For ordinary dry, chapped lips, use a gentle lip balm or ointment that does not sting, applying it regularly and before bed. Leave flakes alone and try to break the habit of licking or biting. Protect your lips outdoors with a suitable lip product containing SPF 30 or higher. If symptoms persist, or your lips become hot, painful and swollen, ask for personal advice.

Tightness after a bike ride, a loose flake that keeps catching, a crack that hurts when you smile: sore lips intrude on small everyday moments. You do not need a large collection of products. Start with something comfortable, a few steady habits and a clear point at which to seek help.

Which balm or ointment should you choose?

Look for a simple, fragrance-free lip product that feels comfortable. For very dry, cracked lips, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests a thick ointment such as white petroleum jelly. It helps retain moisture. The price, an expensive pot or a long ingredient list cannot tell you whether a product will suit your lips.

Stop using a product if it burns, stings or tingles unpleasantly. You do not need to put up with that sensation for your lips to recover. Consider the lipstick or scented balm you use during the day, too. Our guide to fragrance-free and hypoallergenic labels explains why a label does not guarantee that everyone will tolerate a product.

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

Why licking and picking do not help

Wetting a dry lip with your tongue can feel natural. Repeating it creates a cycle of wetting and drying. DermNet explains how this saliva cycle can disrupt the skin's protective barrier and sustain irritation. The skin then feels dry again, encouraging more licking.

Make it easier to interrupt the habit. Keep your own balm somewhere familiar, such as beside your notebook while you work. When you notice yourself starting to lick, pause and use your gentle lip product if needed. Biting or pulling away a flake adds irritation; leave it alone instead of trying to make the surface perfectly smooth.

That gives you something more useful to practise than removing more skin. Choose a concrete cue: while reading or on the phone, keep your hands away from your lips. If it is difficult, notice when you tend to do it. That observation is more helpful than repeatedly checking whether every flake has gone.

A man places a closed lip balm beside an open, blank notebook on his desk.

A clean, gentle application routine

Wash your hands before applying lip balm, particularly when using a finger to take it from a pot. Use your own product and do not share it with family or colleagues. The NHS recommends clean hands and avoiding shared lip balms to limit the spread of germs.

For example, apply your balm calmly after washing your hands in the morning, then close it again. That is easier to manage than dipping unwashed fingers into an open pot on the move. Choose packaging that fits how you use the product; a stick, tube or pot is not a quality ranking.

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

Spread the product gently over your lips. You do not need to massage hard to remove a rough patch. Keep your routine simple for now so you can notice what remains comfortable. A balm that suits someone else may still sting your lips.

A woman with short curly hair applies beige lip balm to her lower lip while holding the cap.

Fitting care into an ordinary day

The AAD recommends a non-irritating balm or lip moisturiser several times a day and before bed. Attach it to moments already in your day. It can become a small habit without demanding your attention all day long.

  • Morning: wash your hands, apply a product you tolerate and prepare outdoor protection if you are going out.
  • During the day: if your lips feel dry or you want to lick them, leave flakes alone and use your own lip care as needed.
  • Evening: include your lips in a calm evening routine and apply your suitable balm or ointment again before bed.

This is an example of a daily rhythm, not a required number of applications. For a working day, keep one familiar product ready instead of trying a different balm every break. If symptoms recur, note which products you use; that can help a later conversation with a pharmacist or doctor.

A grey-haired man in striped pyjamas holds a white pot and its lid beside his bed.

Cold, wind and dry air

Weather can play a part: the NHS lists cold, dry air and wind among causes of dry lips. A scarf over your lips can offer shelter in cold weather. Drink enough to avoid dehydration. Drinking ever more water does not replace changing a lip product that irritates you.

If your face also feels tight, consider that a separate care question. Our explanation of an irritated facial skin barrier can help simplify your face routine. There is no need to apply every facial serum to your lips as well.

Protect your lips outdoors too

Before going outdoors, the AAD recommends a non-irritating lip product with SPF 30 or higher. Lips can be exposed to UV even in winter. Plain petroleum jelly without SPF has no stated sun protection. Check the label on the product you choose for outdoor use.

Reapply while you remain outdoors: the AAD advises every two hours for the lips. Follow the directions as well, including after swimming or sweating. Shade, a wide-brimmed hat and clothing belong in your overall protection plan. Our guide to sun protection in autumn and winter helps you assess walks and outdoor breaks.

A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and rust-coloured coat applies lip balm on a bench beneath trees.

Using sunscreen properly helps prevent skin cancer and protects against sunburn and premature sun-related skin ageing. SPF does not repair a cracked lip on its own. Care for dryness and protection against UV each have their own purpose.

Soluveli is developing facial sunscreen, rather than a lip treatment. Visit the homepage to follow Soluveli and sign up for one launch notification. Final product properties and a launch date have not yet been established.

When should you ask for advice?

If gentle care has not brought clear improvement after two to three weeks, have your lips assessed. Seek advice about recurring symptoms, too. The AAD gives that timeframe as a point to look further; it does not promise that every crack will heal within a fixed number of days.

If your lips are hot, painful and swollen, contact your doctor. Do not wait until the end of the self-care period. A pharmacist can help you choose care products and advise when a doctor is needed. Bring the products you use and a short account of how symptoms developed if helpful.

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

Sources and further reading

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  1. AAD: caring for dry, chapped lipsDermatology self-care advice on non-irritating balm, ointment, SPF 30+ and assessment if there is no improvement after two to three weeks.
  2. NHS: sore or dry lipsPatient guidance on clean hands, not sharing products, weather and hot, painful, swollen lips. The SPF 30+ advice above comes from the AAD; the NHS specifies at least SPF 15.
  3. AAD: sunscreen FAQsGeneral UV protection with shade, clothing and sunscreen. Follow the label and account for exposure and reapplication.
  4. DermNet: irritation from lip lickingExplains how saliva's repeated wetting and drying can irritate skin and why changing the licking habit matters. No self-diagnosis or medication advice.