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Keep your lips in tip-top shape
Hot sun, cold wind, even indoor heating can all conspire to produce chapped lips, which seem to strike everyone sooner or later. While not a generally a dangerous condition, chapped lips are certainly annoying and unsightly. Fortunately, they're easy to prevent and cure with the right treatment.
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Don't Crack Over Chapped Lips
If you are prone to dry, irritated lips, apply skin protectants in advance of the problem, especially during wintertime and dry, windy weather spells.
Do not apply chapped-lip ointments over such existing infections as cold sores because the ointments seal off the area from air and could cause further inflammation.
Be sensible. Do not ingest large amounts of chapped-lip medication.
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Skin protectants
Skin protectants protect lips from elements like sun, wind, and cold. Protectants like allantoin, cocoa butter, and white petrolatum act as barriers and hold moisture in the lips.
Counterirritants
Counterirritants like camphor, menthol, and phenol stimulate the sensory nerve endings to produce a cooling or warming sensation on the lips. The theory is that this smaller irritation will distract you from the greater pain, or that nerves have a limited capacity for sensation and that by registering warmth and cold you are diminishing sensations of pain.
Sunscreens
Some lip preparations contain sunscreen to protect against the sun's harmful ultraviolet light. The chemical bonds in these compounds absorb UV. They act like a sponge by absorbing harmful UV rays, but like a sponge, they have a limited capacity and must be reapplied.
The two types of rays you will encounter are UVA, which penetrate deeply into the skin and make up 99% of the ultraviolet radiation that reaches the earth, and UVB, which are responsible for sunburns. Both can cause cancer.
| Skin Protectants | Ingredient | Description |
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| Allantoin | ? | Appears to be nontoxic, nonallergenic, and nonirritating when applied to the skin. It is considered safe and effective at concentrations of 0.5% to 2%. | | Cocoa butter | ? | Soothing compound used to protect the skin. Prevents evaporation and keeps skin soft and pliable, leading to less pain and irritation. It is safe and effective in concentrations of 50% to 100%. Use as often as needed. | | Lanolin | ? | Used as a skin emollient. Some people are allergic to it, but more refined and purified nonionic lanolin derivatives are less likely to cause allergic reactions. | | Mineral oil | ? | Safe and effective, it is used to smooth, soothe, and soften skin. Few or no side effects reported. | | Petrolatum | ? | Helps protect irritated tissues. Should not be used on puncture wounds, lacerated skin, or infected wounds, as it can retard healing. Use as often as needed. | | Counterirritants | Ingredient | Description |
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| Camphor | ? | At concentrations of 0.1% to 3%, used as a topical pain reliever and anesthetic. In concentrations over 3%, it induces pain relief by stimulating nerve endings. High doses are not recommended, as it is toxic. | | Menthol | ? | Usually combined with other ingredients with antipruritic or analgesic properties, such as camphor. At low concentrations (0.1% to 1%), it is used as an antipruritic, but there are no controlled studies to attest to its efficacy. In higher concentrations, it is used as a counterirritant. It causes sensitization in certain individuals, although the sensitization index is low. Symptoms include urticaria, erythemia, and other cutaneous lesions, such as contact dermititis. | | Phenol | ? | Highly effective at killing and inhibiting disease-causing bacteria and other microorganisms. Widely used as a disinfectant. Its anesthetic properties relieve pain and itching. However, it is extremely toxic; concentrations over 2% can cause skin to peel and die and may even cause systemic poisoning when applied externally. It is especially dangerous when used to treat diaper rash. Recent studies suggest phenol may be carcinogenic. | | Sunscreens | Ingredient | Description |
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| Aminobenzoic acid | ? | Also known as ABA, it is an effective UVB sunscreen and also screens some UVA. Penetrates rough skin and provides lasting protection. Can stay on sweating skin but is not as effective under water. Not commonly found in nonprescription products. | | Anthranilates | ? | Ortho-ABA derivatives. Menthyl anthranilate is a weak UV sunscreen with maximum absorbency in the UVA range; usually used in combination with other sunscreens. Not commonly found in nonprescription products. | | Benzophenones | ? | Primarily absorbs UVB rays and is also effective in absorbing some UVA. Usually used in conjunction with other sunscreens to give broad UV protection. May cause sensitivity. | | Cinnamates | ? | Some, such as octocrylene, provide protection from a wide range of UV light. However, it does not adhere well to the skin. Not commonly found in nonprescription products. | | Salicylates | ? | Salicylic acid derivatives are weak sunscreens and must be used in high concentrations. They do not adhere well to the skin and are easily removed by perspiration or swimming. | | Zinc oxide | ? | A physical sunscreen, it scatters UV light instead of absorbing it. Its effectiveness is related to the thickness with which it is applied, but it can protect against a wide range of UV light. | | Titanium dioxide | ? | A physical sunscreen, it scatters UV light instead of absorbing it. Its effectiveness is related to the thickness with which it is applied, but it can protect against a wide range of UV light. Chemically inert, it is safe to use. |
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FDA-Approved Uses
Counterirritants
- For the temporary relief of occasional minor irritation, pain, sore mouth, and sore throat.
- For temporary relief of pain due to minor irritation or injury of the mouth and gums.
Skin protectant
Temporarily protects lips and prevents chafed, chapped, cracked, or windburned skin and lips.
Sunscreen
Screens out the sun's rays to help prevent lip damage, skin damage, freckling, or uneven coloration.
Coat Your Lips- Apply skin protectants found in chapped-lip preparations as often as needed to relieve irritation.
- These products may also contain a counterirritant to numb and soothe feelings of pain and irritation.
- Try to apply these products before exposing your lips to cold, dry air. It is better to protect your lips beforehand to avoid the pain of chapped lips.
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Websites, Organizations & Manufacturers
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Food & Drug Administration.Federal Register 1/31/90.
- 2. Covington, TR et al. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs, Eleventh Ed. American Pharmaceutical Assoc. Washington, DC 1996.
- 3. Kastrup EK et al. Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts and Comparisons.
- 4. Inlander, CB and Slamans, S.The Over-the-Counter Doctor. Cader Books. New York, NY 1997.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
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