Causes of Chapped Lips
Chapped lips can be an embarrassing, uncomfortable and even painful problem. The chief cause for chapped lips is dehydration. Lack of essential nutrients in the diet also causes the thin and delicate skin of the lips to crack. The most common symptoms of this condition are dry flaky skin that sometimes causes thin fissures to appear on the lips and cause bleeding. The problem becomes especially acute in cold and dry weather.
Chapped Lips Remedies
One of the most important aspects of taking care of your lips is to keep them well moisturized all the time. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water every day in order to prevent dehydration of the skin. You should also keep your immediate surroundings well hydrated. Using a humidifier is a simple and effective solution for keeping the skin of the lips moist in dry environments. A very popular remedy for chapped lips is petroleum jelly. Mix a little honey with some petroleum jelly and massage this gently on the lips. Leave it on for 15 minutes. While the petroleum jelly heals bruised skin, honey acts as a natural disinfectant and destroys any germs that might be present in the open sores on the lips. The paste should be wiped away gently with warm water. Repeat this process thrice every day to get rid of chapped lips within a week.
Another remedy for chapped lips is to apply the pulp or the juice of a cucumber on the lips. Cucumber is a rich natural source of moisture that hydrates the lips as well as soothes the sore skin on chapped lips. You could also rub the lips very gently with the inner surface of the rind of a ripe watermelon, as this fruit has the highest concentration of moisture in it. Also, apply the juice of aloe vera or aloe vera gel on the lips twice every day. This is an effective means of trapping moisture in the skin cells and healing them naturally.
Applying the extract of margosa leaves on the lips may also prove beneficial. Applying a little coconut oil on the lips at bedtime every night is also known to be of help in treating chapped lips. Besides these, you should also adopt a few dietary measures to treat chapped lips. Include natural sources of vitamin A and B, iron and zinc in your diet, such as raw, green and leafy vegetables like spinach, whole grains and legumes, milk and eggs.