip balm] should be applied to lips when they are dry or chapped and can be reapplied throughout the day, [but certain] ingredients may cause increased dryness if overused.

“Unlike the rest of our body, our lips do not contain any oil glands and cannot produce moisture,” Green said. For this reason, she recommends trying a lip oil if you have dry lips.

“[Lip balms] keep lips hydrated by creating a barrier between your lips and the environment,” she explained, “allowing for increased moisture retention, [but] these products do not penetrate the lips to add moisture.

Some other lip products can also help with dryness.

“Lip balms containing occlusives such as petroleum jelly or shea butter can help prevent moisture loss throughout the day, [and] Using a lip mask in the evening with hydrating ingredients is also great for providing intense hydration overnight,” Green said.

Green recommends looking for lip products with the following ingredients:

• Hyaluronic acid
• Vaseline
• Shea butter
• Beeswax
• Vitamin E

“Hyaluronic acid is a powerful humectant that can hold up to a thousand times its weight in water to attract moisturizer to the lips,” Green said.

“Vaseline, shea butter and beeswax are occlusive agents that lock in moisture to prevent water loss, [and] Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects lips from free radical damage due to UV exposure.

It’s also important to choose a lip product with a minimum of SPF 15 to protect your lips from sun damage, Green added.

Ingredients to avoid

Some ingredients can dry out and damage lips if applied repeatedly.

You should avoid lip products containing the following ingredients:

• Phenol
• Menthol
• Salicylic acid
• Lanolin

Lipner explained that products with certain scents or flavors, such as vanilla or cinnamon, can also be harmful.

Using lip balm or other lip products isn’t the only way to keep your lips from being too dry, Green said.

“Facial moisturizers can help keep the skin around the lips hydrated and can also be used in small amounts on the lips for added hydration,” she explained.

Staying hydrated — by drinking enough water — can also help, as can using a humidifier in your home, Green said.

And although you might be tempted to lick your lips if they’re dry, you shouldn’t do it. “Avoid licking your lips, as the saliva evaporates more quickly and can actually dry out the lips,” Lipner said.