Home Remedies For Chapped Skin and Lips

Chapped skin is a common problem people experience when exposed to cold weather and winds. Any area that is exposed can be affected. This includes the hands and lips. While common in the winter, people can suffer from chapped skin during any season since cold weather is not always the culprit.

You can get chapped skin for many reasons. Some include:

• Washing and showering with soap
• Handling chemicals at work
• Washing dishes
• Swimming
• Getting too much sun
• Poor nutrition (not enough essential fatty amino acids and vitamins)
• Sensitivities to Products

If you have chapped skin, the first thing you must do is evaluate your diet to see if you are getting enough nutrients. Keep a journal of what you have eaten in the past three days. Once you read over the list, check to see if you are using the right cooking oils. Some are very healthy and others should be avoided. The best oils to choose from include:

• Flaxseed Oil
• Hemp Oil
• Olive Oil

Then you have to make sure that you are getting enough vitamins, especially A, B and C. If you are not, make sure to include the following in your diet:

• Apricot
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Cantaloupe
• Cheese
• Cucumbers
• Eggs
• Legumes
• Mango
• Spinach
• Sweet Potatoes
• Milk
• Whole Grains

One the easiest remedy is a cream that contains one of the following:

• Cocoa Butter
• Hemp Oil
• Marigold
• Shea Butter

Apply it to your skin at least once a day. You can buy these creams at your local health food store.

As a precaution, you should avoid shea butter if you are allergic to nuts.

Preventing Chapped Skin

The best way to prevent chapped skin is to keep it moist. This will help stop your skin from becoming too dry. Avoid the harsh soaps when you shower. There are many shower gels that, not only will clean your skin, but will nourish it as well. After you get out of the shower, use body lotion on your face and body.

People with chapped lips have lips that become dry, flaky or cracked. Some people might find them as a slight annoyance. There are some who are affected more severely and may have painful and bleeding lips.

Chapped Lips Remedies

Chapped lips occur most commonly during the winter. Before you head out in cold weather, coat your lips with a lip balm. Even if your lips are not chapped, if you make it a daily routine to coat your lips, you may not have painful cracks in your lips. It is important to reapply the lip balm constantly, especially after you eat and drink. Since the sun can damage your lips as it does with the skin, look for balms that contains sunscreen. If they are already chapped, look for balms that are made for chapped lips. The same oils for chapped skin will work just as well for the lips.

If you are going out on a special date, go ahead and wear that lipstick. The ones that are creamy will help soothe the discomfort of chapped lips. It will disguise the cracks as well.

Honey has many healing properties that are too numerous to list. However, one of its main benefits is with wound care. Put a teaspoon of honey on your fingertip and apply it to your lips as if you are putting on lipstick. After it dries, put a layer of petroleum jelly on top. After approximately twenty minutes, dampen a washcloth with warm water gently wash your lips. Do this treatment for a week and you will notice the improvement.

Coconut oil and aloe vera also does wonders when it comes to chapped lips. All you need to do is to apply it to your lips whenever it is needed.

Beeswax comes in handy when it comes to chapped lips. First take a tablespoon of beeswax and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add three drops each of almond, jojoba and vitamin E oil and mix. Apply the balm to your lips.

Avoid licking your lips. Even though it may bring around temporary relief, the moistness evaporates quickly and your lips will be just as dry. As with evaluating your diet when it comes to chapped skin, you need to do the same with chapped lips. Make sure you are drinking enough water, between six and eight glasses a day, since this plays a role in healthy lips. All the ingredients can be found at your local health food store. If you do not have the time to get these, Burt’s Bees carry a long line of skin care products. You can find these at most groceries and pharmacies.

There are two things to look at if you are a victim of chapped lips. The first is your toothpaste and mouthwash. It is possible that you may be sensitive to products that you are already using. Check out the ingredients in these products and try a different brand. If your chapped lip problems go away, the old products were the culprits. The second culprit may be your cosmetics that you are currently using. While you get a kick out of purchasing cheaper makeup, it may be worth your time to spend a little more on products such as Sephora and Ulta.