There’s nothing I hate more than the feeling of dry, cracked lips. As someone who spends part of the winter in Colorado, my lips are always the first place I feel the harsh effects of cold temperatures, artificial indoor heat, and low humidity. While I love cozy cashmere sweaters and chic faux fur coats, I don’t love what comes with them: winter’s telltale signs showing up on my lips.
Despite stockpiling an arsenal of balms to winter-proof my lips, I learned through trial and error (and one too many ski trips that left my lips dehydrated, depleted, and shriveled like a raisin) that lip balm alone isn’t enough. A truly effective winter lip routine goes beyond surface hydration—it focuses on restoring moisture while sealing it in to prevent dryness, chapping, cracking, and peeling, which become even more common this time of year.
So instead of relying on your usual lip routine, consider this your sign to upgrade to a more intentional, expert-approved approach that keeps lips smooth, soft, and healthy through the coldest months of the year.
Why are my lips always so chapped in winter?
Unlike other parts of the face, the lips don’t contain oil glands, leaving them naturally drier and more prone to water loss, especially when temperatures and humidity levels are low. Add in the fact that the lips are constantly exposed to damaging environmental elements (like UV and wind), and it’s no surprise that they can easily experience cracking, inflammation, chapping, tightness, flaking, and irritation during the winter months.
“The lips are more vulnerable to dryness and damage in winter compared to other seasons,” says board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD.“The ‘skin’ on the lips is really just a modified mucus membrane that is only three to five cellular layers, compared to about 16 cellular layers elsewhere. It lacks the thick, protective outer stratum corneum layer we have on the face and body.” Even during winter, other parts of the face where oil glands are abundant, such as the nose or cheeks, may become mildly dry, whereas the lips tend to bear the brunt of the harsh effects of the season.
With a lack of oil glands, moisture easily slips away from the lips. Board-certified dermatologist Jeanine Downie, MD, notes that the lips can also become drier due to constant exposure to the acid found in saliva (especially when licking your lips), which can further irritate them during the colder months.
How to winter-proof your lips:
Keeping the lips plump and moisturized all winter long isn’t complicated, but it does take a good understanding of what works and what doesn’t. As far as what doesn’t, you'll want to avoid using lip products that are full of flavors and fragrances (they’re often made with irritating ingredients), exposing the lips to hot water, licking them for moisture, and picking or peeling away pieces of dryness. Now, here’s everything that the experts swear by for softer, smoother lips this winter:
1. Swap matte lipsticks for creamy formulas.
Matte lipstick is like an instant moisture zapper for the lips. Partially due to a lack of oil in the formula, matte lipstick can also accentuate fine lines and wrinkles on the lips, which cold weather magnifies because the air is dehydrating. Instead, opt for creamy, oil-based formulas and tinted lip balms or even tinted lip oils. Bonus points if they contain hydrating ingredients like shea butter, squalane, and ceramides.
2. Gently exfoliate.
A buildup of dead skin cells is normal in winter, and removing them from the lips can bring comfort and smoothness. An easy way to lift away flaky areas is to gently buff the lips with a soft, damp washcloth or a new, clean, soft-bristled toothbrush. Or use a lip exfoliator, which is designed specifically for use on the lip’s thin, delicate skin. Beverly Hills facialist Candace Marino likes formulas with gentle enzymatic action to eat away at dead cells and flakes.
3. Hydrate well and often.
As mentioned earlier, artificial indoor heat and reduced water intake can contribute to dry, dehydrated lips—making the right moisturizing ingredients essential. “Hydrating ingredients draw water into the skin, nourishing ingredients repair and soften it, and occlusive ingredients seal everything in,” explains Marino. “For lips to stay healthy, they need all three types of ingredients in the winter.”
Dr. Shamban recommends lip products formulated with hyaluronic acid, which attracts and retains moisture by binding to water molecules to help draw moisture to your lips, and then layering on products with nourishing and occulusive ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, ceramides, vitamin E, petroleum jelly, and plant oils to help soften the lips and create a seal that locks moisture into the tissue.
As for drinking more water to combat winter dryness, the impact may be limited. According to Marino, the skin is one of the last areas to benefit from internal hydration due to constant environmental exposure. “I always advocate for proper hydration,” she says, “but when it comes to dry lips, topical care and protection matter most.”
4. Layer on SPF.
The lips are one of the most exposed parts of the body, which is why they need sun protection year-round. “Not using proper sunblock in the winter can result in chapped lips, aging lips, and possible skin cancer—especially because the lips are more sensitive to the sun due to a lack of oil glands,” Dr. Downie says. Make it a point to wear a lip balm or serum with SPF of 30 or higher to protect your delicate lips and prevent existing dryness from worsening.
5. Add a humidifier to your space.
The lips experience a one-two punch in the winter as temperatures and humidity drop, leading to water loss. “Couple that with extreme, dry, indoor heating systems, which further pull and strip moisture from the dermis and lips, and they can really bear the brunt,” Dr. Shamban says. One way to add moisture back into the air and counteract dry lips is with a humidifier, which is particularly beneficial while sleeping. “It turns water into a vapor that is then blown and absorbed into the air to help replenish thirsty lips,” she adds.
When to see a dermatologist for chapped lips:
In most cases, dry, chapped, or cracked lips will heal on their own in a few weeks. But if your lips are showing no signs of reprieve and start to worsen despite your best efforts, it’s time to book an appointment with a dermatologist. In some cases, perpetually dry or chapped lips may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, an allergic reaction, a yeast infection, viral herpes, or a bacterial infection.
“If dry lips turn extreme, it may be a case of cheilitis, which is highly inflamed lips, or it could be angular cheilitis, which is characterized by cracking skin at the corners of the lips and bleeding,” Dr. Shamban says. Both can be treated with an over-the-counter cortisone cream and lip balm, or in more serious cases, a prescription hydrocortisone may be necessary.
The lips can easily become frostbitten, especially in extreme weather conditions, leading to numbness, tingling, discoloration, and a hardening of the tissue. “This requires professional attention,” Dr. Shamban adds.
The bottom line:
Following a well-rounded lip care routine just may be the saving grace your pout needs to stay protected all winter long. “My three most essential winter lip rules I tell everyone to follow are no lip licking, wear a lip sunblock with an SPF of 30 and lip balm every day, and no smoking cigarettes, weed, or vaping,” Dr. Downie says. Sure, dry lips may be an annoyance, but it’s also the body’s way of communicating that it needs better hydration and protection to defend them from the harsh elements of winter.
Meet the experts:
- Ava Shamban, MD, is a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and research clinician, based in Southern California. Dr. Shamban is the founder of AVA MD and Althaea Skin.
- Jeanine Downie, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist based in Montclair, NJ.
- Candace Marino is a celebrity aesthetician based in Beverly Hills, CA and the founder of The LA Facialist.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and expert with 20 years of experience. A prolific content creator and trendspotter, Elise always knows what’s new, what works, and who’s the best to go to for treatments and procedures.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and expert with 20 years of experience. She started her career in public relations before shifting to editorial. Elise rose the ranks at NewBeauty magazine from an editorial assistant to Executive Beauty Editor, overseeing and reporting on all things beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health, and wellness. A prolific content creator and trendspotter, Elise always knows what’s new, what works, and who’s the best to go to for treatments and procedures. She contributes to media outlets including InStyle, NewBeauty, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Beauty Independent, The Aesthetic Guide, Bazaar, and more.
