You may be spending a significant amount of moolahs and time on keeping your skin in tip-toe condition, but have you been neglecting the part of your face that you actually use the most?

We’re talking about your lips—raise your hand, those of you who are guilty of neglecting lip care. Chapped lips are one of the most common complaints faced by women (and men) the world over, yet few are able to get to the root of the problem—it’s not just lip licking that causes dryness. In fact, sometimes your lip balm could be the problem behind dry and peeling lips.

There are benefits to keeping your lips healthy and moisturised. For one, lip colours glide on and stay on more easily. Secondly and most importantly, you get to be free of pain. So give your puckers the TLC they deserve today with our handy tip sheet.

Examine your diet

Salt and chilli are two common ingredients that can dry the lips out. In particular, when you have chips, salt that is left on your lips can draw moisture out. Also, your favourite sambal can be a cause of irritation to already compromised skin. If the peeling is getting out of hand, take a break from salty and spicy foods so your lips can heal. During this time, protect them with a thick coat of lip balm across the day.

What’s in your lip balm?

While lip balms are designed to protect, there are a plethora of common ingredients that can potentially irritate the skin. They include things like fragrance or flavouring, camphor, eucalyptus, menthol, salicylic acid and others. Here’s a tip: if you find your lips stinging upon applying the product, chances are you are sensitive to something in it.

Stop using the product and switch to a fragrance-free lip balm with these dermatologist-approved ingredients: shea butter, petrolatum or white petroleum jelly, hemp seed oil, ceramides. These ingredients are found to be less likely to irritate the lips. You can also look out for products that are “hypoallergenic”.

In the same vein, allergies or contact dermatitis (that lead to angry-looking lips) can also result from ingredients in the toothpaste, skincare and makeup or dental retainers. You may need to do a little CSI to figure out the real offender.

Mind the sun

UV rays can age the lips, just as they do to the rest of your skin. Get a lip balm with physical sunblock like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and reapply often to protect your lips from the sun.

It could be yeast

Those with an underbite or drool often during sleep may be more prone to yeast (or fungal) infection at the mouth area. This could mean seriously dry flaky skin around the mouth and there could even be small cracks—they can bleed—at the edges. If you suspect you have a yeast infection, visit your GP who can prescribe anti-fungal medicine to solve the problem.

There you have it, some of the most common root causes behind chapped lips. Give these a whirl to rule out other more serious issues like medical conditions and vitamin deficiencies that can also damage the puckers. If you liked this article, check out our blog for more nifty beauty tips!