For cracked mouth corners, avoid licking or picking, gently pat away lingering moisture and choose simple care that suits your skin. Contact a doctor if the crack remains after two weeks, the affected area spreads, or you have considerable pain or crusting. If you wear dentures, make sure they are clean and fit properly.

A bite of a sandwich, a yawn or a laugh can suddenly pull at that tiny split. It is tempting to keep running your tongue over it or try another cream. A calmer plan helps you work out where the problem is, what keeps irritating the skin and when an assessment makes more sense than further experiments.

The mouth corner is different from the whole lip

A crack at one or both corners of the mouth is also known as angular cheilitis. Opening your mouth can hurt. The skin may become softened, change colour or develop crusts. Appearance alone cannot tell you the cause; neither can a photograph.

If you mainly have flaking and dryness across the lip itself, our guide to caring for dry, chapped lips is a better starting point. Bumps or a rash around the mouth need a different assessment. Do not automatically use a treatment someone else received for another mouth problem.

Why licking can keep the crack going

Saliva that sits in a mouth corner for a long time can irritate the skin. Folds can trap moisture, and licking wets the area again. Yeast or bacteria may also be involved. It is not simply a matter of using too little lip balm.

Look for a familiar moment when you lick or touch the crack, perhaps while reading or talking on the phone. Make a conscious effort to leave it alone then. After eating, drinking or brushing your teeth, gently dab away remaining moisture with a clean, soft cloth. Do not scrub away every crust.

Two soapy hands are being washed under a tap; a closed balm lies on a dry towel.

Wash your hands before applying care. Drying the area should not become another exfoliation session: gentle dabbing is enough. A hot shower or a face full of new products is not a necessary part of this plan.

A dark-haired woman pats her cheek with a light towel beside a closed white jar.

What care can you ask about?

For irritation maintained by saliva, DermNet describes a thick, plain barrier ointment as a possible help. Choose something you tolerate. Stop a lip product that burns or stings; a cooling or tingling sensation does not mean the skin is healing. For help with labels, read about fragrance-free and hypoallergenic products.

The Dutch patient-information service Thuisarts lists zinc oil, an oily zinc-oxide preparation, as a self-care option for cracked mouth corners in the Netherlands. Ask a pharmacist which preparation is suitable and how to use it. Sunscreen containing zinc is not automatically the same preparation. Available products and local advice can differ between countries.

A hand picks up a closed white jar from a wooden bathroom shelf beside a beige balm stick.

You do not need to try a balm, an acid serum and a medicated cream at the same time. Keep one suitable product handy and note whether the area settles. If your cheeks are sensitive too, read separately about caring for an irritated facial skin barrier; facial products do not need to go on the crack.

A man in a navy shirt places a closed balm beside an open notebook on his desk.

What if the corner keeps splitting?

If you wear dentures, check their fit and clean them as your dentist advises. Have poorly fitting dentures assessed. Repeated applications of cream will not change the fit. Recurring cracks are also worth discussing with a doctor if you do not wear dentures.

Note when it started, whether one or both sides are affected, which products you use and what you have tried. Include your medicines. Other conditions or deficiencies can sometimes play a part, but a crack alone does not prove a vitamin deficiency. Do not automatically start taking supplements.

A woman writes in a blue notebook at a wooden table with a closed white pump bottle.

Why medicated cream needs personal advice

Treatment depends on the cause. A doctor may recommend treatment for yeast or bacteria when needed. That is not a reason to mix creams yourself, repeat an old prescription or use someone else's medication. Discuss existing medicines with a doctor or pharmacist because some combinations can cause problems.

When should you contact a doctor or dentist?

Contact a doctor if the mouth corner is still cracked after two weeks of self-care. Seek advice sooner if the area grows, becomes very painful or develops substantial crusting. If a recommended medicated cream has not helped after two weeks, arrange another discussion. The time frame is a point for assessment, not a promise of healing.

A dentist can help with poorly fitting dentures. Bring brief notes and the products you use if useful. You do not have to work through a whole collection of treatments before asking for advice.

A man talks to a woman in blue workwear at a desk; a closed balm lies on the table.

What about an ordinary break outdoors?

Protect your face with shade, a wide-brimmed hat and enough SPF 30 or higher sunscreen with UVA/UVB protection on exposed, intact skin. Good sunscreen use helps prevent skin cancer and protects against sunburn and premature skin ageing. Choose a suitable SPF 30 or higher lip product for intact lips. Reapply protection about every two hours outdoors and after swimming or heavy sweating, following the label.

Sun protection will not heal the open crack. An ordinary balm without a stated SPF does not replace a sun-protective lip product. Keep care for the damaged mouth corner separate from everyday protection for the rest of your skin.

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat applies lip balm on a bench under trees, holding the cap in her other hand.

Soluveli is developing facial sunscreen, not a treatment for mouth-corner cracks. On the homepage you can follow the brand and sign up for one email on launch day. Final product properties and a launch date are not yet confirmed.

Sources and further reading

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  1. RIVM — protection at UV index 3 and aboveShade, clothing and SPF for general sun protection, not treatment of mouth-corner cracks.
  2. Thuisarts — a cracked mouth cornerDutch self-care advice, zinc oil, dentures and when to contact a doctor.
  3. DermNet — angular cheilitisSaliva irritation, possible causes and treatment tailored to the cause.
  4. AAD — caring for dry, chapped lipsNon-irritating lip care and SPF 30 or higher on lips outdoors.
  5. AAD — sunscreen questionsEvidence for protection against sunburn, skin cancer and premature skin ageing.