Why are your lips so dry? Here's why -- and how to best deal with it.

Dealing with dry, cracked lips? That seems to be a given this time of year.

Lips don’t have a great ability to moisturize themselves, says Dr. Chris Adigun, a board-certified dermatologist based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. So, when your skin gets dry — as it often does in the winter — your lips suffer disproportionately.  

But it’s not just the weather that causes chapped lips. If you’re struggling with extremely dry lips, there are a multitude of possible reasons. We talked to Adigun to discuss the various causes and how to treat your lips accordingly, including when it’s time to see a dermatologist.

Why are my lips so dry?

Your lips become dry when their lipid moisture barrier becomes compromised. Essentially, our lipid skin barrier works to prevent the water in our skin (including our lips) from evaporating. When this skin barrier is disrupted, the moisture more easily escapes into the air. According to Adigun, there are enzymes in your saliva that disrupt this moisture barrier. That means anything that increases saliva on your lips, like mouth-breathing and frequently licking your lips, can cause dryness.

Cold, dry weather also results in dry lips. This is because water molecules move from areas of higher water concentration to lower water concentration So, dry air pulls moisture from your skin in an attempt to reach equilibrium. Another potential cause of dry lips is a medication that reduces our body’s oil production. Adigun points to the retinoid medication Accutane (Isotretinoin), which treats severe acne, as an example.

How do you get rid of dry lips?

To treat chronically dry lips, you want to apply an emollient on your lips, says Adigun. Emollients work by sealing in the moisture in your skin. There are various types of emollients, including lotions, creams and ointments. Adigun suggests Doctor Rogers Restore Healing Balm. “When patients are a little more conscious about synthetic emollients that typically come from petroleum, and they prefer to use something plant-based that is the best one I have found,” she explains. Apply the emollient as often as needed, she adds.

Are dry lips a symptom of anything?

If emollients aren’t healing your lips, then you may be experiencing an issue other than chronic dryness. Other potential causes include a potential allergy, an irritant exposure or a serious type of sun damage known as actinic damage. Adigun says that you may need to speak to a dermatologist for treatment if you think you are dealing with any of these issues.

Dry skin bothering you?This is what’s causing it.