WHY DO WE GET CHAPPED AND DRY LIPS?

1. Cold: the most common cause of dry lips is the rapid change between hot and cold. That’s why we have chapped lips especially in winter.
2. Incorrect care: only in very rare cases are the ingredients of conventional moisturisers suitable for the soft and sensitive skin on our lips.
3. UV-radiation: as lips have almost no pigments, they need to be well protected from exposure to sunlight.
4. Stress: long days at work, along with mental stress, have a negative effect on the condition of our skin, with our lips being no exception.
5. Dehydration: not drinking enough water can dehydrate you, leading you to have sore lips which are cracked.
6. Be careful of what you consume: drinking too much alcohol, smoking, eating very spicy or acidic food can all make your lips more dry.

Your lips cannot produce any moisture for themselves. That’s why they need plenty of care. 

• Exfoliate: Make sure to remove excess skin cells, massage your lips twice a week with a soft toothbrush and lukewarm water or you can use a special lip scrub.
• Don’t lick your lips: Licking your lips regularly causes evaporation pulling the moisture away from your lips, further dehydrating them.
• Find the best lip balm for dry lips: Be careful when choosing a lip balm, the oil content should be very high, and it mustn’t contain too much water. This is because if the water evaporates from the lips, they’ll dry out even more
• Make sure you drink at least 2 litres of water a day and you get your 5 a day!
• Use SPF: Use a lip product with SPF in to protect your lips from the damaging rays of the sun.
• Use a humidifier: this will keep the moisture levels up in the room.
• Avoid food that is too salty or spicy. Crisps and snack foods unnecessarily dry out the lips.

Lip balms contain oils and moisturisers that soothe dry and cracked lips. They form a barrier on the skin’s surface, locking in moisture and keeping lips from cracking as well as preventing other harmful substances or environmental stresses affecting the skin below. When you seem to have cracked lips that won't heal Lip Balm helps create an extra protective, moisture locked layer to speed up healing.

Applying NIVEA Lip Care products can halt and slow the drying process. Preventing chapped lips and applying NIVEA lip balms is an essential part of a healthy daily lip care routine. Read our winter skincare guide for more tips on cold weather skin care.

The rumour has been around for a long time that once you start caring for your lips, soon you won’t be able to stop. People believe that instead of protecting your lips from drying out, such products only make things worse. Wrong! In reality, it’s more of a familiarisation effect: if you use lip balm regularly, you’ll get used to the soft feeling that it leaves on your lips. Without the fatty layer and the protection, your lips will feel dry and tight. That’s not necessarily the case, but nevertheless you'll want to use lip balm again.

Got a date or a night with the girls? Lipstick is sure to catch the eye! To ensure your lips not only look great, but also make it through the evening feeling nourished, it’s important to bear in mind a few things: always moisturise your lips with lip balm before applying lipstick, to prevent them from drying out. Once home again, it’s essential to remove your lipstick.

Long-lasting lipsticks in particular can only be tackled with a very oily cleansing lotion or cream – apply generously and then remove the lipstick with a cotton pad. To ensure you wake up with delicately soft lips the next morning, never forget to moisturise your lips before going to sleep.

If lipsticks aren't your thing but you still want a flash of colour, check out NIVEA's Crayon lip care range, which gives you intense colour with long lasting moisture!