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For very dry, cracked lips, the best lip balm is a plain, fragrance-free ointment: Vaseline, Aquaphor Lip Repair or CeraVe Healing Ointment. Apply a thick layer at night and reapply through the day, with an SPF 30 lip balm when you’re outdoors. Skip anything with menthol, camphor, peppermint, cinnamon or fragrance until your lips heal; those are the “tingly” ingredients that keep chapped lips chapped. Most cracked lips improve within a few days and heal within one to two weeks.
Free: the Winter Dry Skin Rescue Plan
A printable 14-day plan for dry, tight winter skin: shower rules, a face routine, and fixes for hands, lips and heels.
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Here’s what to use, what to avoid, a simple repair routine, and the reasons your lips might keep peeling no matter what you put on them.
The Real Problem
Lips have no oil glands and a very thin outer layer, so they dry out fast in cold, windy, heated air. The natural fix (licking them) makes it worse, because saliva evaporates and its enzymes irritate the skin. Many popular balms make it worse too: the cooling, flavored, scented ones feel nice for a minute, then irritate. Healing lips need a simple, protective seal and fewer irritants.
Short Answer
Heal fast: Aquaphor Lip Repair or CeraVe Healing Ointment, thick, at bedtime and several times a day. Sensitive or reactive lips: plain Vaseline or La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips. Daytime outdoors: an SPF 30 lip balm like EltaMD UV Lip Balm. Avoid: menthol, camphor, peppermint, cinnamon, fragrance and lip scrubs while lips are cracked.
The Winter Dry Skin Rescue Plan
Winter shower rules, a face routine for dry skin over 40, mini-routines for hands, lips and heels, an ingredient cheat sheet and a 14-day rescue checklist.
Send me the free plan →In This Guide
Ingredients That Heal (and Ones That Hurt)
| Look for | What it does | Avoid while healing | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrolatum, mineral oil | Seals in moisture (occlusive) | Menthol, camphor | Cooling, but irritating and drying |
| Ceramides, squalane, shea butter | Repairs the barrier (emollient) | Peppermint, cinnamon, flavors | Common causes of lip irritation |
| Dimethicone, beeswax* | Protects from wind and cold | Fragrance | Can trigger allergic reactions |
| Hyaluronic acid, glycerin | Draws in water (best with an occlusive) | Salicylic acid, phenol | Exfoliating or drying |
| Zinc oxide or other SPF filters (daytime) | Prevents sun damage | Lip plumpers | Work by irritating the lips |
*Beeswax and lanolin are great for most people but can irritate a few. If a balm with them makes your lips worse, switch to plain petrolatum.
Best Lip Balms for Very Dry Lips
Aquaphor Lip Repair
A soothing ointment with shea butter and chamomile-derived bisabolol in a fragrance-free formula. It’s smooth enough to wear all day and thick enough to heal overnight.
Check on Amazon →Vaseline Original Healing Jelly
Pure petroleum jelly: no fragrance, no flavor, nothing to react to. Keep a small tin for your bag and a tub for nightly “lip slugging.”
Check on Amazon →CeraVe Healing Ointment
Petrolatum plus ceramides and hyaluronic acid, with no lanolin or fragrance. A thick layer at bedtime is one of the fastest fixes for cracked lips.
Check on Amazon →La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lips
A fragrance-free repair balm for chapped, cracked lips from a brand known for sensitive skin. It’s less greasy than ointment for daytime.
Check on Amazon →Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Purpose Superbalm
A dense, lanolin-based balm that many people with chronically dry lips love. It’s also good on cuticles and dry patches.
Check on Amazon →EltaMD UV Lip Balm SPF 36
Sun and wind make chapped lips worse. A mineral SPF balm protects while they heal. More options in our guide to the best lip balms with SPF.
Check on Amazon →Dr. Dan’s Cortibalm
A lip balm with 1% hydrocortisone, an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory. It can calm red, irritated, chapped lips, but it’s meant for short-term use. Follow the label.
Check on Amazon →The 7-Day Lip Repair Routine
Every morning
- Rinse lips with lukewarm water; pat dry. Don’t scrub.
- Apply a thin layer of ointment, then an SPF 30 lip balm if you’re going outside.
Through the day
- Reapply every two hours and after eating or drinking.
- Stop licking and picking. Keep a balm within reach so you’re not tempted.
- Drink water regularly and cover your mouth with a scarf in cold wind.
Every night
- “Lip slug”: apply a ceramide balm or Cicaplast Lips, then seal with a thick layer of Vaseline or CeraVe Healing Ointment.
- Run a bedroom humidifier if your heating is on. See do humidifiers help dry skin?
Free: the Winter Dry Skin Rescue Plan
A printable 14-day plan for dry, tight winter skin: shower rules, a face routine, and fixes for hands, lips and heels.
Free. You will also get a few short emails with tips and offers. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy.
Why Your Lips Keep Peeling
If lips stay dry despite good balm, one of these is often the reason:
- Licking your lips or biting at flakes.
- Your lip balm or toothpaste. Flavors, mint, fragrance and some toothpaste ingredients can cause irritation or allergy.
- Mouth breathing at night, especially with a stuffy nose.
- Medications. Retinoid pills and some acne medicines commonly dry the lips. Topical retinol can too if it creeps onto the lip line; apply a little ointment around the mouth first.
- Dry air from heating and cold, windy weather.
- Sun damage on the lower lip.
- Nutrient deficiencies (such as B vitamins or iron) in some cases, especially with cracks at the corners.
When to See a Doctor
- Lips don’t improve after two to three weeks of gentle care.
- Cracks at the corners of the mouth that won’t heal (this can be angular cheilitis, sometimes caused by yeast or bacteria).
- Swelling, blisters, crusting or a rash around the mouth (possible allergic reaction or infection).
- A rough, scaly or sore patch on the lower lip that keeps coming back.
Cracked Lips Checklist
- Fragrance-free ointment or balm
- No menthol, camphor, mint, cinnamon or flavor
- Reapply every 2 hours and after meals
- SPF 30 lip balm outdoors
- Thick layer at night (“lip slugging”)
- Stop licking and picking
- Humidifier in the bedroom
- No lip scrubs until healed
- Doctor if no better in 2–3 weeks
Frequently Asked Questions
What heals severely chapped lips fastest?
A thick layer of a plain ointment (Vaseline, Aquaphor or CeraVe Healing Ointment) at night, reapplication through the day, no licking, and avoiding irritating ingredients. Most people see improvement within a few days.
Why does my lip balm make my lips drier?
It may contain irritants like menthol, camphor, peppermint, flavorings or fragrance. Switch to a plain, fragrance-free ointment for two weeks.
Is Vaseline or Aquaphor better for chapped lips?
Both work well. Aquaphor is a little smoother and has soothing extras; Vaseline is simpler and lanolin-free. See our Aquaphor vs Vaseline comparison.
Should I exfoliate chapped lips?
Not while they’re cracked or raw. Once healed, gentle exfoliation with a damp washcloth is enough.
Can retinol cause dry lips?
Yes. Retinol can migrate onto the lips and dry them. Keep it away from the lip line, and apply a thin layer of ointment around your mouth before your retinol. Retinoids aren’t recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology guidance on relieving dry skin; dermatologist recommendations on chapped lips reported by NBC Select. Veranoz has not tested every product listed.
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