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Winter can be a hard time for our skin and especially our lips. The cold air and harsh weather conditions can make our skin dry and even our lips cracked. When aiming to heal broken lips, the most commonly asked question is, “can you put lotion on your lips?”

In this article we are going to explore what kinds of lotions you can and can’t use and the best ingredients to look out for.

Can You Put Lotion On Your Lips

Applying body lotion on your lips won’t be the most effective method to help your dry or cracked lips. This is due to body lotion most likely containing fragrances that can irritate the skin.

Vaseline is a product that is commonly used as a body lotion and can help irritated lips as it does not contain any fragrances. Vaseline is an occlusive moisturizer, meaning it is an ingredient that creates a physical barrier on the skin to prevent moisture  loss. It will also help lock in all the hydration.

Using body lotion on your lips will temporarily moisturize them but will not be an effective treatment. The best way to help dry lips is to use a lip balm that is made for lips. These often include beneficial ingredients, such as vitamin E.

Here’s a breakdown of what lotions you can apply to your lips

  • Can you put hand lotion on your lips? Yes you can! The hands are another delicate area of skin and any lotion that is designed for your hands should be safe for your lips. Hand lotions often include moisturizing ingredients like shea butter. Only use a small amount of hand lotion on your lips.
  • Can I use moisturizing lotion on my lips? Using small amounts of moisturizing lotion on your lips will most likely not cause any issues to your dry lips. Be careful to not ingest any moisturizing lotions that are not designed for your lips specifically.
  • Can you use face moisturizer on lips? It’s not recommended that you use face  moisturizer on your lips as it may contain natural ingredients or preservatives that are not meant for ingestion.
  • Can you put calamine lotion on your lips? Calamine is not recommended for use on your lips as it’s only designed to be used externally. It is best not to use calamine near your mouth.
  • Can you put body butter on your lips? 100% body butter is great for dry or cracked lips as it is full of vitamins, fatty acids, and moisturizing properties.

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lip scrub for dry lips

Is Putting Lotion On Your Lips Bad?

The answer is yes and no!

Many lotions contain harsh ingredients and preservatives that are not designed to be ingested. Therefore, they should be kept away from your mouth.

Some fragrances and perfumes in lotions can be very strong and will not be enjoyable to taste. Allergies can be caused by these fragrances and chemicals. Putting these on the lips can lead to severe allergic reactions such as swelling of the mouth, loss of breath or burning sensations.

But the general rule is that any lotion that is designed for the body should be okay as the product should never contain toxic ingredients.

We advise that you stay away from using body lotions on your lips, though. There are some great moisturizing products that will work better on your lips. 

Why Does It Burn When I Put Lotion On My Lips?

Many lotions contain chemicals or preservatives that can be harsh and irritating to the skin, especially the lips. Our lips have thinner, more sensitive skin than the rest of the skin on our body.

Whenever you use a lotion, lip balms or moisturizer on your lips it should not burn and if it does, you should remove it immediately. This excludes if you have cracked lips as cracked lips can naturally be very painful.

Many people believe that the burning sensation when a product goes on to their skin is a sign that the ingredients and the product are working. This is a false belief. The burning or stinging sensation is actually the product irritating you.

hand lotion dripping

What Can I Put On My Lips To Moisturize Them?

There are plenty of non-irritating things that you can apply to your lips to keep them moisturized. If you have dry lips it is best to moisturize them several times a day, twice every hour if you are outside and always before you go to bed.

Here is a list of methods you can try to moisturize dry lips:

  • Lip Balm: Use a lip balm if your lips are dry. Aim to look for a lip balm that has moisturizing ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil. These natural ingredients will lock in the moisture for hours on end.
  • White petroleum jelly: Use petroleum jelly if your lips are severely cracked and painful. A petroleum jelly can seal the moisture in for longer than oils.
  • SPF: lip product Picking a lip balm or moisturizer for the lips that contains a SPF is very important. An SPF in your lip balm will keep your lips protected from sun damage, which can burn them and make them dry and cracked. The skin on your lips is more fragile than the rest of your face. But it is always advised no matter how thin the skin is, to always use SPF everywhere across your face and body. Choose an SPF 30 or higher through the summer and winter months. Natural Ingredients such as titanium oxide and zinc oxide work great as SPF. 

Here are some of the best lip balms and moisturizer to try if you have dry or cracked skin: 

  • Lip Balm by Naturistick: These lip balms come in assorted flavors of peppermint, pomegranate, vanilla, and green tea. They are also made from 100% natural ingredients and certified beeswax
  • Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm: This intense therapy lip balm is made from shea butter and also includes SPF 25, which will protect the lips.
  • Aquaphor Lip Repair Ointment : This lip ointment is best if you have cracked lips. The lip formula contains soothing chamomile essence to help heal the lips.

FAQs

Can You Put Aveeno Lotion On Your Lips

Aveeno lotion that is used to prevent dry skin could also be used on dry lips as well but we really do not recommend it. Aveeno lotion contains ingredients such as Ethyl paraben which is a preservative that should not be ingested as it can cause immunotoxicity. There is also the risk that Aveeno lotion could cause an allergic reaction due to its list of ingredients therefore it wouldn’t be safe to use the lotion on your lips, which could easily get digested.

Avoid Lotion For Lips And Opt For Better Options!

Avoiding lotion that you use on your face and hands is best when you are  looking for remedies to fix dry and cracked lips.This is due to the amount of fragrance and preservative that can be in normal lotions. Instead, there are plenty of lip products on the market such as lip balm and body butter that are well suited to dry and cracked lips.

Do you use lotion on your lips? What kind of products do you use on dry lips?