What causes chapped lips?

Lip scalyness is a common phenomenon, especially in dry seasons such as autumn and winter. A dry mouth can cause a lot of discomfort, so it needs to be taken care of promptly. However, dry mouth cannot be solved by just using lipstick. You also need to find out the real cause of dry mouth and prescribe the right medicine to cure the root cause. So, what are the reasons for chapped lips? I will give you a detailed introduction below!

1. Vicious cycle of bad habits

Many people will subconsciously lick their lips when they feel dry and uncomfortable. However, the more they lick, the drier their lips become, and the more they lick, forming a vicious cycle. The skin around the lips may become rough and thick, and the lips may even swell, forming what is medically known as "tongue licking dermatitis" or "chronic cheilitis." Whether from the perspective of health or aesthetics, it is better to change this unsightly habit of licking your lips.

2. Use cheap and low-quality lipstick

Because cheap lipsticks contain a lot of oil that has not been carefully purified and too much wax, some of which are unstable natural oils from animals and plants, which can easily oxidize and emit odor; too much wax will affect the metabolism of the lip skin.

Using substandard lipstick can produce a "phototoxic" reaction in visible light. That is to say, after the lips come into contact with the light-absorbing ingredients in the lipstick, after a certain period of sunlight exposure, the DNA in the cells covered by the lipstick will be damaged, which may lead to lip cancer in severe cases.

3. Forget about your lips when applying sun protection

The skin of the lips has no pigment protection and its color is darker than the skin of other parts of the body. Therefore, it is most likely to absorb ultraviolet rays, leading to the loss of moisture in the lips.

4. Excessive use of permanent lipstick

Non-fading lipsticks contain volatile ingredients, and most non-fading lipsticks are oil-free and less moisturizing than other lipsticks.

Applying lipstick for a long time will make the lip skin too dry. It is best not to wear makeup for two days a week to give the lip skin a rest, but you should still apply colorless lip balm.

5. Toothpaste residue on lips

What's good for your teeth may not be good for your lips. In fact, toothpaste residue on the lips will strip away precious and scarce oils and moisture, causing chapped lips.