Chapped lips

[Caitmous]

I've had chapped lips for ages. No balm or salve seems to be helping. Any suggestions?

Am getting on and have always have had horribly dry lips/cold sores/mankiness.

There have been two balms which worked: Body Shop Kiwi Lip Balm (discontinued) and Arden 8 Hour Cream. It works for both DD and me but makes DS break out in a rash. I still love it . Brilliant for cuticles too.

Brush your lips when you brush your teeth. It works!

Op body shop do a lip scuff that exfoliates. Lush also do one.

Drinks loads and loads of water (I know, I know). Turn to ointment type textures at this time of year, my skin is extra dry all year round and even worse now.

For me, it gets even worse every time I have a cold/flu/chest or throat infection, which is most of the colder months due to having a compromised immune system. I recommend, following enormous amounts of research, Sisley Nutritive lip balm (amazing) or Dr Lipp Nipple Balm (cheaper but still good).

Also, lip exfoliation, as recommended above. Get an extra toothbrush and use on your lips daily and follow with a balm. I also like the Sara Happ lip scrub, which is more heavy duty.

Ooh I used to use the Body shop Lipscuff years back (it was pale green with gritty bits ) too harsh now.
Gale Hayman did one (got in a kit) but it left bits all over.

DD bought a couple of the Lush ones, it's got sugar in it ( I used to have a Philosophy one with sugar) . Not gritty, bit messy. I use in the shower (but I brush my teeth in the shower too, I'm not going out with toothpaste dribble )

Whatever you get, use it all the time. Without fail before you go out and to bed, and at regular intervals throughout the day. You might want to consider drinking through a straw, as getting chapped lips won't help them. Really hope they recover soon. It's miserable.

I used to love Blistex, but have been using Superlysine cold sticks for a couple of years, as I get plagued with cold sores, too. Miraculous stuff, and the gel in a tube, when i can get it, is even better.

Alchemist - brushing your lips doesn't work when you have deep, bleeding fissures in them.

Some things that have caused me to have particularly bad chapped lips:

Lipstick (can only wear Clinique and have now given up entirely)
Drinking fruit teas
Staying with my parents, by the sea.

Sodium Laurel Sulphate is the work of the devil IMO. And it's in most face washes, etc so I'd try eliminating it totally if you're having problems.

Molton Brown Vitamin Lip Saver. Love it.

I haven't been able to wear lipstick for yeeeeears due to manky chapped lips and have tried everything (except the Nuxe one which I am about to try based on this thread lol) Carmex wears to a certain extent for me, as does original lypsyl in a black tube.

I asked a pharmacist friend what caused it and she said could be a vitamin C deficiency or zinc deficiency. Now I avoid citrus because am aged and decrepit and they make my joints ache, but this last couple of weeks have been eating mandarin oranges and my lips are definitely better! I creak like a creaky creakbag, but my lips aren't nearly so bad!

A Vit C or Zinc defieciency can show itself by cracks at the side of the mouth too.

Advantage of the Nuxe one is I can use it over the lip-line at night and not look like I've had a fry up,

Yes, that's exactly where my lips were worst, almost looked like cold sores.

I have been a MN sheep (as usual) and bought some of the Nuxe, it looks lovely.

the 8 hour stuff is lush, but v expensive, i'm addicted to EOS balms at the mo, evolutionofsmooth.com/
(why do people just put "this" or "link" instead of the brand name??????)

Def recommend avoiding any toothpaste billed as "tartar control" (tend to have a lot more SLS). Sensodyne works fine for me, other stuff brings my lips out in huge fissures.

Also recommend the Nuxe lip balm, or if you are feeling flash, Creme De La Mer balm. It's ridiculously pricey but a pot of it lasts approximately forever.

Omega 3 supplement helps

From a skiing / horsey / outdoor girl, I've tried them all.
Nothing comes close to Elizabeth A 8hr cream. It's one of my cult saviours !

8 hour cream overnight and Carmex during the day. I have Iber-sensitive skin and it has to be the carmex in the pot, not the tube, even though they swear the ingredients are the same. Avoid lip gloss, and the tip about drinking through a straw was also good.
When my lips used to get really bad in the winter I was prescribed some very weak steroid cream for limited use, which did work.

Burst Bees lip balm works for me, all natural as well.