I used to have dry cracked lips due to dehydration and cold environment (aircon), still having now but lesser. It's getting better after several experiments of many brands of lip balms. Vaseline, Lip Ice, Palmers, Burt's Bees (claims to be the world's best lip balm), My Lip Stuff balms (many flavours and moisturizing) and the one I'm using now, Clinelle lip balm with spf (got this during sale, very cheap) <- this is the best balm so far, my fav. Most of the lip balms left 3/4 of half, this one gonna finish soon. For my case, I got dry lips once a while (dehydrated). Some got dry skin on upper lip, noticeable redness, patchy, itchiness, and flaky. So, I dig a little bit info about this problem. I extracted the article and paste it here. Hope it helps.
Dry skin around the mouth that causes pain is due to many types of triggers, but most do not indicate a more serious condition. Chapped lips lead to lips cracking, bleeding and peeling. Dry, red skin is definitely uncomfortable; often accompanied by itchiness, then inflammation of the skin.
The skin consists of many layers that act as a protective barrier to protect your skin against moisture loss and to retain temperature. When the skin becomes damaged or your surroundings become cold and dry, patchy areas of skin can form. Because the mouth is an area of moisture, the outside areas of skin can be more susceptible to dryness due to frequent licking of the lips, drinking fluids and exposing the skin to the elements. When the dryness progresses, patches can crust and form around the mouth.
Complicating Factors
- Licking lips frequently.
- Cold weather dry the skin, causing patches to develop on lips.
- Toothpaste used, irritation from consuming citrus fruits, medications taken or allergies to nickel, cobalt or red dyes.
Bacteria or Fungal Infection
Patches of dry skin occur due to a chronic condition known as angular stomatitis causes swelling, crusting and bleeding from the dry skin around the mouth. If you frequently lick your lips, this can introduce bacteria or fungus into the open skin patches. Allergies or irritation also can cause angular stomatitis. If your patchy areas of skin do not respond to over-the-counter treatments, a physician may take a cotton swab to test for the presence of bacteria or fungus, including Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus.
Prevention
If you are prone to developing patches of dry skin around the mouth, prevent the occurrence by wearing a lip balm that contains wax. This may not provide moisture to the lips, the wax creates a protective seal against moisture and wind. If you frequently consume citrus fruits or are exposed to other metals associated with causing allergic reactions, avoidance of these allergens can prevent dry, patchy areas of the skin from developing.
Treatment
In the early stages of your dry skin patches, you can apply a lip balm to moisturize the lips, which can reduce the dryness. However, if the patches begin to bleed or swell, this can indicate the presence of bacteria or infection. You can ask prescription from the clinic to reduce the bacteria in the skin. Drinking plenty of water and using a humidifier in order to restore moisture to the skin also can help to reduce skin dryness.
Dry, red skin around the mouth with inflammation.
Causes
- Other health conditions, dermatitis or psoriasis
- Over washing the skin
- Celiac disease, iron deficiency, and thyroid issues
Treatment
- Itchy skin around mouth - corticosteroid cream to your skin
- Oral antihistamines - treating dry, red skin around the mouth
Allergies
- Cause dryness around the mouth.
- Cosmetics and facial products (can trigger allergies)
- Choose mild soap that don't have fragrances or dye
Misconceptions
Hot bath or washing face with hot water can make red, itchy mouth skin worse. Take cool baths, and add oatmeal and baking soda to water to soothe skin. Use unscented, dye-free moisturizer.
Warnings
Avoid scratching red ore itchy skin around mouth -> increase inflammation/scarring
Dry flaky lips may be the result of vitamin B2 deficiency. Vitamin A promotes the regeneration of skin cells (dead skin cells = dry skin cells). Get an adequate amount of vitamin D and E, sodium and potassium as this will lessen the chances of experiencing dry skin on lips. Exposure to harsh household chemicals can also cause the skin to become dry and flaky.
If you are using products that contain lanolin and is no longer working as an effective moisturizer. Try a lip salve or balm that is lanolin-free.
Some tips from the ehow author,
Prevention and treatment for chapped lips
1. Coconut oil, Tea tree, peppermint, lavender, rose, chamomile, lemon, lime, grapefruit
2. Burt's Bees lip balm
3. Olive oil + granulated sugar, use cotton pad and gently rub on lips
4. Cocoa butter
5. Use humidifier to add moisture to the air in room. Drink plenty of water, don't smoke, don't lick your lips.
6. Carmex- tropical lip balm
7. If too severe, consult a doctor. Persistent chapped lips indicated medical problem - vitamin deficiency, fungal infection or allergic.
From wiki, Inflammation of lip - Cheilitis; associated with many conditions, including megaloblastic anemia from vitamin B12 deficiency, iron deficiency anemia (which in severe cases can lead to Plummer-Vinson syndrome) and oral candidiasis. It can also be a symptom of allergies, such as allergy to Balsam of Peru. Cheilitis can also be caused by taking the (retinoid) drug Isotretinoin (brand name Roaccutane) (BNF84). It may also be a pre-malignant lesion for squamous cell carcinoma. Other types : Cheilitis exfoliativa, Angular cheilitis (Perlèche), etc.
Some other ideas to consider - the potential causes of chronic chapped lips
- The ingredient propyl gallate in lipstick may be causing a contact allergy.
- Your toothpaste may be to blame if it contains guaiazulene
- Check out the ingredient label on your toothpaste. If it contains sodium lauryl sulfate, this may be a concern as well. Blamed for chapped lips, skin irritation and even perioral dermatitis, avoidance of sodium lauryl sulfate can be helpful. Try a SLS free toothpaste.
- Being allergic to nickel may surface on the lips too. Remember, don't put metallic items like paper clips in your mouth!
- The juice from citrus fruits cause both irritation as well as a phototoxic reaction that looks like chapped lips.
- Eating figs can result in phototoxicity.
- An ingredient known as phenyl salicylate (salol) used in lip care products may be your culprit.
Wow! I didn't know there are many types of factors that contribute to dry lips/mouth area until I read those articles. More more to read.. I'm planning to get Carmex lip balm, saw many good reviews about it. Remember, vitamins, plenty of water and adequate moisturiser!
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