Why are my lips so dry – How to care for dry, chapped lips

Published: July 2020

Last Reviewed: September 2025

Our lips are particularly prone to dryness and most of us suffer from dry and cracked lips at some point. Dry and cracked lips are uncomfortable, sometimes painful and – because our lips are always on show – they can make us feel self-conscious too.

 

This article outlines common dry lip skin concerns, identifies their causes and explains why lips need special care. Learn how you can soothe and repair chapped lips, as well as how to protect lips that are prone to dryness and cracking.

Many of us experience dry and cracked lips at some time or another, so the symptoms are well known.

There are three common dry lip skin concerns:

• Dry and/or cracked lips
• Cheilitis
• Lip-licking dermatitis

Chapped lips can often be troublesome and painful if left untreated, so it's important to follow good general hygiene of the lips and avoid things that may aggravate or cause them in the first place, such as not exposing them to the sun for too long without protection.

If you have dry, chapped lips, you may notice some symptoms of discomfort. These include:

• Cracks and dryness
• Sores and general soreness of the lips
• Scaliness and flakiness of the skin
• Bleeding
• Swelling

These symptoms can also be accompanied by pain and discomfort on or around the lips. The severity of these symptoms may vary, depending on the cause.

You may also notice that the sides of the lips are chapped, which is a condition called angular cheilitis. This develops when saliva gathers in the corners of your mouth, and once dried, they become cracked and chapped as a result.

There are several different underlying causes and triggers for dry, chapped or cracked lips. These include:

As some people are more prone to dry skin than others, some are more susceptible to dry and split lips.

Those with an underlying dry skin condition such as atopic dermatitis are more likely to suffer from dry and chapped lips. Some of us also lick our lips more frequently than others. This can cause lip-licking dermatitis, or just make dry lip symptoms worse. Avoid licking your lips too frequently as this can worsen the condition and prolong healing.

You are likely to be exposed to dry air both indoors and outdoors, which is a factor in causing dry lips. Dry air draws moisture away, which directly affects the lips and causes them to dry out.

Structure of skin varies on different parts of the body. The skin on our lips is thinner than elsewhere on our face making it more sensitive to the environment. 

The lips contain fat, muscle and are structured with mucous membrane and skin. Lip skin doesn’t have any sweat or sebaceous glands. These glands, present in most skin on our bodies, are responsible for producing the protective oils that help skin to regulate its moisture levels. This absence of sweat and sebaceous glands in our lips means it’s harder for them to attract and retain the moisture they need, which makes them prone to drying out. Another factor that makes the lips prone to dryness, is lips skin changes. As the skin ages, it gets thinner, meaning it retains less moisture.

Lip skin also contains fewer melanocytes. Melanocytes are the melanin-producing cells that give skin colour and help to protect it from the sun. Both these structural factors make lips more sensitive to the environment.

Our lips are constantly exposed to the environment. Changes in climate and weather conditions are a significant trigger of dry, cracked lips.

• During the hot summer months, both time in the sun and time indoors with drying air conditioning may cause lips to dry out. Chapped lips can be easily burned by the sun, which can lead to cold sores.
• Symptoms can be bad in the winter too: cold outdoor temperatures and icy cold winds, low air humidity indoors due to heating and moving regularly from the warm indoors to the cold outdoors all speed up moisture loss.

If your lips are exposed to the sun for extended periods of time, this can lead to a condition called actinic cheilitis. This condition typically affects the lower lip skin, causing it to be dry, fragile and thin with raised and thick sores.

People who spend a significant amount of time outdoors – either due to leisure pursuits or because of their jobs – are likely to suffer more than others.

Wearing a face mask can cause dry and chapped lips because the covering can trap moist breath around your lips. This close contact to skin, combined with a warm moist environment between the surfaces creates an opportunity for the skin to become irritated, blotchy and sore, leading to a condition colloquially called maskne. Ensuring you are hydrated, exfoliating your lips, choosing the right face mask and protecting the lips from UV exposure are all ways to prevent dry lips from face coverings.

Some medications can cause skin and lips to dry out and crack. Sometimes, dry lips can occur as a direct result of applying topical retinoids such as Tretinoin or Adapalene or taking oral Isotretinoin as part of their medical acne treatment. One of the common side effects of this is cracked and dry lips.

Other medications and supplements that can trigger dry lips include vitamin A, lithium and chemotherapy drugs.

Dry and chapped lips can be one of the many changes that a woman may experience whilst going through pregnancy. Hormonal fluctuations can cause some pregnant women to have drier skin and lips, therefore it's important to stay hydrated and moisturised to prevent and treat dry lips whilst pregnant.

One factor of dry, cracked lips can be from sunburn of the lips, which is caused by exposing the lips to the sun for too long. This can cause the lips to blister, crack and feel tender to the touch.

One of the most effective ways to soothe chapped lips is to apply a lip balm or lip moisturiser throughout the day and before going to sleep. Ensure your lip balm is non irritating and always wash your hands before using the lip balm. A tingling or burning sensation after application of the lip balm is not a sign of the balm working, as it is irritating your lips rather than supporting or soothing them.

Eucerin Acute Lip Balm features a unique combination of active ingredients to provide a highly effective dry lips treatment. Evening primrose oil helps regenerate the lips’ natural protective barrier, while Panthenol moisturises, regenerates and promotes healing. This comes in a handy applicator tube so it’s easy to apply.

 

The Acute Lip Balm has been specially formulated with soothing Licochalcone A to bring relief and reduce redness for people with lips that needs intensive care as a result of atopic dermatitis, lip lick eczema, cheilitis or dryness and cracking as a side effect of medical acne treatment. It comes in a handy applicator tube so it’s easy to apply.

It’s important to understand how to soothe lips when symptoms are more severe, especially when they start to crack. To help treat chapped or cracked lips, use the Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm, as it accelerates skin regeneration and is clinically proven to repair dry to very dry, cracked or irritated skin. This balm is uniquely formulated with Petrolatum (a skin protectant), Glycerin, and Panthenol to restore smooth, healthy skin.

Prevention is always better than cure. Follow these tips to prevent chapped lips, keeping them soft and smooth:

• Do not share lip balms with other people: This can spread bacteria and make you more susceptible to dry and cracked lips.
• Drink plenty of water and eat a well-balanced diet: Ensure you are incorporating healthy foods into your diet, especially foods high in important vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin D.
• Avoid habitual lip-licking: This can increase the likelihood of your lips drying out and cracking. It can also delay healing if your lips are already dry.
• Avoid wearing long-lasting lip sticks: These can cause lips to dry out over time, especially if used frequently.
• Don’t pick flaky skin on your lips: Like lip-licking, this can down the healing process if you suffer from dry lips. Instead, exfoliate your chapped lips to remove the dry skin, allowing lip balms to work more effectively.
• Avoid smoking: Tobacco consumption can cause irritation, cracks and dryness in the lips.
• Keep your lips covered as much as possible in cold and windy conditions: This helps to protect your lips from succumbing to cold air, which can cause cold sores to form.
• Avoid eating spicy foods if you have sensitive lips: These can irritate the skin and cause pain on the lips.
• Do not place metal objects such as jewellery or paperclips in between the lips: This can damage the skin on the lips, which can also become infected and inflamed if not treated promptly.
• Consider using a humidifier at home: These devices help remove moisture in the air.

Be on the lookout for things that seem to trigger symptoms for your lips and do your best to avoid them. Once your lips are dry or cracked, choose a moisturising lip balm that is clinically and dermatologically proven to soothe your lips, as well as being suited to your skin type and particular needs.

If your lips have become severely dry and cracked that doesn't improve with self-care treatments and prevention techniques, you should seek medical advice from a dermatologist. A dermatologist will be able to determine and test for cheilitis, which can be caused by a multitude of factors, including fungal infections and inflammatory diseases.