Dry, cracked lips are a sure-fire sign that winter is in full swing, and sometimes it can seem that no amount of chapstick can help. Well-hydrated lips look pink and full – a reflection of the fact that there is sufficient moisture within the covering layer of skin to keep the cells plumped up and avoid the appearance of surface cracks and fissures.
Compared to skin, our lips have a much thinner layer of cells called keratinocytes, making our lips especially vulnerable to dehydration. They also lack a layer of cells called the stratum corneum – which basically contains fatty molecules such as ceramides, that help to protect against water loss… It is estimated that the rate of water loss occurs THREE times faster from the lips than from other areas of the skin.
One of the best ways of avoiding dry lips is to help ensure that any lost moisture is replaced. Moisture loss is reduced by applying an emollient. Application of emollients will also help to protect the lips from drying environmental irritants, such as extremes of temperature and wind.
Not all lip balms are made equal, some contain emollients and some don’t. So make sure you check out the ingredients list before slathering the stuff on your pout.
Here are three of our faves:
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick, Dhs68.25
Blistex Intensive Moisturiser, Dhs111
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm, Dhs14
How does the cold dry out lips?
Cold weather provokes a local inflammatory response in the lips. This inflammation promotes moisture loss and leads to cell damage in the lips. In turn this makes the lips look scaly and chapped. Scaling and redness may also extend to the skin above and below the lips. One of the best ways to prevent this is to create an artificial barrier with an emollient preparation. This helps to protect our lips and well-hydrated lips are less vulnerable to icy temps.
How can I stop cold sores?
Harsh environmental conditions such as extremes of temperature or wind can dehydrate/damage the lips, which causes cold sores to erupt. Not fun.
The answer? Hydration. Yep, well-hydrated lips are less likely to have fissures and cracks and therefore are more resilient to environmental factors that can exacerbate cold sores.
H/T Cosmo UK