Why does Chapstick/lip balm make your lips peel more than before you used it?
In: Biology
Oily / waxy substances like chapstick make the dead and dry layers of your lips softer, but they can’t make them any less dead. They just make the dead layers peel off easier.
I find that raw apple does a better job of exfoliating my dry lips and getting down to the live healthy layer of skin.
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You’re getting a lot of pretty bad responses. The answer is simply that many lip balms contain ingredients that actually dry out, irritate, or sensitize the skin. Common culprits include lanolin, camphor, menthol, vitamin E, artificial fragrances, limonene/linalool, fragrant plant oils, and castor oil. Not everyone will react to all these ingredients, but it’s hard to find products that don’t use at least a few. Fragrances/flavors can also promote lip-licking, which can cause dryness.
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Chapstick/lip balm doesn’t completely keep your lips safe from drying out, and by the time you’ve applied it your lips are already chapped. Then it feels like you need to keep adding coats of chapstick, which is why it feels like it’s having a negative effect.
I actually believe it is because the excess skin that was dry and damaged is falling off, while the chapstick hydrates and moisturizes the healthy skin underneathe.
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