"This may be tempting, especially when cracking leads to flaking, but touching [your lips] can exacerbate bacteria [growth] as well as inflammation and aggravation," says Shamban. As an alternative, she recommends lightly exfoliating with a soft-bristle toothbrush when lips are warm and moist.
You can also try a super gentle sugar scrub that's infused with moisturizing oil, such as Sephora Collection Rose Lip Scrub, $7.
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Shamban says that chewing gum, or even sucking on candy, can make your lips worse. The residue can get on your lips, which exacerbates the problem. Gum and candy with mint or cinnamon can be especially irritating.
"Use a green tea bag, which is rich in antioxidants and tannins, that has been steeped and cooled and dab onto lips for several minutes. It will soothe, calm and distract the oral fixation," advises Shamban.
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Choose your lipsticks very carefully when trying to heal chapped lips. Shamban says to steer clear of matte lipsticks or any lip products with chemical fragrances or mint, menthol or eucalyptus flavoring, which will only exacerbate the dryness and irritation. Certain metals found in glitter can also lead to irritation so skip them until your lips are completely healed.
"Use petroleum-based or a super emollient lip ointment or a tinted balm instead," suggests Shamban. Try Glossier Ultralip Hydrating Shine + Color, $18.
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