Lip balm makes lips more dry and cracked

You use lips to talk, take a selfie and kiss your loved ones. That's why dry, chapped lips not only make you itchy and painful, but sometimes embarrassing or embarrassing. But the continuous application of lip balm may not help.

According to the article published in the journal LiveScience, lip balm only helps your lips to relax temporarily and some types can make the lips uncomfortable even drier. That's because when the moisturizer of the lip balm evaporates, it will cause your lips to lose more water . "It started a vicious cycle," said Dr. Leah Jacob, assistant professor of dermatology at Tulane University.

Many of us experience dry and chapped lips, especially in cold and dry winters. So doctors and beauty experts recommend that we should nourish the lips and skin care. Dr. Crystal Aguh, assistant professor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins University, said: "Any part of the body that comes into direct contact with cold air in the winter will suffer the effects. Many people's hands usually very dry in the winter because although they wear long-sleeved shirts and jackets, they don't wear gloves to keep warm. "

When the moisturizer of the lip balm evaporates, it will cause your lips to lose more water.

Similarly, people rarely cover their faces and lips in the winter and so they also tend to be dry , Aguh said.

Although the lips look very different from our skin, they are actually quite similar. Just like the skin, the lips are made up of three layers of cells: the outer layer is the dead cells (called the horny layer), the epidermis and the bottom is the dermis.The main difference is that the layers (especially the horn layer, forming a barrier to protect the other layers) are much thinner in the lips and therefore more vulnerable.

In addition, the lips do not have their own hair follicles or oil glands. Instead, oil from the glands around the lips provides moisture. Licking your lips or applying a thin layer to add moisture may seem like a good idea, but it can be bad because it can lead to more dehydration.

Some types of lip balm contain irritating ingredients or dry lips such as menthol, salicylic acid, cinnamic aldehyde and peppermint flavor. Jacob said."Many people are not affected by these ingredients, but people with sensitive or allergic skin may be more sensitive to them."

Lip gloss and oil are also said to increase the sun's ultraviolet (UV) effect, because they are like a magnifying glass focusing the rays and passing the light beam to your lips. But because the lips have less melanin pigments, lip skin cells are more likely to suffer more damage if you use lip gloss products.

Jacob advises us to use lip balm or ointment, with SPF protection to protect the lips . Glycerin or petroleum jelly are good ingredients. You can also try using a humidifier at home, it will add moisture to your air and lips. And remember to drink more water to keep water from inside out.