As the weather gets colder and the air gets drier, it’s a familiar (and frustrating) rite of passage for your lips to turn into a cracked, flaky mess. And the only relief, however temporary, seems to come from piling on layers of your most “hydrating” lip balm.
Ironically, though, you may have found that your lips somehow feel even more dehydrated after swiping or slathering. And so the cycle begins: reapply again…and again…and again. And when the long-lasting moisture you expected never comes, it’s natural to wonder: Are these balms, butters, and glosses making your cracked lips worse? According to Susan Massick, MD, board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, the answer is kind of complicated.
Can your dry lips become dependent on lip balms?
The short answer: No. Your tube, chapstick, whatever likely isn’t some marketing ploy to keep you constantly reapplying (and repurchasing). “Using lip balm isn’t a true addiction or chemical dependency,” Dr. Massick says. “It’s also a myth that using it often will make it harder for your lips to retain moisture on its own.”
That said, reaching for your product every hour isn’t normal, either. While there isn’t a strict guideline on how often to reapply, a good rule of thumb is to do it after you brush your teeth in the morning and before bedtime, Dr. Massick says. “You can also recoat after eating,” but you shouldn’t feel like you need to after every sip or bite.
So frequent reapplication likely means your particular product is causing some sort of irritation, which can happen for a few reasons. For one, a lot of them “contain ingredients that feel hydrating at first but are actually irritating in the long run,” she explains—like added fragrances, flavors, and essential oils. “These [ingredients] aren’t inherently drying, but they’re common triggers for anyone with sensitive skin or who’s prone to allergic reactions.” As a result, your lips might feel more inflamed—which may prompt you to keep reapplying for relief. However, it becomes a vicious cycle when you’re unknowingly loading up on the very thing that’s causing your dryness and flaking in the first place.
Other common offenders that can dry out your skin include camphor, eucalyptus, and menthol, often found in “medicated” balms. “[These] usually provide a temporary cooling or tingling sensation, which may feel good at first,” Dr. Massick says. However, they can be irritating, per the American Academy of Dermatology.
