No matter how many lip balms you own - one in the bag, one on the bedside table, one rolling around in the car - winter somehow always wins. Our lips still crack, flake, sting and peel at the most inconvenient times. Right before a meeting. Right before a date. Right when you least need the distraction.
So, what’s going wrong? Is it the wrong lip balm? A missing ingredient? Not enough water? Or are lips just doomed once the temperature drops?
According to dermatologist Dr Kiran Sethi, the problem isn’t just what we’re applying. It’s understanding what’s actually happening beneath those flakes.
Why Winter Hits Lips Harder Than Skin
Unlike the rest of our skin, lips don’t have oil glands. That means they can’t naturally produce sebum to protect themselves. Add cold air outside, dry indoor heating, and constant temperature changes, and your lips lose moisture at a much faster rate than your face.
’Lips have a very thin barrier,’ explains Dr Sethi. ’In winter, that barrier breaks down easily, making lips prone to dehydration, cracking and inflammation.’
Once that barrier is compromised, even the best lip balm may struggle to fix the problem, especially if it’s the wrong kind.
The Lip Balm Problem No One Talks About
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: not all lip balms are helpful.
Many popular formulas give instant relief but don’t actually repair the lip barrier. Some even make things worse in the long run.
Ingredients like menthol, camphor, peppermint and strong fragrances can feel soothing initially, but they irritate already-damaged lips. The result? A cycle of constant reapplication with no real healing.
’If your lips feel better for five minutes and then worse, it’s likely the balm isn’t barrier-repairing,’ says Dr Sethi.
What your lips actually need is occlusion and repair, not just slip and shine.
What To Look For In A Winter Lip Balm
According to Dr Sethi, the best lip products focus on sealing moisture in, not adding water that evaporates quickly.
Look for:
- Petrolatum or petroleum jelly - excellent at preventing moisture loss
- Shea butter or beeswax - helps protect and soften
- Ceramides - repair the skin barrier
- Lanolin - deeply nourishing (unless you’re sensitive to it)
Avoid:
- Flavours, fragrances and essential oils
- Tingling or ‘plumping’ agents
- Matte liquid lipsticks when lips are already dry
And yes, sometimes the most boring-looking balm is doing the most work.
Is Drinking More Water The Answer?
Hydration helps, but it’s not a magic fix.
’Drinking water is important for overall skin health, but chapped lips in winter are more about external moisture loss than internal dehydration,’ Dr Sethi clarifies.
In other words, you can be perfectly hydrated and still have painfully dry lips if the barrier isn’t protected.
Think of it this way: water inside the body matters, but sealing it in matters just as much.
Stop These Habits (They’re Making It Worse)
If winter lips feel impossible to manage, your habits might be quietly sabotaging you.
- Lip licking - saliva evaporates quickly and dries lips further
- Picking flakes - tempting, but it delays healing and causes micro-tears
- Skipping SPF - winter sun still damages lips
- Applying lipstick on bare, cracked lips - it worsens dryness
’Repeated trauma, even small habits like licking or rubbing lips, prevents proper healing,’ says Dr Sethi.
The Night-Time Fix That Actually Works
If there’s one routine change worth making, it’s this: treat your lips overnight.
Dr Sethi recommends applying a thick, occlusive layer of balm or plain petroleum jelly before bed. This allows lips to repair uninterrupted for hours.
For severely cracked lips, apply your balm on slightly damp lips, then seal it in. The difference by morning can be dramatic.