Why do we get dry and chapped lips?

Along with our fingertips, our lips have the most sensory cells and are therefore our most sensitive connection to the outside world. The skin on our lips is so soft and thin that the blood vessels can be seen through it, this is what gives our lips their red colour. Our lips don't have any sebum or sweat glands, which are responsible for supplying our skin with oil and moisture. The corneal layer, which protects our skin from harmful environmental influences, is very thin on our lips.

1. Cold: the most common cause of dry chapped 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, dry lip treatment requires specific care.
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 - too much stress can cause cracked lips.
5. Dehydration: not drinking enough water can dehydrate you, leading you to have chapped 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.

Making small changes to your lifestyle can really make a difference in the health of your lips and after seeing the results, you'll never want to go back!

Your lips cannot produce any moisture for themselves. So to avoid chapped lips, be sure to give them plenty of care to stay soft and beautiful.

1. Exfoliate: Exfoliate lips to remove excess skin cells to avoid crusty lips, massage your lips twice a week with a soft toothbrush and lukewarm water or you can use a special lip scrub.
2. Don't lick your lips: Licking your lips regularly causes evaporation pulling the moisture away from your lips, further dehydrating them and leaving you with cracked lips.
3. 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
4. Stay hydrated: Make sure you drink at least 2 litres of water a day and you get your 5 a day to avoid crusty lips!
5. Use SPF: Use a lip product with SPF in to protect your lips from the damaging rays of the sun that can cause chapped lips.
6. Use a humidifier: this will keep the moisture levels up in the room so your lips to not dry out and become cracked.
7. Avoid food that is too salty or spicy: Crisps and snack foods unnecessarily dry out the lips.

Having a good lip care routine and making use of home remedies should keep chapped lips away so that you can enjoy kissing your partner with your smooth lips whenever you please – kiss away!

If your chapped lips are particularly persistent or painful despite having good lip care, it’s best to see your GP immediately. Severe chapped lips could be an indication of other medical issues and it’s always better to get it checked out early.

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, crusty 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!