Many women suffer from chronically dry lips - especially in autumn and winter - but what is the cause and how can you keep your lips soft in the long term?  In this article, we cover at some of the possible causes and solutions.

Dehydration

We are tired of hearing it, but not drinking enough water can cause dehydration throughout your body. This can show up as dry skin, dry hair and dry, chapped lips because the skin on your lips is many times thinner than the rest of your skin.  This makes your lips more susceptible to cracking and dryness. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses throughout the day.  And: Coffee does not count, as the caffeine is more likely to dry out your skin than hydrate it!

Nutrient deficiency

Dry lips can indicate a lack of nutrients in your body. If you have dry lips, you should check your deficiencies. Iron deficiency is known to be a cause of dry lips.

Excessive lip licking

Many of us have a habit of licking our lips excessively. This can cause your lips to dry out due to the constant exposure to saliva, which contains many enzymes that are too aggressive for our thin lip skin. In the long run, this leads to even drier skin. You can prevent this from happening in the future by using lip balm.

Lip care

Vaseline is the perfect product for dry lips. It will help your lips to lock in moisture in the long term and will protect them from unwanted cracks and chapped lips. This is especially useful on cold winter days.

On warmer days, a light lip balm with SPF will also help protect your lips from getting damaged by the sun.

Lip Peelings 

As dry lips are prone to flaking, exfoliants can help to gently remove dead skin cells. A scrub with sugar, honey and a little olive oil can help you do this and nourish your lips at the same time.

Take care of your diet 

Eating healthy fats, avoiding sugar and increasing your collagen intake can help improve the appearance of your skin and lips in the long term.