Can lip balms worsen the dryness of your lips?

While reaching out to a trusted lip balm (or chapstick) as soon as our lips begin to feel crusty is natural, we ask experts if it is the wisest thing to do

A lip balm instantly provides a smoother, softer pout—a moisture boost at the first swipe.  But this user-friendly product could potentially worsen chapped lips, and most dermatologists agree. Here’s what they have to say. 

The lip balm effect

From pots of Vaseline’s Lip Therapy to Dior’s Lip Glow, there’s a prospective consumer for any lip balm today. “Lip balms and chapsticks are more popular today than when they were first introduced, in the 1880s. Humans from earlier civilisations moisturised their lips with natural oils, pure beeswax and honey,” says Dr Niketa Sonavane, celebrity dermatologist and founder of Ambrosia Aesthetics.

According to celebrity dermatologist Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, “The lips are unique because they are covered externally by skin and internally by mucous membrane. While thin skin covers most of the body and contains sweat glands, in addition to hair follicles, hair arrector muscles and sebaceous glands, the lips comprise a thin stratum corneum, making them prone to dryness.” Additionally, some stimulators can further dryness. “Sun exposure, eczema, internal dehydration, repetitive rubbing or licking of lips, smoking, artificial colours in make-up and your genetic composition can cause chapped lips,” says Dr Kiran Sethi, author and celebrity dermatologist of Isya Aesthetics. So lip balms emerge as the most facile (fast-acting and cost-effective) antidote for flaky lips.

All in the ingredients

Given that most of us tend to re-apply lip balm several times throughout the day, it’s important to choose a product with natural ingredients that condition and soften. “It’s about good ingredients,” says Sethi. “While beeswax, shea butter, sunflower seed oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, squalene, vitamin E and hyaluronic acid help to strengthen the skin barrier and provide strong protection against moisture loss, certain lip balms are filled with aromas and fragrances that dry lips further.” 

Sonavane believes ingredients like peppermint and menthol along with artificial colours and flavours aggravate chapped lips. According to Mittal Gupta, menthol, salicylic acid, cinnamic aldehyde, camphor, eucalyptus, fragrance, lanolin, octinoxate or oxybenzone and drying ingredients such as alcohol and phenol should be avoided. Skinfluencer Yashwant Singh says, “I have very dry lips, so any lip balm with essential oils tends to dry my skin immediately.” Singh swears by CeraVe’s healing ointment packed with hyaluronic acid, ceramides and panthenol. “It also helps with dry skin, especially if you’re in the habit of skin slugging. It’s economical too, as one tube lasts a while,” he adds.

Sonavane, however, has a slightly different take. “Surprisingly, lip balms with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin dry the lips by sucking moisture out of them,” making emollient-infused lip balms a go-to choice for crusty lips, especially during the winter.

All three dermatologists vouch for SPF-enriched lip balms. “An ideal lip balm must contain thick emollients with SPF as they lock in hydration and moisture while SPF prevents sun damage. Use a lip balm that contains SPF 30 (or more) with ingredients like titanium oxide and zinc oxide,” says Mittal Gupta. “Glycerine or petroleum jelly works well too. Opt for ointment textures over wax or oils as it seals in water more cohesively.” 

Sonavane prefers an old-school DIY lip balm she makes with two ingredients—ghee and a drop of natural food colouring. “It can be stored for 2-4 weeks without refrigeration,” she says. Sethi advocates a similar recipe; she uses extracts of both pomegranate and beetroot for a pop of colour with underlying depigmenting benefits. She also recommends iS Clinical’s lip duo that exfoliates and hydrates. Remember, using a lip-friendly balm will prevent you from reapplying it consistently. 

The best bet

A slew of brands in India are developing sustainable lip balms for the conscious consumer. The Lip Balm Company, co-founded by actor Nayanthara, is one such brand. “It’s easy to create lip balms with petroleum-based ingredients, which are already banned in a few European countries. Instead, our lip balms are derived from plant extracts, which are safe and biodegradable,” says Irene Janet, chief coordinator at The Lip Balm Company. “The focus is on creating options that reduce lip sensitivity, and add a tint while remaining conscious about not harming the environment. Lip balms packed with preservatives, actives, artificial colours or fragrances are unsuitable for sensitive lips, so we’ve created the LiPrepare range to suit this type.” 

Other homegrown brands like Juicy Chemistry (the Blood Orange & Rosehip Lip Balm is a favourite), ENN, Saltpetre, Forest Essentials and Vilvah have sustainable options. These lip balms are zero-waste, too, as they are shipped in glass jars, wooden cases or aluminium tins, unlike the regular, ‘tubed’ ones, which are mostly waxy and tend to augment dryness, says Sonavane. Internationally, brands like EOS (Evolution of Smooth), Burt’s Bees, Lanolips, Dr Paw Paw and Sun Bum (for SPF-packed picks) are also good bets.

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