How Do I Treat Chapped Lips - Ask the Editor!

by Laura Kenney (Subscribe to Laura Kenney's posts)
Posted Feb 24th 2010 at 12:01AM

Photo: Getty

Q: I have really chapped lips. How can I treat them?

A: Dry, flakey lips are almost inevitable during the winter months. Not only are they exposed to the elements (wind, cold air, etc.), but the indoor heat is equally as dehydrating.

The most obvious thing to do for chapped lips is to moisturize. But it's important to know your ingredients: Look for lip balms with beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E and emollient oils (think jojoba), all of which intensely hydrate and replenish lost moisture.

Another tip: stop licking. It may temporarily make your lips feel better, but saliva dries quickly, sucking moisture from the lips, which leads to greater chapping.

Using a humidifier at night could help relieve some dryness, too. The moisture from the humidifier restores the moisture your dry indoor heat has taken away.

Now that you've cleared away the flakes, Click through below to find the best shade of lipstick for your skin tone. And find the answers to all of your beauty questions in our Beauty Basics section.

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Beauty Basics: Your Best Lipstick Shade

Discover the best lip shade for your skin tone!

Peter Buckingham

Beauty Basics: Your Best Lipstick Shade Step-by-Step

If you're like most women, you're constantly on the prowl for the perfect lip color. You'll find a new favorite shade and wear it nonstop for 2 days, after which it'll join the graveyard of semi-used lipsticks at the bottom of your purse.

How to avoid this vicious buy and retire cycle? Find the right lipstick shade for daily use. Every skin tone has their perfect color – the one that subtly brightens your skin tone and makes your eyes sparkle. We're not saying you can't have fun with the season's must-have shade; think of this more about your old faithful – the lipstick shade you can rely on day in and day out. Read on for tips from makeup expert Carmindy, star of TLC's What Not To Wear, on finding the perfect shade of lipstick for dark, medium and light skin tones.

Peter Buckingham

Finding Your Shade
For everyday use, you want a lipstick that looks like your lips, only a little more colorful. "It should mimic your natural lip color, but take it just a step above," says Carmindy.

Peter Buckingham

Darker Skin Tones
As you can see here, the right shade of lipstick brings out the yellow undertones in darker skin, helping your complexion look brighter. It also picks up the whites of the eyes, making your eye color appear more intense.

Peter Buckingham

Darker Skin Tones - Your Lipstick Shade
Carmindy recommends choosing a daily lipstick with a little bit of color. "You want more pigment than a nude shade, which will just disappear on your skin," she says. Use a terracotta color, shown here, for a natural look that bumps up your lip color, while appearing natural, smooth and creamy.

Peter Buckingham

Darker Skin Tones - Lipstick Application
Choose a sheer, glossy formula and use a lip brush for an extra light application. You can layer on more color as you need it for extra brightness.

Peter Buckingham

Darker Skin Tones - Final Look
Terracotta lipstick brightens up darker skin tones; layer it on light for day, and darker for night, to make your skin glow.

Peter Buckingham

Medium Skin Tones
As you can see, the right lipstick tone on medium skin brightens the complexion and makes the eyes look more vibrant.

Peter Buckingham

Medium Skin Tones - Your Lipstick Shade
"On medium skin tones, I like to go with berry shades," says Carmindy. "A berry shade will play into your natural lip color, but take it up a level."

Peter Buckingham

Medium Skin Tones - Final Look
Berry lipstick brightens up medium skin tones; layer it on light for day, and darker for night, to make your skin glow.

Peter Buckingham

Lighter Skin Tones
Women with lighter skin tones tend to have paler lips, which can get lost without the right tone of lipstick. A subtle hint of pink will bring them out, while warming up your complexion and brightening your eye color.

Peter Buckingham

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Filed under: Beauty, Makeup, Skin & Body
Tags: ask the editor, ask-the-editor, AskTheEditor, chapped lips, ChappedLips

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READER COMMENTS

(8)Add A Comment

Kate, 2-24-2010, 11:38AM

I know how you feel; My lips get really chapped ALL year long. I've tried almost everthing and have came up with a simple 2-word conclusion: Peppermint Chapstick. It gives great results and help you can feel! And for only a dollar and twenty five cents, you cant beat such a great deal. Goodluck

Reply »

Suzq, 3-18-2010, 3:48PM

I love Lip Session. It used to be sold in stores and then it disappeared. I finally found it online at E Burnham's webiste. It works on cold sores too and it smells great. They have banana, strawberry and my favorite, original which is vanilla.

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Kelly, 2-25-2010, 10:07AM

False. First of all, your lips get chapped when you are dehydrated. Before you even reach for a tube of chapstick, drink water. Lots of it. Divide your weight by two and drink that many ounces of water in a day (ie, if you're 120lbs, drink 60oz of water per day). I bet you anything you'll notice your chapped lips will go away within a day of starting a hydrating routine. This also helps improve dry skin and hair and helps your immune system fend off those inevitable winter colds. However, your lips naturally exfoliate which causes some flaking from time to time. I recommend taking a washcloth and soaking it in warm water and gently rubbing your lips with it to exfoliate after you shower. Throw on lip balm right after exfoliating and let it sit for a half hour before applying your lipstick or other lip gloss. Then grab your water bottle and go!!!

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Rooster, 2-25-2010, 10:15AM

The best way to stop chapped lips is keep your mouth shut Yentas!

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Promod1037, 2-25-2010, 10:33AM

I tried everything for my chapped, flaking lips - cheap, expensive - nothing worked. The corners were so cracked and broken they would bleed. Then somewhere I read or heard about Vaseline being the fix, so I tried it and it works! Get yourself a contact lens container, fill both sides with Vaseline and take it with you wherever you go. All you need is a light coating at times throughout the day and I goop it on pretty good at bedtime. Haven't had a problem for years now.

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Rosie B., 2-25-2010, 11:27AM

One of the worst things that adds to dry lips that peel and sometimes bleed is the use of whitening toothpaste. The ingredient used in these products to whiten your teeth really harms your lips. The dryness and peeling stopped as soon as I switched back to a toothpaste that didn't specify it whitens teeth. Give me the basic toothpaste.

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rana, 2-25-2010, 1:21PM

I had really cracked lips for a long time. Then I learned this trick and it has worked for years. After you brush your teeth, rinse the brush and then gently brush your lips. Apply whatever moisturizer you like. After a couple of days, the problem is GONE.

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Sandy, 2-25-2010, 9:39PM

I have found a wonderful all natural lip balm called Chopsaver. It was invented by a professional trumpet player...someone very interested in lip care. Musicians and people who take medications that cause dryness have found it as well....see the Chopsaver.com website. Nothing has helped heal my own dry lips as well!

Reply »

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