Badly chapped lips

[catsofa]

Every winter I get badly chapped lips. This year I've already gone through an entire pot of Body Shop lip balm, and my bottom lip is in danger of proper, painful cracking any minute now. I'm terrified of leaving the house and forgetting to take the balm with me. It hurts.

Is there something else I should be doing or using? I am pregnant, if it matters, so medicated balm might possibly be forbidden to me (it's really weird some of the stuff contraindicated in pregnancy!), but probably not.

Is there anything I can eat or do to help apart from keeping lip balm on my lips? I know some people say that balm makes it worse/keeps you dependent on balm all the time, but I really couldn't have avoided it with how dry and painful and cracked they got early this winter.

Should I start wearing a balaclava? Would that scare the shit out of people walking past me in the street? Might that be quite fun?

Another vote for Elizabeth arden 8 hour cream. It's amazing and will help all sorts, not just lips.

I suffer terribly with sore lips too and Chapstick is the best of the ones I've tried. It seems to sit on top of your lips more than the other brands and kind of seals them against the cold and wind.

Sometime the SLS in toothpaste can cause chapped lips, it might be worth trying to find one without SLS. Holland and Barrett do one.

Blistex is the business.

I put lip balm on and then very gentle rub my lips with a soft toothbrush. Really helps to remove the dead skin. Then chuck loads more balm on and go to bed!

I second blistex (used to be called blisteze). Absolutely fantastic. Stings a bit on application but really works.

Also, drink more water. I find that my lips chsp more, the more dehydrated I am.

Finally never ever lick your lips when out as that dries your lips out.

If you're the sort of person who isn't averse to making things, this stuff is absolutely amazing, and it makes loads so you can have a pot everywhere.

Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream comes in a lipstick format specially for this. Miracle stuff, my daughter had baboon lips and this was the only stuff that worked and cleared it up never to return.

I've got the EA 8 hour cream lipstick & it is good but the actual cream is better, I think. I'd go for that over the lipstick if lips are bad as both are quite £££

Agree with all saying the blistex relief cream. It is the only thing that works. The rest are just barriers, they don't add moisture. They will help prevent chapped lips but won't fix it once it happens as they just sit on the surface. The blistex sinks in and helps to moisturise the delicate skin. You could use the blistex and apply your 8hr cream or Vaseline afterwards if you wanted.

The smell of EA 8hr is revolting though and the U fragranced version doesn't seem to do quite as good a job for some reason. I can cope with the lanolin smell of EA on my elbows or whatever, but not on my mouth, under my nose.

Unfragranced, not u fragranced

Blistex. The mean stuff in the tube. Not the moisturiser.

Licking lips because they feel dry leads to 'lip lickers dermatitis' and perpetuates the condition.

I second the blistex in a tube, it's saved me this winter. Make sure they don't give you the coldsore cream which looks identical but costs about seven quid

My "anti tip" is don't bother with the flavoured / coloured balms. If they taste nice, you lick them off, and that just makes things worse.
Yes to Carmex or Vaseline. Lansinoh if you have any lying around (ask the midwife for a sample sachet) is great over night.
Think I'm going to get some berts bees and blistex stuff after reading the above - I find mixing the moisturiser around is good - currently carmex in my coat, and Vaseline at work and bathroom, so a third and fourth in the mix would be good.

Years ago, my lips got very very bad, and I was prescribed a pot of something white, which was amazing. Suspect it was a zinc oxide paste of sorts, so maybe a zinc oxide nappy barrier cream is worth a try????

Blister....definitely not Vaseline....and take a vitamin B supplement.

I suffer from dry & chapped lips during the winter too.
A blogger recommended Nuxe Lip balm - about £9.50 from Nuxe directly but also from M&S.

Diprobase ointment is very good & I would recommend this for any part of the body - available in chemists

Another vote for Chapstick. Keep in coat pocket!

neutrogena. I must acquire a few more.

Waitrose Baby Bottom Butter. It's the best thing.

Actually you know what's working well right now? Never going out. I've hardly left the house for 2 days now and my lips are much better. I might just hibernate until spring.

cats I think you've found the answer!! I'm off to call into work to say I can't come in for medical reasons

Carmex.
I use it every day because I work outside a lot. It sorts me right out.
No other lip balm does for me what Carmex does, including Chapstick.

Lansinoh works absolute miracles for me! Marvellous stuff, and a good way to use up the expensive tube that never gets finished after BF .

Obviously not for you if you are intolerant to Lanolin though.

Think about your diet instead. Do you drink a lot of Pepsi, Coke etc? This can lead to badly chapped lips. Eliminate sugar/processed foods etc and you should see a difference.