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For age-associated dry lips, choose a comfortable, fragrance-free moisturizer and apply it several times a day and before bed. Very dry or cracked lips may benefit from a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly. For time outdoors, use a separate lip balm with SPF 30 or higher and reapply it every two hours. These steps can relieve dryness and protect lips; the available guidance does not show that a moisturizer reverses structural lip aging or that one brand works better than another.
How to choose a lip moisturizer
Match the product to what your lips need: a moisturizing barrier for dryness, and sun protection for outdoor exposure. The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) recommends a non-irritating lip balm or moisturizer several times a day and before bed. A product that feels comfortable is a better choice than one that burns, stings, or tingles.
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- For everyday dryness: Look for a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic product with ingredients AAD lists as helpful for chapped lips, such as ceramides, dimethicone, mineral oil, petrolatum, shea butter, castor seed oil, or hemp seed oil.
- For very dry or cracked lips: Consider a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly. AAD notes that ointments seal in water longer than waxes or oils.
- For outdoor use: Choose a lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. AAD identifies zinc oxide or titanium oxide as sun-protective ingredients.
These are ingredient and use criteria, not a tested ranking of products. AAD’s guidance does not establish a best brand or show that products marketed as natural are safer.
How to use moisturizer and SPF
- Apply a non-irritating lip balm or moisturizer several times during the day and before bed.
- If your lips are very dry or cracked, use a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly to help seal in moisture.
- Before going outdoors, apply lip balm with SPF 30 or higher. Reapply every two hours while outdoors.
- Stop using any product that burns, stings, tingles, or otherwise feels uncomfortable.
Ingredients to avoid when lips are chapped
While lips are chapped, AAD advises avoiding products containing camphor, eucalyptus, flavorings such as cinnamon, citrus, mint, or peppermint, fragrance, lanolin, menthol, octinoxate or oxybenzone, phenol, propyl gallate, and salicylic acid. If a product irritates your lips, discontinue it rather than treating the sensation as a sign that it is working.
#1 Best Overall
- Dermatologist Recommended: Aquaphor is the #1 dermatologist recommended lip care brand
- Relieves and Soothes: Aquaphor Lip Repair is clinically proven to relieve dryness and soothe chapped, cracked lips
- Free Of: Aquaphor lip balm for chapped lips is fragrance free and paraben free, and helps prevent dryness for long-lasting moisture
- Nourishing Formula: Formulated with nourishing vitamins, Shea Butter and soothing Chamomile essence
- Lip balm pack includes two (2) 0.35 ounce tubes of Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment
What moisturizer can—and cannot—do for aging lips
Moisturizer can relieve dryness. AAD’s general skin-care guidance says moisturizer can improve the appearance of some fine lines on skin, but the cited guidance does not establish that lip moisturizer reverses age-related changes to lip structure. It also does not identify a lip balm that is superior for aging lips. Treat claims of reversal or dramatic age-related transformation with caution.
When to seek dermatology care
AAD says chapped lips usually improve with self-care within two to three weeks. If they do not, consult a board-certified dermatologist. Persistent dry, scaly lips can have causes beyond weather; actinic cheilitis, for example, is a precancerous condition described by AAD.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- FLAVORFUL LIP BALM: Four 0.15 oz. lip balm tubes of Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm to moisturize and soften your lips
- MOISTURIZED LIPS: Each balm is infused with responsibly sourced beeswax, vitamin E and nourishing oils for a conditioning lip treatment that keeps your lips happy, healthy and juicy
- PEPPERMINT FLAVOR: A hint of peppermint oil gives a one-of-a-kind refreshing tingle that will encourage you to apply this flavored lip balm over and over again
- NOURISH DRY OR CHAPPED LIPS: The tint-free tube of moisturizing lip balm glides on your lips smoothly to nourish them, keeping lips happy, healthy and hydrated
- CONDITIONING LIP THERAPY: This lip moisturizer leaves your lips smooth and refreshed with a matte finish from clean ingredients
Rank #4
- DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED: Aquaphor is the #1 dermatologist recommended lip care brand, offering lip care products to protect and help heal dry lips
- RELIEVES AND SOOTHES: Aquaphor Lip Repair is clinically proven to relieve dryness and soothe chapped, cracked lips
- FREE OF: Aquaphor lip balm for chapped lips is fragrance free and paraben free, and helps prevent dryness for long-lasting moisture
- NOURISHING FORMULA: Lip ointment formulated with nourishing vitamins, Shea Butter and soothing Chamomile essence
- LIP BALM PACK INCLUDES: One (1) 0.35 ounce tube of Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment; lip balm for dry cracked lips
Rank #3
- DERMATOLOGIST RECOMMENDED: Aquaphor is the #1 dermatologist recommended lip care brand
- RELIEVES AND SOOTHES: Aquaphor Lip Repair Stick is clinically proven to relieve dryness and soothe chapped, cracked lips
- NOURISHING FORMULA: This lip repair balm is formulated with a special combination of nourishing vitamins, moisturizers, Shea Butter, and Jojoba Oil
- FREE OF: Aquaphor lip balm for chapped lips is fragrance free and paraben free, and helps prevent dryness for long-lasting moisture
- LIP BALM PACK INCLUDES: two (2) 0.17 ounce sticks of Aquaphor Lip Repair Lip Balm
Rank #2
- Discover Cicaplast Lip Balm, a light, non-greasy lip treatment that helps repair the skin barrier by locking in moisture.
- This hydrating lip treatment balm for dry to extra dry lips provide instant and long-lasting moisture leaving lips feeling comfortable.
- Soothes and softens chapped lips with a non-greasy texture.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology Association: 7 dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, chapped lips
- American Academy of Dermatology Association: How to care for your skin in your 60s and 70s
- American Academy of Dermatology Association: How to select anti-aging skin care products
- American Academy of Dermatology Association: Dermatologists’ top tips for relieving dry skin
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