Chapped lips can be uncomfortable but it does not pose a threat to your health. It will highly depend on what is causing your chapped lips as to how you will want to treat it. There are several home remedies available that will help treat your chapped lips without causing further irritation. In this guide, we will focus on how to get rid of chapped lips.
Your Lips
Chapped lips are also known as cheilitis simplex. The skin around your lips is thin and delicate. Your lips are also exposed to weather elements all the time, including the sun, cold, and dry air. All of these things make the lips prone to dryness, cracking, and peeling.
The lips do not have oil glands, which means they are not able to produce their own moisture. Providing natural moisture will help decrease chapped lips. Using nourishing ingredients can help decrease the pain and discomfort associated with chapped lips.
Protecting the skin barrier in delicate areas like the lips is something many clinicians emphasize, and experts such as Sheila Nazarian often highlight the importance of consistent hydration and gentle care to prevent recurring dryness.
What Causes Chapped Lips?
Various things could be causing your lips to become dry, irritated, cracked, and sore. The great news is, that chapped lips can usually be treated quickly with products or ingredients you can easily access. This means you can treat the issues that are causing your discomfort and gain your smooth lips in just a few simple steps.
To know how to treat your lips when they become chapped, let’s first look at reasons why you are combating dry skin on your lips.
Skin Irritants
You should always take precautions when choosing your lip care. Many lip care products will have ingredients that will irritate the lips, including menthol and camphor. You will want to avoid these ingredients, so be careful when purchasing lip balms and petroleum-based lip care products.
You will notice that there are numerous petroleum-based products for your lips, this is because it is a cheap ingredient that can act as a barrier against weather elements. However, it does not contain hydrating properties. Make sure you read product labels and look for natural, emollient ingredients, including shea butter, beeswax, and almond oil.
Licking your lips
Licking your lips can cause a recurring cycle of chapped lips. Many people will lick their lips without realizing it because they feel dry. This will leave behind a layer of saliva which will quickly evaporate and leave lips dryer than they originally were. Saliva can intensify sun exposure, so it is best to refrain from licking your lips.
Allergies
Allergic reactions can occur if you are sensitive to the ingredients in your lip products without being aware of it. This may cause your lips to become irritated, dry, cracked, and sore. Certain ingredients have fragrances, which cause more irritation and drying. Toothpaste may even cause lips to become cracked or flakey. If you notice that your lips are flaring up when using certain products, try eliminating them from your skincare routine. If it makes a difference, then you know that the irritation is coming from the lip products that you are using.
Sun Damage
Many people apply sunscreen every day but they often forget to protect the most sensitive area of their body, the lips. You must protect your lips against sun damage. You will want to choose products that contain SPF 15. Most sunscreen products are safe to be applied to the lips. You can look for creams that are rich in vitamin E because it is most effective in helping heal sun damage.
Smoking and Drinking
Dry lips can occur because of your lifestyle choices. If you have tried various things and are still experiencing chronic dry lips, then you may consider the products that you are consuming. Alcohol can cause dehydration, and it will affect the appearance of your skin in a negative way. Caffeine can also cause dehydration. Because the lips do not produce any oils that act as a protective barrier, you will want to avoid smoking. The chemicals in cigarettes can deplete the moisture in your lips.
Medications
Medications such as retinoids and chemotherapy drugs may cause chapped lips. Any topical creams that contain benzoyl peroxide, Retin-A, or salicylic acid could lead to dryness and dehydration. Dry lips can also be a result of an allergic reaction to medications that treat hypothyroidism, acne, or high blood pressure.
How to Remove Dead Skin From Lips Safely: Step by Step
Removing dead skin from lips safely takes less than five minutes and only needs to be done two to three times per week. The key is dissolving dead cells rather than scraping or pulling them.
Step 1: Soften the lips first
Apply a small amount of coconut oil, almond oil, or a hydrating lip balm to dry lips. Leave it for two to three minutes. This softens the dead skin cells and makes removal significantly easier without any mechanical force. Skipping this step is the most common reason people end up pulling living skin.
Step 2: Exfoliate gently
Use a soft toothbrush, a warm damp cloth, or a gentle lip-specific exfoliator in small circular motions for 30 to 60 seconds. Apply almost no pressure. The goal is to lift and loosen dead surface cells, not scrub aggressively.
For a clinical-grade option, SkinCeuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub contains hydrating silica and is free of parabens, sulfates, fragrance, and alcohol. It is gentle enough for lip skin while providing even exfoliation. Revision Skincare Finishing Touch uses Polynesian Volcanic Black Sand and ultra-fine pumice for soft, effective exfoliation without irritation.
Step 3: Rinse with lukewarm water
Rinse the lips gently with lukewarm water. Avoid hot water, which strips residual moisture. Pat dry with a clean soft towel.
Step 4: Apply a hydrating lip treatment immediately
This step is the one most people skip and it is the most important. Freshly exfoliated lip skin loses moisture rapidly. Applying a hydrating lip treatment within 60 seconds of exfoliating locks in moisture and allows the new skin cells beneath to form properly.
Revision Skincare YouthFull Lip Replenisher delivers hyaluronic acid and antioxidants to newly exposed lip skin. SkinMedica HA5 Smooth and Plump Lip System adds volume and hydration simultaneously, which is particularly effective for lips that have been chronically dry or have visible fine lines from repeated peeling.
Step 5: Apply SPF before going outdoors
Freshly exfoliated lip skin has no melanin and no protective barrier against UV. Apply a lip product with SPF 15 or higher before any sun exposure. Lips without UV protection after exfoliation are significantly more vulnerable to sun damage than they would be otherwise.
Dr. Nazarian on safe lip exfoliation: "The biggest mistake people make is skipping the hydration step after exfoliating. You have removed the dead cells, which is exactly right, but you have also opened up the skin to moisture loss. You have about 60 seconds to lock that in before it starts evaporating."
Tips For Getting Rid of Chapped Lips
Below you will find a variety of ways to help treat your chapped lips. With a little maintenance, you will be able to overcome chronic dryness and have smooth lips that feel amazing all the time.
Staying Hydrated
Yes, you have to have proper hydration or your body will be affected in a variety of ways. Lips are one of the first places that will show signs of dehydration. Make sure that you are drinking adequate amounts of water each day and proper hydration is maintained.
Exfoliate
If you are interested in learning how to get rid of chapped lips, then your answer may lie in exfoliation. Supplying your lips with an occasional buff will help decrease dead and peeling skin. Getting rid of this dead skin will allow your lip gloss and lipstick to glide on silky smooth. Exfoliating your lips is an easy and quick process that can be done two to three times a week.
Recommended products:
Skinceuticals Micro-Exfoliating Scrub - This Skinceuticals scrub provides an intense and even exfoliation without causing harm to delicate skin. It contains hydrating silica, which is a naturally occurring mineral that will smooth away dull skin and impurities. Free of paraben, sulfate, soap, fragrance, dye, and alcohol. Ideal for delicate skin such as the lips.
Revision Skincare Finishing Touch - Will remove dead, dehydrated surface cells from the skin. The treated area will be soft and smooth. Uses Polynesia Volcanic Black Sand and Ultra-fine Pumice to exfoliate. Delicate enough to exfoliate the lips.
Stop Biting and Licking Lips
Bad habits can cause major issues for your lips. You will want to help break these habits to gain control of your dry lips. If you are constantly licking or biting your lips, it could cause aggravation that will lead to your lips chronically being dry, sore, and irritated.
By correcting your bad habits you will effectively treat your dry lips. Because the skin around your lips is thin it is more delicate than other areas of your body. A small amount of pressure may cause the skin to crack. These bad habits could lead to long term damage and cause lasting lesions on or around your lips.
Protect Your Lips from the Sun
As we mentioned above, people often use sunscreen but forget about the importance of applying it to their lips. The fact is, your lips have no melanin in them, which is a natural pigment that can help screen out the rays of the sun.
Therefore, your lips will not tan but will burn when overexposed to the sun, and cause them to become dry and brittle. It may even lead to cracking. Long term damage will cause wrinkling and premature aging. Be sure you always treat your lips with sun protection at least a half-hour before going into the sun.
Who said sun protection for your lips couldn’t be fun? The Colorescience Lip Shine contains color while providing a natural shine that will give you the necessary sun protection needed for any type of occasion.
Check out our 3 different shades:
- Champagne
- Rose
- Clear
Moisturize Your Lips
Weather elements can wreak havoc on your hair, skin, and lips. No matter what type of weather it is, your lips can be affected. Depending on the type of weather you are experiencing, moisture may quickly evaporate. This will cause the outer layer of your lips to become thin, dry, and may even crack.
A humidifier can help replace moisture in the air, and decrease the environmental stress that is affecting your skin. Before you venture outdoors make sure that you put on a thick layer of moisturizing balm to help prevent weather dehydration. It is best to get into the habit of putting lip moisturizer regularly to help keep them supple and smooth.
Moisturizing lip balm ingredients include:
- Beeswax
- Shea butter
- Coconut butter
- Olive oil
Products we recommend include:
Revision Skincare YouthFull Lip Replenisher - Formulated with potent antioxidants that will help defend against environmental stressors. Hyaluronic Acid will immediately deliver hydration to the lips. This lip replenisher will help fight the signs of aging while providing the moisture you need to keep your lips properly hydrated.
MesoLyft Lip - MesoLyft will help enhance lip volume and texture while providing proper hydration for dry chapped lips. It will allow your lipstick and gloss to glide on with ease and stay longer.
SkinMedica HA5 Smooth & Plump Lip System - This two-way treatment will help plump up lips and provide hydrating benefits of HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator. Perfect for all skin types.
Is It Bad to Peel the Skin Off Your Lips?
Yes. Peeling or picking dead skin off your lips causes more damage than the dead skin itself.
Here is what actually happens when you peel lip skin. The visible flake of dead skin you pull off is attached to living skin cells underneath. When you peel it, you remove layers of healthy tissue along with the dead surface layer. This creates a small wound on the lip surface, disrupts the skin barrier, and triggers an inflammatory response that makes lips dry out faster. The result is a cycle: lips peel, you pull the skin, more skin peels, and the cycle repeats indefinitely.
Why peeling feels satisfying but makes things worse:
The lip skin is significantly thinner than skin on most other areas of the body, which is why even gentle mechanical force causes damage that takes longer to heal than it appears. The lip barrier is also more fragile than facial skin because lips lack the protective oil layer produced by sebaceous glands. Once that barrier is disrupted by picking, moisture escapes faster, dead skin accumulates more quickly, and the urge to pick increases again.
Should you peel your lips if they are already peeling?
No. Even when lips are actively peeling and the skin looks loose, manual removal is not the answer. The safe alternative is gentle enzymatic exfoliation or a soft wet cloth to dissolve dead cells without pulling living tissue. Applying a hydrating lip treatment from the Chapped Lips collection immediately after exfoliation seals in moisture and interrupts the peeling cycle.
Is it okay to peel your lips occasionally?
No clinical evidence supports the idea that occasional peeling is harmless. Even infrequent picking delays healing, introduces bacteria from fingertips into small lip wounds, and can create persistent micro-injuries that cause permanent textural irregularities over time.
Dr. Nazarian on this: "I see patients who have been peeling their lips for years and wonder why they never heal. The picking is the reason. Once you stop and treat with the right products, most chronic lip dryness resolves within two weeks."
What Happens If You Keep Peeling Your Lips?
Chronic lip peeling and picking produces a predictable set of consequences. Understanding what actually happens physiologically makes it easier to stop.
Short-term effects (days to weeks):
The lip surface develops micro-wounds that the immune system treats as injuries. Blood flow increases to the area, which causes visible redness and swelling. The skin barrier breaks down, allowing moisture to escape faster than normal. This accelerates the production of new dead skin, which then feels like more material to peel. The cycle escalates with each episode.
Medium-term effects (weeks to months):
Repeated mechanical trauma to the same area causes the lip skin to develop irregular texture. Surface cells cannot organize properly when the top layers are constantly being disrupted. Small cracks deepen into persistent fissures that bleed easily and are painful in cold or dry weather. The lips begin to feel permanently dry regardless of how much lip balm is applied, because the damaged barrier cannot retain moisture effectively.
Long-term effects (months to years):
Persistent picking and peeling can lead to a condition called chronic cheilitis, where the lips remain inflamed, swollen, and cracked over extended periods. Habitual picking also introduces bacteria from the fingers into open lip wounds, increasing the risk of infection. Some individuals develop scarring or permanent textural changes in the lip surface.
Why chapstick stops working for chronic pickers:
"Why do my lips keep peeling even when I wear chapstick" is one of the most common lip care questions. The answer is that chapstick addresses surface dryness but cannot repair a mechanically damaged skin barrier. If peeling is ongoing, no moisturizer will fully work because the barrier disruption continues to outpace the hydration being applied.
Stopping the peeling habit combined with a proper hydrating lip treatment from the Chapped Lips collection is what allows actual healing to begin.
Dr. Nazarian on long-term peeling: "Lips that have been picked for years can take longer to heal than people expect, sometimes four to six weeks of consistent care. That is not because the damage is permanent. It is because the barrier repair process is slow when the area keeps being disrupted. Once you fully stop, the lips almost always recover completely."
Natural Remedies
Oils are one way that you can soothe chapped lips, and they will provide a load of benefits for areas of the lips that have cracked. Certain oils can help provide moisture while protecting from further damage.
Try these oils:
- Coconut oil
- Olive oil
- Almond oil
- Jojoba oil
- Shea butter
- Rosehip oil
Aloe vera is another natural remedy that will help soothe lips that are tender and sore. It has natural anti-inflammatory properties that will relieve any stinging sensation that you may be experiencing.
Some individuals also like to use rose water and honey. You will mix the rose water and honey, apply it to your lips for about 15 minutes, and then wash it off. This will provide deep moisturizing protection and also prevent cracking.
Final Thought
If you are wondering how to get rid of chapped lips, then you may want to try some of our tips above. Is there a treatment that you swear by to help cure your chapped lips? Comment below and tell us what helps heal your dry, cracked, and irritated skin around and on your lips.