Is My Lip Balm Giving Me Chapped Lips?

If you’ve ever noticed that when you apply lip balm, you seem to need… more lip balm, there may be a real reason why this is happening. According to Jeremy Brauer, M.D., a New York-based board-certified dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and founder of Spectrum Skin and Laser, you might need to take a closer look at your favorite lip balm’s ingredients.

“Lip balm itself doesn’t inherently make dry lips worse,” Dr. Brauer explains. “But some ingredients in certain lip balms can cause dependency and even irritate sensitive lips.” It’s normal, he says, to reach for your lip balm a few times throughout the day, but if you’re searching for it every hour, it’s a good sign that your lip balm isn’t hydrating enough or has ingredients that are causing irritation.

Dr. Brauer says you should avoid popular lip balm ingredients such as menthol, camphor, or fragrances “that can initially soothe lips but may end up being drying or irritating over time.” This may lead to that annoying cycle where your lips feel dry shortly after application. “Opting for a high-quality balm with safe, nourishing ingredients can avoid this cycle,” he says.

So what ingredients should you look out for? Dr. Brauer recommends lanolin, “which holds 400% of its weight in water,” beeswax, shea butter, plant-based oils (coconut or jojoba oil, especially), and hyaluronic acid, which Dr. Brauer says “enhances hydration without clogging pores.”

If an ingredient swap doesn’t help your lips feel less dry, Dr. Brauer says it could be due to environmental factors, licking your lips, or an underlying condition such as eczema. In such cases, he recommends trying Lanolips 101 Ointment and/or Aquaphor Lip Repair, which are both free from artificial fragrances and potentially irritating ingredients.