10 Ways to Prevent Dry Lips in a Hot Country Like Singapore

Last Updated on 2021-09-29 , 2:15 pm

With global warming heating up the earth, it is getting hotter and hotter these days.

With such hot weather raging in the region, it is natural that we will start experiencing dry lips on a daily basis. What can we do if we are consistently having dry lips?

Below are 10 little-known things you can do to prevent dry lips.

Do not lick your lips when they feel dry
We tend to believe that we are adding moisture to dry lips by licking them, but it actually works the other way. Licking dry lips will dry them out even more due to the acids that are in our saliva. Remember that these acids aid the breaking down of food and they can irritate your lips. To make matter worse, continuously licking your lips will remove any natural oils that you have on your lips.

Stop breathing through your mouth
This can be a subconscious action especially when you have a blocked nose. Be conscious about breathing through your mouth and stop the habit. It causes the drying out of your lips faster than the atmosphere.

Exfoliate your lips
Use a lip exfoliator to remove dead cells on your lips. You can try a store-bought lip exfoliator or make your own using sugar and honey. If your lips are extra sensitive, use a soft, clean toothbrush to gently brush your lips back and forth to remove the dead cells.

Use cucumber
For lips which are chapped and sore, cut up a cucumber into thin pieces and put them over your lips for five minutes. You can do this every day to assist the rehydration of your lips. Besides, the feel of the cucumber over your lips is great!

Use lip balm made only with natural ingredients
Use only lip balms made without chemicals. Lip balms made from honey, shea butter, cocoa butter or almond oil work great. They have wonderful moisturising effects and usually contain vitamin A and E which are necessary to keep your lips healthy.

Use a humidifier at night
In our hot and dry months, turn on a humidifier at night, especially if you are sleeping in an air-conditioned room. It helps to keep both your lips and skin moisturised.

Use natural aloe vera
If you have an aloe vera plant at home or have access to natural aloe vera, you can apply pure aloe vera gel to your lips twice a day. Not only will the gel help to heal chapped lips, it can also help to soothe the pain.

Drink more water
You know how your mum will always look at your lips, and when she sees them exceptionally dry, she will proclaim that you’re not drinking enough water and order you to drink more? Well, they’re right. Drinking enough water will help with the hydration of your body, including your lips. It is recommended to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.

Check the ingredients in your toothpaste
Some toothpaste and oral products contain an ingredient called sodium lauryl sulphate (this is added to products which produce foam). This has been associated with skin irritation and dermatitis in some people. If your lips are consistently irritated, it might be good for you to change to a toothpaste that does not contain this ingredient.

Eat your vitamins
Sometimes, chapped or dry lips are a result of lack of vitamin B. All B complex vitamins contribute to your skin’s general health, but certain vitamins, such as vitamin B2 and B3 help to boost your skin’s ability to retain moisture.

Try to take more green vegetables such as spinach and also dairy products or nuts to ensure you have the necessary vitamins. If you find it hard to have a balanced diet, try taking some supplements to enhance the provision of vitamins to your body.

There is still a long list of things which you can do to ensure moist and healthy lips. You can start with the above 10 and try to include them in your daily activities.

Featured Image: Cheangchai Noojuntuk / Shutterstock.com