Chapped lips - nay, the MOTHER of all chapped lips: please help

[PacificDogwod]

DS1(14) has started taking Roaccutane for cystic acne.

Aften an initial flare (that was fun!) his spots are beginning to settle, we are almost 4 weeks into a 4 month course and only on a half dose.

However, the skin on his lips is falling off in ribbons (dry skin is a recognised side effect of this medication) and as he does not like 'sticky ' things, getting him to put on any emollients (on his body) or any kind of chap stick type thing on his lips a challenge .
His mouth now cracks and bleeds when he smiles or laughs...

I am wondering whether anybody knows whether something like Eucerin (with urea in it) is safe to use on lips??
Or any other ideas? Burt's Bees??
Nipple cream has already been rejected

Any ideas gratefully received
The attached shots does not really do it justice tbh...

You can get these lip masks, that are like a big sticker you stick over your lips for a bit and then when you take it off they are all moisturised and lovely, maybe that could work? I don't know how often you would have to do one if it's a consistent issue for him, but might help?

Ooh, Cannabis lips might be a goer!

Currently he is finding it quite exciting to be taking a medication that might make him suicidal - he has a VERY strange sense of humour...
Still luffs him though.

My son used eight-hour cream, but also had a lip balm when out and about.
Marks and Spencer used to sell this brand and they were really good, but unfortunately they don't sell it anymore.
www.apivita.com/uk/face-care/lip-care/lip-balm-with-propolis

I have extremely dry lips, and i'm allergic to most lip balms and salves (including Lypsyl, Burt's Bees etc) and the original Vaseline in the blue pot is the only thing which works for me, applied frequently. I can't even use the aloe Vaseline.

@fizzybootlace out of curiosity, why's that?

Vaseline is paraffin (mineral oil) based and while acting as a barrier can a. cause irritation in susceptible people and b. can cause increased drying.
But it is an ingredient in most/many emollients including lip salves.

I think it's fine for those it works for but not the be all and end all.

I don't like the petrol-y smell of it tbh, but use Epaderm and the likes regularly.

I suffer with dry lips and find that the Decleor lip balm is really good, not all greasy or perfumed. Blistex in the original metal tube works well too.

Lanolin is also irritant to a lot of people and likewise is present in a lot of emollients, lip balms etc. It's amazing for lots of people though.

Blistex is a good place to start I reckon. Either that or threaten to cover him in lard whilst he sleeps.

Labello does a version called labello Med. it's very good and even ds who doesn't like creams or things on his skin would let me put it on for a bit, even if we then wiped it off later. Regular labello is less good but seems to avoid both stickiness and that weird waxiness. I thought you couldn't buy it in England but I am told you can as it's German.

Either that or threaten to cover him in lard whilst he sleeps.

Tempting!

DS3 used to have lip licker's dermatitis when he was a toddler and would not let me put anything on (what is it with my DCs and their lips?? ) and used to put stuff on at night, ninja-stylee

Yes, Lanolin is another one that is great for some and crap for others.

I wish Aveeno made a lip thing because he (reluctantly) tolerates that for his hands etc.

Working, I love LabelloMed!
And import it from Germany
I wonder if I could get my mum to send some??

Thanks for reminding me

Yes Pacific I know, I hate the taste of it too but its the only thing which works and the alternative is weeping sores.

nuxe reve de miel lip balm is amazing. I don't find it sticky, just very moisturising.
You can get it at M&S.

Has anybody tried this? - Blister MedPlus.

Ha! Eucerin do something for lips too - but I see no urea in the list of ingredients

Is this the Aquaphor you use, taybert?
I had no idea it was from Eucerin too

It's this one

When I was researching it I looked in to aveeno having been converted to it as an emollient for my youngest son's eczema. Apparently they used to do one and stopped making it. There are boards full of furious people because of it.

Ah, interesting, thanks!

Interesting that Eucerin are using the same name...

I shall lobby Aveeno

Paw paw ointment! It will sort him out for sure -

http://www.pawpawessentials.co.uk/epages/es776273.mobile/enGB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/es776273/Products/03&gclid=Cj0KEQjwtu3GBRDY6ZLY1erL44EBEiQAAKIcvmZQyOsiEjWePhrvHmQrr_4RnpbqVi7ODpY7nW-AieKYaAhg68P8HAQ

Oh I think it's still Eucerin, it's just there's more than one Aquaphor, cos, you know, why make something straightforward when you could make it complicated?

Aveeno don't care. Internet people say so.

Another vote for Blistex (the metal tube one with the red top).

My lips are horribly dry. I've tried everything and this is the only thing that works for me.

Well, the internet people here have been very helpful, so thanks!

The other internet people may be proved Wrong when my campaign gets under way.
i fear it may be too late for DS1 by then so, so Blistex tomorrow, and if that does not work then I will work my way through the list of suggestions here.

Pacific - even ds will use labello and he's a bit twitchy. And whenever I have to use some other brand, I am disappointed. Nivea is closest in England. But without the variety you get from Labello.

Lanolips original is better than Blistex, vaseline etc. I get the worst chapped lips and swear by Lanolips over anything else.

Someone said eight hour cream upthread. Another vote for that. The original stuff that looks like thinner Vaseline. It's an overnight miracle with my kids in the winter (all lick their lips until they are red and scabby all round their mouths in cold weather). It sorts 90% of it overnight. I also have to sneak it on while they sleep...

I've found when I have really bad dry lips that I have to use a 2 pronged approach - firstly to put moisture into the lips and then something on top to soften the chapped skin and stop the moisture getting out.

If you think of it as two separate problems and treat both individually it suddenly becomes a lot easier to sort out!

I used to use an amazing lip softener/moisturiser thing that Benefit did but they've stopped doing it now - you could feel your lips soften as you put it on. But even using something simple like nivea or astra can help, or if you have a good gentle face moisturiser, it's worth a go.

Then, on top another vote for Lanisoh. It is incredibly sticky if it's cold. To get your ds to start to use it, could you warm up a tiny dot on a spoon held over boiling water or a radiator or something so that it becomes much more liquid? (obviously not so warm that it's dangerously hot!!). if he could start to use it when it is very much thinner and goes on easily, he might appreciate the benefits it can give and in time be able to use it without it being pre-warmed...

I put it on my 8 yr old ds who has bad lips and find that even madly rubbing my fingers together for a few moments to heat them up can help to soften it just a little to make it easier to put it on, and even from a tiny dab there's still enough left on my fingers to finish rubbing them on my lips to make a difference. Definitely worth using!