Cold winter weather can leave our lips feeling dry and flaky, but before you reach for lip balm, one expert claims they can make your chapped lips worse.
Dr Lindsey is a dermatologist who shares her extensive knowledge on all things skin with her 808,000 TikTok followers on her channel @dermguru. In a clip shared to the social media platform, she revealed that over using Chapstick can leave your lips feeling crusty.
"I'm a board certified dermatologist and here are the three reasons why your lips are super dry all the time," she began.
The professional explained how the chemicals in these remedies can be more irritating than soothing.
Dr Lindsey said: "Chapstick is actually are gonna dry your lips out, they more full of fragrances and other irritants that get your lips addicted and in this vicious cycle where it's always going to be dry."
If you can't live without your lip balm, make sure to go for one that's made of natural ingredients and is fragrance free.
Another reason your lips may be puckering is because you're not drinking enough water. It plays a role in keeping your skin plump, soft and goes for the cells around your mouth.
Even if you feel like you're getting your eight glasses, the dry air around you can also make them feel worse.
She advised: "If the air and the humidity around you is dry, your lips are gonna be dry too so find a humidifier and keep it by your bedside."
Finally, if you often lick your lips to keep them moist, Dr Lindsey has said that doing this actually has a counter effect and can result in a nasty form of eczema.
"You may think licking your lips is hydrating them and actually, in fact, does the opposite and leads to a condition called lip licker's dermatitis.
"With an irritant, the dermatitis continuously dries your lips out and makes them red and inflamed."
To treat lip licker's dermatitis, experts at Healthline.com recommend regularly applying a petroleum jelly like Vaseline to the affected areas - and to refrain from any lip licking no matter how tempting it may be.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
