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Home / How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips Fast

How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips Fast

Dryness and peeling skin on the lips are very uncomfortable. The best way to prevent this problem is by providing hydrating and nourishing your lips. Before we get into the simple home remedies and tips you can use for chapped lips, here's something you should know. Water is an essential part of any beauty regimen. It helps to keep your body and skin hydrated. No matter how many remedies or lip balms you use, if you do not drink enough water, your chapped lips will keep coming back (1). So, first and foremost, drink plenty of water during the day and use the remedies listed in this article to soothe chapped lips.

Note: Chapped lips are not likely to heal in one day, but by using these remedies and tips, you can replenish the health of your lips.

The remedies will be explained in detail after stating the various reasons that can lead to dry and chapped lips, apart from dehydration. Read on!

What Causes Chapped Lips?

Chapped lips are typically caused as a result of environmental factors and personal habits.

1. Environmental

  • Cold weather
  • Dry weather (2)
  • Sun damage (2)
  • Wind exposure

2. Other common

  • Excessive licking of lips – Licking dry lips and coating them with a layer of saliva may seem like a quick relief, but it actually aggravates the chapping.
  • Smoking and drinking
  • Skin irritants in toothpaste
  • Certain medications, such as retinoids and chemotherapy drugs

One of the most common solutions that people opt for to cure chapped lips is to use a chapstick or lip balm. This may provide instant relief, but in most cases, it does not provide a long-term solution. The remedies given below will help you deal with this problem effectively and give long-lasting results.

Here are the home remedies for dry and chapped lips.

Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Chapped Lips

1. Coconut Oil

Carrier oils, such as olive oil, coconut oil, and castor oil, are natural moisturizers and lubricants. They contain healthy fatty acids that hydrate and condition your lips to make them soft and supple (3), (4). Adding essential oils, such as tea tree oil or grapeseed oil, will speed up the healing process of dry lips. They also prevent infections, especially if the dryness has led to cracks in your lips (5), (6).

You Will Need
  • Virgin coconut oil OR olive oil OR castor oil OR almond oil OR jojoba oil
  • 1-2 drops tea tree oil OR grapeseed oil OR neem oil
What You Have To Do
  1. Depending on which carrier oil and essential oil are available, make a blend by mixing 1-2 drops of the essential oil in the carrier oil.
  2. Apply this blend on your lips and leave it on.
How Often You Should Do This

Twice or thrice during the day. It can also be applied before going to bed and left on overnight.

2. Honey And Vaseline

Honey has antibacterial properties and is one of the most nature's best healing agents. It is also a humectant (7). Vaseline or petroleum jelly is widely used to soften and nourish the skin and prevent it from drying. It seals in the moisture in the skin (8). By combining these two ingredients, we get a very effective home remedy for chapped lips.

You Will Need
  • Raw honey
  • Vaseline
What You Have To Do
  1. Apply a layer of honey on your lips.
  2. Apply a layer of Vaseline on top of this.
  3. Leave these on for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Use a damp tissue or a damp cloth to wipe it off.
How Often You Should Do This

Once every day for about a week for lasting results.

3. Rose Hip

Rose hips contain vitamin E (9). Thus, they can nourish your skin. They also help retain the natural color of your lips. Milk contains lactic acid. Lactic acid gently exfoliates the dead skin from the surface of the lips (10). The essential fats, vitamins, and minerals present in milk may help hydrate and nourish dry lips.

You Will Need
  • 5-6 rose petals
  • 1/4 cup raw milk
What You Have To Do
  1. Soak the petals in milk for 2-3 hours.
  2. Gently mash the petals in the milk to get a paste-like consistency.
  3. Apply this paste on your lips. Keep it on for about 20 minutes.
  4. Rinse it off with cold water.
How Often You Should Do This

Every day for a week or so.

4. Cucumber

This cool vegetable can be your best friend during the summer, so utilize it to treat your dry and chapped lips. Cucumber is an excellent hydrating agent for the skin. It also has a nourishing and soothing effect on the skin (11).

You Will Need
  • A cucumber slice
What You Have To Do
  1. Rub the cucumber slice gently on your lips for a minute or two.
  2. Leave the cucumber juice on for 10 minutes, then wash your lips.
  3. You can also mash 1-2 cucumber slices and apply this as a mask on your lips.
How Often You Should Do This

Once or twice every day.

5. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera has natural cohesive properties that bind flaking cells to give you softer skin. It soothes your skin and gently removes dead skin cells. It also has protective and cooling effects on the skin (12).

You Will Need
  • An aloe leaf
What You Have To Do
  1. Cut the aloe leaf sideways and scoop out the gel into a container (with an airtight lid).
  2. Apply the gel on your lips and leave it on overnight.
  3. Store the remaining gel in the airtight container. Keep it in the fridge if you live in a hot and temperate climate.
How Often You Should Do This

Regularly before going to bed.

6. Green Tea Bags

Green tea contains polyphenols that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and photoprotective effects on the skin (13). There is no scientific evidence that it can heal chapped lips. However, it is said that green tea bags can relieve the burning sensation on your chapped lips caused by dryness.

You Will Need
  • 1 green tea bag
  • A cup of hot water
What You Have To Do
  1. Dip the green tea bag in hot water for a few minutes.
  2. Place this tea bag on the lips.
  3. Leave it on for a few minutes.
How Often You Should Do This

Once daily.

7. Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter and shea butter contain essential fatty acids that deeply condition, nourish, and protect dehydrated skin (14), (15). Dairy products like yogurt and buttermilk also help improve skin health (16).

You Will Need
  • Organic cocoa butter OR shea butter OR peanut butter OR yogurt OR buttermilk
What You Have To Do
  1. Apply a small amount of cocoa butter on your lips and leave it on overnight.
  2. Alternatively, you can also use shea butter and leave it on overnight.
  3. If you plan to use peanut butter, yogurt, or buttermilk, just leave it on your lips for 5-10 minutes and then rinse it off. Leaving these on overnight will ruin your pillow covers.
How Often You Should Do This

Every day for a few days.

8. Sugar Method

The coarse granules of sugar are excellent for exfoliating your chapped lips. Scrubbing your lips with sugar can help you get rid of the top layer of dry and flaky skin. As a result, your lips will become soft and supple.

You Will Need
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or white sugar)
  • A few drops of olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
What You Have To Do
  1. Mix the sugar with the olive oil and honey. Do not let it dissolve.
  2. Apply this mixture on your lips and scrub gently in circular motions.
  3. Wash the scrub off with lukewarm water.
How Often You Should Do This

Every alternate day initially. Then, continue to use it once or twice a week to maintain soft and smooth lips.

Both sugar and baking soda act as exfoliants in this mix (17). The vanilla extract simply adds a pleasant flavor to this lip scrub.

You Will Need
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons jojoba oil or olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
What You Have To Do
  1. Mix all the ingredients mentioned above.
  2. Take a small amount of this mixture on your fingertip and apply it to your lips.
  3. Scrub your lips with this mixture for a minute or so and then wash it off.
  4. You can store the rest of the vanilla lip scrub in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
How Often You Should Do This

Every day for a few days, then once every 3-4 days.

10. Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) forms a protective layer on the lips and rehydrates the skin to speed up the renewal process (8). As the jelly seeps into the inner layers of the skin, the surface skin gets smoother.

You Will Need
  • Petroleum jelly
What You Have To Do
  1. Take a small amount of petroleum jelly on your fingertips and gently massage your lips.
How Often You Should Do This

You can reapply it several times a day.

11. Beeswax

Beeswax contains hydrocarbons, free fatty acids, and other natural antibacterial agents that can help prevent the painful inflammation that comes with an infection. It helps improve wound healing and stimulates skin cell turnover (18). Thus, it can help you get rid of the dead skin on your chapped lips to give you softer, smoother lips.

You Will Need
  • A lip product containing beeswax
What You Have To Do
  1. Purchase a product, such as a lip balm or a lip oil, containing beeswax.
  2. Apply the lip balm or oil to your lips and massage it in for a few seconds.
How Often You Should Do This

You can reapply it several times a day.

The main aim of these remedies is to remove the dead and flaky skin from the surface of your lips and reveal the soft skin present below it. To maintain this softness, nourishing agents have also been included in the remedies. Follow these simple natural solutions and the preventive tips given below to get soft and supple lips in no time.

Preventive Tips For Chapped Lips

  1. Drink plenty of liquids: Since dehydration can result in dry, flaky, and chapped lips, it is important to stay hydrated by consuming water and natural fruit juices throughout the day.
  1. Exfoliate your lips: Apply a gentle exfoliator with moisturizing properties to take off the dead skin. This can help rejuvenate the health of your lips.
  1. Use sunscreen: Sunscreen can prevent your lips from drying out further and keep the skin from peeling.
  1. Use a non-toxic lip balm: Some lip balms on the market contain harmful and drying ingredients like camphor and menthol. Avoid buying them. Instead, opt for a lip balm that contains beeswax, petroleum jelly, or any of the natural herbal ingredients listed above.
  1. Limit exposure to the elements: You can limit exposure to the elements by wearing a scarf or disposable mask around your mouth in the winter, or applying a high-SPF sunscreen in the summer.
  1. Avoid touching your lips: Constantly touching your face with your fingers is a sure-fire way to transfer germs and bacteria that can worsen the condition of your lips.
  1. Avoid smoking: Tobacco can irritate and dry out the skin around the lips. Therefore, avoid or reduce the frequency of smoking.

Now that you know how to get rid of chapped lips, what are you waiting for? With these basic tips and remedies, you can revive baby soft lips in a few days! If you are aware of any other natural remedies for chapped lips, please share them in the comments section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do chapped lips take to heal?

With the above self-care remedies and tips, you can get rid of chapped lips in 2-3 weeks.

Can lemon help heal chapped lips?

Although lemon is used on lips for its anti-pigmentary properties, there is no scientific evidence that proves its efficacy in healing chapped lips.

18 sources

Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Check out our editorial policy for further details.

  • Clinical Assessment of a Combination Lip Treatment to Restore Moisturization and Fullness, The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2923945/
  • The prevalence of chapped lips during an army hot weather exercise, Military Medicine, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9433089
  • A randomized double-blind controlled trial comparing extra virgin coconut oil with mineral oil as a moisturizer for mild to moderate xerosis, Dermatitis, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15724344
  • Final report on the safety assessment of Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Ricinoleate SE, Ricinoleic Acid, Potassium Ricinoleate, Sodium Ricinoleate, Zinc Ricinoleate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Ethyl Ricinoleate, Glycol Ricinoleate, Isopropyl Ricinoleate, Methyl Ricinoleate, and Octyldodecyl Ricinoleate, International Journal of Toxicology, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18080873
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    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/
  • Grape Seed Oil Compounds: Biological and Chemical Actions for Health, Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4988453/
  • Honey in dermatology and skin care: a review, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24305429
  • Dealing with Dry Winter Air, CommonHealth, The CommonHealth of Virginia's Employee Wellness Program.
    http://commonhealth.virginia.gov/documents/wellnotes/dealingwithdryindoorair.pdf
  • Rose, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, United States Department of Agriculture.
    https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ipnf/learning/nature-science/?cid=fsm9_019141
  • Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acid, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8784274
  • Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber, Fitoterapia, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
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  • Aloe Vera: A Short Review, Indian Journal of Dermatology, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
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  • Protective Mechanisms of Green Tea Polyphenols in Skin, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
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  • Cocoa Bioactive Compounds: Significance and Potential for the Maintenance of Skin Health, Nutrients, US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4145303/
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How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips Fast

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