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Ask HN: Best Solution for Chapped Lips?

by Imanari on 10/25/23, 1:32 AM with 9 comments

Winter is approaching and I am reaching for lip balm once again. My problem is that most lip balms only help if you put them on continuously and I feel sometimes they even make things worse. Best I have tried so far was O’Keeffe’s unscented Lip Repair and Lanolin/Wool wax. Are there any other approaches? Supplements? Diet changes? Other products?

Cheers

  • by linsomniac on 10/25/23, 2:00 AM

    I have a lot of lip chapping problems, partly because it's quite dry in Northern Colorado, but I seem to have worse problems than those around me as well.

    What I've found best, after trying quite a few options, is: It's hard to beat making your own. For ~$20 you can get "lip balm container tray" (you want the tray, you need to overfill the tubes because they shrink when they cool). For around another $20-40 (but that'll make ~200-400 tubes) you can get bees wax, cocoa/shea butter, and coconut oil. Optionally add some lanolin and essential oils. Try a half cup bees wax, half cup cocoa butter, and a cup of coconut oil.

    I just heat this mixture in the microwave, heat for 30 seconds, stir, heat again, until it's liquid.

    Really easy, affordable over the long term, great to give out to friends and family with chapped lips, and it's been more effective than anything else I've used.

    You may want to make your mix, let it cool and try it for thickness. If it's too hard, add some coconut oil or shea butter, if it's too thin add some bees wax. Do this before your final fill of the tubes to get the exact composition you like.

  • by matthewtse on 10/25/23, 2:35 AM

    I've been using unscented "Dr. Bronner's - Organic Lip Balm" for years. I have cripplingly sensitive skin, and this was the only brand that doesn't irritate it (love their bar soap too). I have basically bought a stick for every jacket I own, so I can reliably whip it out and apply whenever my lips feel chapped.

  • by brian_c on 10/25/23, 2:17 AM

    Aquaphor's the best thing I've found so far. Just takes a tiny bit, so whatever's left over on my fingertip gets rubbed into my knuckles which are probably also chapped.

  • by mindctrl-org on 10/25/23, 1:35 AM

    Apply coconut oil to your lips and drink plenty of water.

  • by samarthr1 on 10/25/23, 1:57 AM

    Apply some ghee (clarified butter), drink water.