1. Home
2. 
3. Beauty
4. 
6. 
7. Shhhh…Winter Lip Care Secrets are Here

Lips are soft structures that form the mouth by surface skin layer and blood vessels with smooth muscle layer. The lips are sensitive and soft and the edges of the lips are covered with reddish skin, with sensitive nerve endings, making it essential to take care of them especially in winters. Dr. Stuti Khare Shukla, the youngest dermatologist, spills winter lip care secrets.

Winter and cold conditions make the lips dry; the cold air and breeze cause them to dry faster and this affects blood flow. As lips are sensitive and soft with superficial nerve endings, it creates pain and cracks faster than in normal weather conditions.

Common Lip Disorders During Winter

1.) Chapped lips or cheilitis: These are swelling of the lips commonly caused by exposure to cold environments, allergies, sun exposure and frequent licking and biting of lips.

2.) Cold sores: This is a viral infection caused by the Herpes’s virus, a small sore formed around the border of lips, commonly caused due to unhygienic conditions, poor oral hygiene and lack of immunity.

3.) Perniosis: This is a seasonal condition most common in winters and cold environments, it causes the inflammation of the small blood vessels in lips followed by bluish-red discolouration of the skin that can cause pain, itching and burning sensations.

Available Treatment's to Fix Lips

1.) Lip moisturizer: Dry and cracked skin on lips will be fixed and commonly recommended moisturizers are white petroleum jelly based.

2.) Lip Balms with Sun protection factor 30: In winters, it is important to protect lips from the sun due to humidity and cold breeze. The chapped lips can trigger cold sores.

3.) Seeking dermatologist opinion: When your lips are not maintained properly and if any further allergic reaction, bacterial or viral infection, or something more serious makes your lips feel dry and uncomfortable, and cosmetically appears poor.

Lip Care Winter Remedies

1.) Using coconut oil and other oil-based lip balms moisturized skin and layer of lips and it also enhances as a protective barrier from harmful chemicals and dust.

2.) Using aloe vera gel also beneficial for chapped lips. The enzymes in aloe vera have mild exfoliating properties.

3.) Honey can help moisturize your lips and protect cracked lips from infection because it has an anti-inflammatory. It also works as a mild exfoliator and removes the dry, dead skin from your lips.

4.) Avoid biting rubbing, brushing and licking the lips, as saliva increases the dryness.

5.) Avoid lip balms that consist camphor, eucalyptus and menthol, these will give irritation. Always using oil-based lip balms are recommended.