Why Are My Lips Always Chapped? 10 Hidden Causes of Chronic Dry Lips

The official medical word for “chapped lips” is cheilitis, pronounced ky-light-iss. As a medical doctor who a) lives in the mountains of Colorado where the humidity is under 50% most of the time, and b) has suffered with multiple miserable types of cheilitis herself, I am definitely an expert on the topic. 

Quick Answer: Why Your Lips Are Always Chapped

The most common reasons lips stay chapped are irritation, water loss, lip licking, toothpaste ingredients, skincare products migrating onto the lips, sun exposure, dry air, food triggers, and lip products that contain ingredients your skin does not tolerate. The fastest way to help chronically chapped lips is usually to simplify: stop flavored, minty, plumping, and exfoliating lip products; switch to a mild SLS-free toothpaste; protect damp lips with a bland barrier balm formulated for sensitive lips, like our Lip Doctor; and see a dermatologist if symptoms persist.

There are loads of reasons you might be suffering from chapped lips, and some of the specifics may surprise you. From products to habits, below you’ll find are some of the most common reasons people have chronically chapped lips. But first, a little about why lips are more susceptible to dryness in the first place. 

Your Lips Are Different From the Rest of Your Skin

The skin of your lips is thinner than the skin on the rest of your face. There is less water contained in the thinner stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin) and less protection against water loss. Lips don’t have sebaceous glands or hair follicles, which means that they are not creating their own sebum, unlike most of the rest of your skin. Since sebum is one of the things that helps keep your skin moisturized, lips are starting out at an anatomical disadvantage. 

That anatomical disadvantage is why dry air, sun, wind, saliva, toothpaste, food, and lip products can turn into such a perfect little disaster on your mouth. Your cheeks might tolerate a mildly irritating product for months, while your lips send you an angry text message after two applications. That’s not because your lips are being dramatic; it is because they are built differently, and there’s less margin for error. Cold weather, dry weather, sun damage, and frequent lip licking are among the common causes dermatologists list for dry, chapped lips.

Lips also have a huge number of nerve endings, which makes them able to perceive sensations more acutely than most other skin on your body. As a result, when your lips get dry, flaky, or inflamed, you’re probably going to notice the burning, tingling, tightness, or other discomfort earlier than you would notice the same inflammation elsewhere. Now let’s dive into some of the most common causes of chapped lips, many of which are hiding in plain sight! 

Hidden Cause #1: Flavored or Minty Lip Balms

If your lip balm tastes yummy, it will make you more likely to lick your lips unconsciously throughout the day—because who doesn’t want to lick yummy things? Unfortunately, licking your lips will not only remove the lip balm you just applied, but also irritate your lips over time—see the section on lip licking below. 

Menthol, a component of mint flavorings and and many “medicated” lip balms, is another common offender. The cooling sensation can feel soothing for a few seconds, which is why people often mistake it for healing. But tingling is not the same thing as healing, and in the setting of chapped, cracked, or inflamed lips, ingredients that create a cooling, warming, plumping, or stinging sensation may actually be keeping the irritation cycle going. Peppermint oil has been reported as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis of the lips, and dermatology resources commonly discuss flavoring agents as triggers in contact cheilitis.

In short, the thing that makes you want to reapply your lip balm—the flavor, the tingle, the smell, the instant sensory feedback—may be part of the reason you need to keep reapplying them. A good lip balm should make your lips feel protected, comfortable, and less thirsty over time. It does not need to announce itself with a full marching band of minty freshness.

Hidden Cause #2: Toothpaste or Dental Floss

The two most common ingredients in toothpaste that could be causing trouble are sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate and flavors, like mint or cinnamon. Toothpaste is an especially prevalent cause of chronic chapped lips because it touches your lips at least twice a day, every day, and most of us rinse our mouths without carefully washing off any residual toothpaste.

SLS is a detergent and foaming agent, which is precisely why it makes toothpaste feel satisfyingly bubbly. But synthetic detergents like SLS are drying and irritating on already-compromised skin, and the lip border is a very common place for that irritation to appear. Many natural brands of toothpaste contain SLS, so make sure you check your label. Even more surprising? Some dental floss contains SLS (why??) so check the ingredients of your floss as well. 

Flavorings deserve their own tiny lecture. Mint, peppermint, spearmint, menthol, cinnamon, cinnamal, and other aromatic compounds can all be a problem for certain people, especially once the lip barrier is already compromised. Whitening toothpastes may also be irritating because they can contain stronger abrasives or peroxide-based ingredients, and some natural toothpastes contain potent essential oils like clove, tea tree, eucalyptus, or cinnamon bark, where the concentration of essential oils can vary. Natural does not always mean gentle, especially when the skin barrier is already waving a white flag.

Look for an SLS-free toothpaste with mild flavoring, and consider avoiding mint and cinnamon flavors completely while your lips are inflamed. If you prefer fluoride-free toothpaste, choose a fluoride-free, SLS-free toothpaste with mild, natural flavoring. Here are a few of my favorite clean dental products, all of which I use regularly with no irritation. 

Hidden Cause #3: Lip Licking + Picking

One of my dear friends is a licker-picker, and her poor little lips always look like sandpaper. Human saliva contains digestive enzymes that can be irritating to lip skin, degrading the fragile barrier layer, or stratum corneum, of the lips. Once that barrier is damaged, lips lose water more quickly and become dry, red, and flaky, which is when licking often leads to picking. It’s so hard to leave a flaky lip alone.

Lip licking is a cruel little loop: your lips feel dry, so you lick them; saliva briefly makes them feel wet, then evaporates; your lips become drier than they were before; then the flakes arrive, and soon your fingers start fiddling with your face. The more you lick, bite, peel, or pick, the less chance your lips have to rebuild the barrier they need to hold moisture. 

Lip licking is so common, in fact, that there’s a medical diagnosis code, L24.A1, called Lip Licker’s Dermatitis, which is described as “irritant contact dermatitis due to saliva,” and can involve both the lips and the surrounding skin. In children, lip-licking often resolves itself with time and regular application of protective lip products like petroleum jelly or unflavored lip balm.

For adults, it takes a bit of attention to stop licking and picking at your lips. Tell your friends and family to remind you if they see you doing it, and consider healthy chewing gum to keep your mouth distracted while you break the habit. If you are a nighttime picker, apply a generous layer of bland, healing ointment before bed (I love our Lip Repair for this), because a protected lip is harder to grab and less likely to offer you those tempting little edges in the first place.

Hidden Cause #4: Your Skincare Products

Certain skincare ingredients can be very irritating to your lips, including retinoids, exfoliating acids, benzoyl peroxide, strong vitamin C formulas, acne treatments, and peels. You may not be putting these products directly on your lips, but skincare moves. It migrates while you sleep, spreads when you apply moisturizer, travels under sunscreen, and sneaks its way onto your lips when you wash your face.

Retinoids are especially famous for this. Even when applied correctly, they can irritate the sensitive skin around the mouth and lips. Benzoyl peroxide can be drying and irritating, and exfoliating acids are, quite literally, designed to loosen and remove the outermost layer of cells. That can be useful on facial skin when used carefully, but your lips do not need the same encouragement.

If your lips are chronically chapped, take a week or two to treat them like a no-fly zone. Apply a thin layer of protective ointment on your lips before applying strong facial products, apply your active skincare products with extra distance around the mouth, and wash your hands after applying them. This may be all your lips need to stop accidentally participating in your skincare routine.

Hidden Cause #5: Fragrance and Essential Oils

I love aromatic plants. I’ve built a whole company around the careful, respectful use of plants, and I believe natural scent can have a beautiful, supportive role in skincare and in our general wellness practices. But chapped lips may not be the right time or place for fragrance—natural or otherwise.

Synthetic fragrance, often listed as “fragrance” or “parfum” on a label, can contain dozens or even hundreds of undisclosed chemicals, I don’t recommend using synthetic fragrance on chapped or distressed lips—you have no way of knowing what ingredients you’re exposing your lips to, and many of them are proven allergens and irritants. (Actually, I don’t recommend synthetic fragrance at all.)

Essential oils also contain chemically active substances, and lips can be especially sensitive to them. In our Lip Repair, we use a very low concentration of two essential oils: myrrh CO2 extract, chosen for its long history of use on cracked skin, and bergapten-free bergamot, for its antifungal properties. In our Lip Doctor, we don’t use any essential oils. Instead, we infuse olive oil with organic lavender to extract some of the beneficial compounds of lavender in a less concentrated way. 

That said, even essential oils that are well tolerated on healthy skin can be too much for lips that are cracked, peeling, or angry. That does not mean essential oils must be avoided at all costs, and it certainly does not mean I have stopped loving them. It means I advise caution, even with beautiful, thoughtfully sourced essential oils, when the lip barrier is compromised.

Hidden Cause #6: Lip Scrubs and Over-Exfoliation

When your lips get dry and flaky, the temptation to scrub away the flakes is practically irresistible. Unfortunately, since you’re already dealing with a compromised barrier, scrubbing away what little barrier you do have is unlikely to help, at least until your lips are acting like themselves again. For most people, exfoliating the lips with more than the swipe of a gentle konjac sponge simply isn’t necessary. 

I know the internet loves a lip scrub, but most chapped lips are not suffering from a sugar deficiency. They are suffering from inflammation, water loss, irritation, and barrier disruption. Scrubbing may make them feel smoother for an hour, but it can also expose newer, more vulnerable skin before it is ready to be exposed—over-exfoliation is a real thing, and your lips will not thank you for it. 

Hidden Cause #7: Mouth Breathing and Dry Air

You might not think of yourself as a mouth breather, but you may be breathing through your mouth more than you realize, especially while sleeping, exercising, or when you have a stuffy nose. Every time air passes over the lips, it increases evaporation, and if that air is cold, dry, or moving quickly, the effect is even stronger.

If you live in a place like I do, high in the sky and close to the sun, you are breathing dry air all day long. If you’re an outdoor athlete like I am, you’re breathing that dry air hard and fast, multiple times a week when you hike or bike or run. If you live somewhere humid but use indoor heat in the winter, you’re breathing dry air inside your own home.

This is one reason chronic chapped lips can flare in winter even for people who are careful with their lip products. Forced-air heat, wood stoves, long hot showers, wind, altitude, and outdoor exercise all cause dry lips. Humidifiers help, especially in the bedroom, and so can applying a protective lip product before outdoor activity, before bed, and before you get on an airplane. Your lips do not need an elaborate nighttime routine, but they do appreciate a little advance notice before prolonged or increased exposure to dry air.

Hidden Cause #8: Sun Exposure

Your lips are exposed to UV light just like the rest of your face, and the lower lip is especially vulnerable because of its angle toward the sun. Sun exposure can dry the lips, burn them, worsen peeling, and contribute to longer-term changes like actinic cheilitis, which is a precancerous condition caused by chronic sun damage. 

The tricky part is that some SPF lip products contain flavors, fragrance, chemical sunscreen filters, or other ingredients that may bother sensitive lips. If your lips are inflamed, look for a bland, broad-spectrum, zinc-based SPF lip product during the day, and use a hat or shade when possible. And whenever you apply your facial sunscreen, apply it to your lips, as well.

Hidden Cause #9: Food Allergies and Irritating Foods

Food can irritate the lips in a few different ways. Cinnamon is one of the classic lip irritants, and it shows up in toothpaste, gum, candy, tea, lip products, and baked goods. Spicy foods can also be rough on chapped lips because the capsaicin in peppers creates heat and irritation, which is why it is sometimes used in lip-plumping products. Acidic foods like citrus, tomatoes, vinegar, and pineapple may sting or worsen irritation when lips are cracked (though that does not necessarily mean you are allergic to them).

Mango skin deserves a special mention here. Mango belongs to the same plant family as poison ivy and poison oak, and compounds found mostly in the peel can trigger reactions in people who are sensitized to urushiol or related compounds. This does not mean everyone needs to fear mangoes—that would be a tragic way to live. But it does mean that it’s worth washing your mangoes with soap and water before handling and eating them. 

If food seems to be triggering your lips, keep the experiment simple. Avoid the suspected food or flavoring for a couple of weeks, protect your lips with a bland barrier before meals, and rinse around the mouth gently after eating.

Hidden Cause #10: The Lip Products You’re Already Using

This one is very personal for me, as I had to learn the hard way that my absolute favorite lip product—our beautiful, award-winning Lip Repair—contained an ingredient that I had become allergic to, even though I’d been using it happily for ages. Castor oil is a beautiful ingredient that gives lip products a cushiony, glossy, stay-put feeling, and it is one of the reasons so many lip treatments feel satisfying on application. But ricinoleic acid, a compound found only in castor oil, has been identified in several large case series as a common cause of allergic cheilitis due to lip cosmetics and balms, and I’m one of the unlucky few who developed an allergy to it. 

Again, this does not mean castor oil is bad. It means that if your lips are chronically inflamed and you have tried everything, you should consider eliminating castor oil for a while. 

Lanolin is another allergen that can cause trouble for people, though the incidence of lanolin allergy in the general population is quite low (less than one percent). If you’re allergic to wool or have struggled with dermatitis or eczema, the incidence of lanolin allergy goes up to 2-5%. Lanolin can be incredibly helpful for dry, cracked skin, yet can also causes reactions in a small subset of people, especially when the barrier is compromised. 

Beeswax can also be an issue for a small number of people, though true beeswax reactions appear uncommon overall. When reactions happen, they may involve residual propolis or other bee-derived compounds rather than the wax itself. I still love organic beeswax as a protective lip ingredient for many people, but I also think it is worth remembering that “natural” does not necessarily translate to “well tolerated by absolutely everyone.” 

Lastly, any chance you’re you using a “lip plumping” product? If so, your lips might not be happy about it. Some lip plumpers work by increasing circulation to the lips with ingredients like capsaicin, cinnamon, and mint, all of which can also act as irritants. If you’re dealing with chapped lips, maybe skip the lip plumpers for now.

Brief side note: a product can work beautifully for you for years and then suddenly start causing trouble. Allergic contact dermatitis can develop after repeated exposure, and the lips are a common site for reactions to lip products because we apply those products frequently and leave them in place for hours. 

What Actually Helps Chapped Lips Heal

The mission is two-fold: 1) provide moisture and/or non-irritating healing ingredients to your lips, and 2) keep them from losing water. When your lips are extremely dry and irritated, I sometimes recommend a few days of using only pure, white petroleum jelly on damp lips to give them a chance to reset and heal without having to navigate any new ingredients. Once things have started to settle down, you can carefully add in some healing ingredients like honey, tamanu oil, and cupuaçu butter, as well as simple ingredients to increase barrier function like beeswax and candelilla wax, which help your lips hold onto their moisture. 

I know petroleum jelly is not glamorous, but when lips are in crisis, glamour is not the assignment. The assignment is reducing water loss, reducing irritation, and giving the lip barrier a few quiet days without fragrance, flavor, or frustration of any kind. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends non-irritating lip balm, and pure white petroleum jelly fits the bill. I prefer petroleum jelly to other products like Aquaphor (which contains lanolin) when lips are acutely inflamed, because it contains only one ingredient. 

A simple healing routine for severely chapped lips might look like this: rinse your lips with water after brushing your teeth, pat them so they are still slightly damp, apply thin layer of petroleum jelly, and repeat before bed. During the day, use petroleum jelly with a clean finger as needed. 

Unfortunately, petroleum jelly does not have very good staying power, so once the angry phase has passed, you can choose a more nourishing product based on what your lips tolerate. Some people do beautifully with lanolin, beeswax, honey, tamanu, and castor oil. Others need to avoid castor oil or lanolin. Some people love a richer butter-based formula, while others prefer a waxier, less glossy balm. Lip care is less about finding the universally perfect ingredient and more about finding the right combination for your lips, in their current state, under your current circumstances.

Osmia Lip Products for Chapped Lips

When I initially formulated Lip Repair—before I developed an allergy to castor oil—I could not WAIT to slather this thick, healing balm on my lips every night before bed. I had included some of my favorite ingredients for distressed lips: manuka honey, for its exceptional antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties; myrrh extract, which has been used for centuries on cracked skin; cupuaçu butter, which helps lips hold water; and beeswax and lanolin to help the balm stay in place, especially when used as an overnight lip mask.

Once I developed an allergy to ricinoleic acid, I had to abandon my beloved Lip Repair. After searching for a castor-oil-free lip balm, I realized I’d have to take matters into my own hands, because almost every lip product on the market contains castor oil. When I formulated Lip Doctor, I wanted it to be simple, soothing, and have the absolute perfect texture—not too heavy, super smooth, and just enough staying power without being sticky. It contains no castor oil or essential oils, making it a great choice for very sensitive lips, especially for people who know or suspect that castor oil may be an issue.

Note: If you think you could be allergic to beeswax or propolis, remember that both Lip Repair and Lip Doctor contain beeswax, and Lip Repair also contains honey.

When Chapped Lips Might Be Something More

Most chapped lips are caused by some combination of dry air, licking, irritation, sun, products, and a damaged barrier. But persistent cheilitis can sometimes point to something else, and this is where it is worth paying attention.

Chapped lips that do not improve after a few weeks of simple, consistent care may indicate any of the following: 

• allergic contact dermatitis

• angular cheilitis

• yeast or bacterial infection

• herpes simplex

• actinic cheilitis from sun damage

• Anemia

• vitamin B-12 deficiency

• autoimmune conditions like Sjögren’s syndrome

• Medication side effects from medications such as isotretinoin, chemotherapy drugs, diuretics, or other drying prescriptions. 

Please see a dermatologist, dentist, or doctor if you have cracking at the corners of your mouth that will not heal, significant swelling, blisters, bleeding, crusting, white patches inside the mouth, one persistent scaly area on the lower lip, severe pain, or lips that keep flaring despite removing obvious irritants. You may need treatment for infection, patch testing for allergic contact dermatitis, evaluation for a nutritional deficiency, or a closer look at sun-related changes.

I have a longer post about lip cheilitis and dermatitis (linked at the top of this article), and that’s the one to read if your lips seem more than simply dry. 

The Bottom Line

If your lips are always chapped, the answer is not necessarily more lip balm. It may be a different lip balm, fewer products, a toothpaste change, a break from mint and cinnamon, a pause on lip scrubs and plumpers, more protection from dry air and sun, or a few quiet days with damp lips and plain ointment.

Lips are small, but they are not simple. They are thin-skinned, nerve-rich, oil-poor, highly exposed, and asked to tolerate food, weather, toothpaste, skincare, sunscreen, lip products, talking, kissing, licking, sipping, snacking, breathing, and whatever else we put them through before noon. When they get irritated, they need protection, patience, and fewer opportunities to be annoyed.

With love and healthier, happier lips, 

References and Further Reading

Kim J, Yeo H, Kim T, Jeong ET, Lim JM, Park SG. Relationship between lip skin biophysical and biochemical characteristics with corneocyte unevenness ratio as a new parameter to assess the severity of lip scaling. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2021;43(3):275–282. doi: 10.1111/ics.12692. PMID: 33544395; PMCID: PMC8251770.

Tamura E, Ishikawa J, Naoe A, Yamamoto T. The roughness of lip skin is related to the ceramide profile in the stratum corneum. International Journal of Cosmetic Science. 2016;38(6):615–621. doi: 10.1111/ics.12335. PMID: 27090066.

Fonseca A, Jacob SE, Sindle A. Art of prevention: Practical interventions in lip-licking dermatitis. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. 2020;6(5):377–380. doi: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.06.001. PMID: 33898702; PMCID: PMC8060673.

Lugović-Mihić L, Pilipović K, Crnarić I, Šitum M, Duvančić T. Differential diagnosis of cheilitis: how to classify cheilitis? Acta Clinica Croatica. 2018;57(2):342–351. doi: 10.20471/acc.2018.57.02.16. PMID: 30431729; PMCID: PMC6531998.

Tran A, Pratt M, DeKoven J. Acute allergic contact dermatitis of the lips from peppermint oil in a lip balm. Dermatitis. 2010;21(2):111–115. PMID: 20233551.

American Academy of Dermatology Association. 7 dermatologists’ tips for healing dry, chapped lips. 

Dyall-Smith D, Ting S. Contact reactions to toothpaste and other oral hygiene products. DermNet. Last reviewed July 2024. 

Enweasor C, Deane S. Lip licker’s dermatitis. DermNet. January 2020. 

DermNet. Contact reactions to lipsticks and other lipcare products. 

Dyall-Smith D. Allergic contact cheilitis. DermNet. 2010. 

Uldahl A, Engfeldt M, Svedman C. Clinical relevance of positive patch test reactions to lanolin: a ROAT study. Contact Dermatitis. 2021;84(1):41–49. doi: 10.1111/cod.13689. PMID: 32844454; PMCID: PMC7756495. 

De Groot AC, Ipenburg NA, Rustemeyer T. Propolis and beeswax in cosmetics: a market survey and literature review on their relationship and role in allergic contact dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. 2026;94(5):494–503. doi: 10.1111/cod.70108. PMID: 41663074; PMCID: PMC13070719. 

Yoo MJ, Carius BM. Mango dermatitis after urushiol sensitization. Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine. 2019;3(4):361–363. doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2019.6.43196. PMID: 31763588; PMCID: PMC6861053.