Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Help! Why are my lips so dry and cracked?

27 replies

LicoriceComfit · 01/10/2022 18:00

I always feel on the point of cold sores, my lips are peeling and the skin around them dry and red way beyond the lip line.

does anyone have any amazing solutions?

my lips do get triggered by salt or tomato based sauces, so I generally avoid them, but any suggestions would be very welcomed.

OP posts:
Goforgo · 01/10/2022 18:23

Could be a nutrient deficiency?

Original poster
LicoriceComfit · 01/10/2022 18:28

Goforgo · 01/10/2022 18:23

Could be a nutrient deficiency?

interesting - any idea how u would be tested for that?

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 01/10/2022 18:33

Dehydrated?
do you work somewhere with air con?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Skin conditions
OhGingleBells · 01/10/2022 18:34

Try upping your water intake significantly before anything else! If I’m not drinking enough mine get like that and no amount of lip balm helps!

If not, have you changed toothpaste recently? That can trigger lip problems too.

Original poster
LicoriceComfit · 01/10/2022 18:36

I could do with more water. That’s a good shout.no to aircon.

and interesting re toothpaste, some certainly make my lips tingle more than feels healthy!

OP posts:
whereamu · 01/10/2022 18:40

I was going to say tomatoes.
Could include any Citric acid type fruit too.
Could try savlon or blistez to heal them.
Boots (no.7) do a lovely lip healing cream. Nice to put on before bed.
I have about 5 lipsils in the winter in all coat pockets, car and bags. Never without my lipsil to protect my lips from the winter cold.

lannistunut · 01/10/2022 18:41

I use lansinoh on my lips when they get very sore, this helps.

Original poster
LicoriceComfit · 01/10/2022 18:44

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
BerriesOnTop · 01/10/2022 18:45

Do you breathe through your mouth or nose? Mouth breathing dries out the lips

PortalooSunset · 01/10/2022 18:45

Drink more water. I have to have around 3 litres a day or mine do the same.

Original poster
LicoriceComfit · 01/10/2022 18:48

BerriesOnTop · 01/10/2022 18:45

Do you breathe through your mouth or nose? Mouth breathing dries out the lips

Nose breathing I think.

I do sleep hypnotherapy at night which encourages breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, and I cannot master the mouth at all!

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 01/10/2022 18:50

If you are sensitive to toothpaste, try a dry mouth toothpaste, available at the pharmacy.

They don't have the foaming ingredient in, and it's the foaming that dries you out.

tibradden · 01/10/2022 18:55

PortalooSunset · 01/10/2022 18:45

Drink more water. I have to have around 3 litres a day or mine do the same.

And me. As I’ve got older. I need more water

Moonshine5 · 01/10/2022 18:56

Looks like perioral dermatitis. There are several helpful threads on Mumsnet if you use search function

Squashpocket · 01/10/2022 18:56

I always get this when we put the central heating on for the first time after the summer, so it's environmental for me.

I use Vaseline. Lansinoh is also good.

strangelyenough · 01/10/2022 19:02

I work outside and get very dry and cracked lips every year about this time then through the winter the best thing I have found is the small white tubes of Blistex. Heals the lips really fast and they have a new lip infusions stick out that I've been using for a week and it's keeping them from cracking.

ofwarren · 01/10/2022 19:05

My son used to get this and his dermatologist said it can be a zinc deficiency.

Yohohaha · 01/10/2022 19:09

More water, change toothpaste, and use body shop hemp lip balm. Winner for me!

Malariahilaria · 01/10/2022 19:11

I've found that moisturizing my lips with a light face cream, lots of it, then waiting until that is soaked in then slathering almond oil top really helps.

Muststopeating · 01/10/2022 19:15

My lips have been a nightmare for months a few times over the last few years. I've never figured it out. Could be seasonal. But they've been absolutely fine for a while now and I did change toothpastes because I was getting mouth ulcers.

Try a toothpaste without SLS (that's the foaming ingredient). Most (but not all) Sensodyne don't have it.

Made all the difference to my ulcers and possibly my lips too.

lochmaree · 01/10/2022 19:35

someone I know got similar and found out she's allergic to anything with petroleum based ingredients and cetearyl alcohol. it took her months or maybe years to find that out. she uses something now with extremely minimal ingredients.

Scottishwidow193 · 01/10/2022 20:27

I had the same thing 3 years ago. I spent an absolute fortune on every lip soothing produc

katmunchkin · 01/10/2022 20:30

Have you been using any strong facial acids - retinols etc and got them on your lips? This happened to me and 6months later they still haven't stopped peeling!

IDontLikeMondays88 · 01/10/2022 20:30

Mine get really bad if the weather changes eg if I go from somewhere hot to somewhere cold or vice versa.the thing I find really helps is boots lip and cold sore relief cream. Vaseline etc just doesn’t cut it

Scottishwidow193 · 01/10/2022 20:30

Posted too soon! I spent a fortune in Boots, tried different toothpaste etc. Anyway, nothing helped. In the end I went to the GP. I felt awful using an appointment for sore lips but they were so uncomfortable all the time. I'm so glad I did as it turned out I had an infection. I was prescribed a topical antibiotic and I think he gave me a steroid cream as well. Felt instantly better and cleared within a few days never to return!