Chapped Lips in Winter: Why Your Lips Crack First

Chapped lips in winter hit first because your lips have no oil glands of their own and a far thinner outer layer than the rest of your face. Here's why that happens, why I skip petroleum lip balm, and how a breathable beeswax balm made with raw fermented pawpaw (papaya) keeps lips, hands and heels comfortable all winter.

I grew up in Durban, and if you know, you know. There is nothing like a Durban winter; it is perfect in every way. Never too hot, never too cold, the humidity settles, and it's just perfect with the right amount of sunshine. Halfway through AYA Natural Skin's growth, we relocated to the Western Cape, and it hit me like a ton of bricks: this is what winter looks like and feels like. All I can say is that my gratitude for having created a natural lip balm hit a whole new level. Long gone are the days of reaching for the lip balm at the bottom of the bag.

I remember following an Instagrammer who chased the sun because she suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and I got it - it's a real thing - and with a little research, I discovered it affects far more people than we realise, particularly women. So there is a deep dive ahead into this, but for now, I just want to talk about my lips, because honestly, that's my canary-screeching point: the second the winter shift starts twirling in the air, my lips start burning; the reality of chapped lips in winter starts to get real.

What causes chapped lips in winter?

Clearly, I am fascinated by our skin. I mean, how can I not be? I created a natural skincare brand, albeit without knowing it was my end game; I thought I was just playing with beeswax in my kitchen to avoid the petroleum trap. So here come the structural details that explain it all. Our lips don't have sebaceous glands; those are the glands that produce oil (sebum). Sebum is the skin's natural oil that protects the skin's surface, locks in moisture, and keeps our natural barrier intact. Without sebaceous glands, our lips have no natural oil production at all, which is why they're the first to suffer when the cold air arrives.

The other reality we face is that the outer layer of skin on our lips is only a few cells thick, far thinner than on the rest of the face, and researchers have found that lip skin loses more water than the skin on our cheeks. And if you are a yacker like me, or in fact just doing natural daily activities like talking, eating, and hopefully smiling (this is where SAD kicks in, I find I don't smile as much), then your lips are constantly moving. Add into that the habit of licking our lips, and our lips become sensitive, dry and chapped. And there you have it, the reasons why we end up with cracked lips in winter.

In short, lips crack first in winter because:

• they have no oil glands of their own
• their outer layer is only a few cells thick and loses water faster
• they're always moving, and we keep licking them

Does petroleum jelly help chapped lips?

The title says it all, and my history with petroleum shouts it even louder. For me, petroleum-free is the only option. And that lip balm from the bottom of the bag, trust me when I say that was almost certainly a petroleum lip balm because I hadn't yet joined the revolution of natural lip balm lovers in South Africa. 

Petrolatum is an easy fix; it feels instantly good with its immediate slippery layer, and we think we are good to go. Slippery always makes me think of Born Slippy. I love that song. I wonder if it is a generational thing or if it's always iconic. But I digress, slippery is just not my thing; it doesn’t nourish or feed the skin underneath. It seals the surface, but it gives the skin nothing to work with.

And if my dislike of petroleum products wasn't firmly sealed, the nail in the coffin was definitely in my kitchen escapades when I used cosmetic-grade beeswax and had an episode of irritant contact cheilitis. Newsflash: cosmetic-grade beeswax isn't always paraffin-free, and studies regularly find commercial beeswax blended with paraffin, a petroleum by-product. One of my absolute passions is learning more, and when I wrote The Buzz About Beeswax, I spoke about my journey to find ethical, honest beeswax and how important that is to me.

How is beeswax different from petroleum on your lips?

Besides being the largest organ in the body, the skin is a breathable organ; it needs to breathe to be healthy and strong. This is where the beauty of beeswax comes in. I know it sounds like a chemistry lesson, well, to me it does, but let's stick with it because this is the bit that actually matters. Beeswax is semi-occlusive. It's made up of long-chain fatty acids, esters, and hydrocarbons, a complex molecular structure that creates a physical barrier on the skin's surface, but one with natural gaps that allow gas exchange. This means it lets the skin breathe, and that's the key. Your skin can still respire, oxygen in, carbon dioxide and water vapour out, while moisture loss is significantly slowed.

Now, to look at petroleum, which is a whole different kettle of fish. Besides all the environmental ramifications of a petroleum-dependent world, when it comes to skin, it forms a much heavier, almost airtight seal. My concern has always been that when something external does all the work, we're not giving our skin the chance to do what it does naturally. I'd rather support my skin than stand in for it.

Why raw beeswax, not cosmetic-grade?

So yes, beeswax is breathable, but like all wholly natural ingredients, it is so much more. Raw beeswax carries traces of propolis and pollen, which is why we choose to source it directly from the hives rather than a refined, cosmetic-grade version.

Beeswax is non-comedogenic, meaning it won't clog your pores, and it's gentle on most skin, including the skin around your mouth that's already working overtime. It supports your skin's own barrier rather than just covering it. I worked through all my questions around choosing beeswax as a base in Victoria's Secret to Glorious Skin, and there is no question Victoria was on the other side of the spectrum, loving herself a daily dose of Vaseline.

How much balm do you need?

I know that as a culture we believe more is always better, but I am just not a fan of this. For me, less is always more. With AYA Balm, a rice-grain is all you need - on your dry lips before you leave the house, on damp hands last thing at night or any other part of the skin that is calling for it.

The bottom line: beeswax slows moisture loss without shutting the skin down. Petroleum prevents moisture loss by completely sealing the skin. And this is why I chose to make a beeswax lip balm, with a few bad swerves on the road.

Should you exfoliate chapped lips?

My honest answer: gently, if at all. When my lips start peeling, the temptation is to pick at them or reach for a sugar scrub, and I've done both more times than I'd like to admit. I didn't have a misspent youth for nothing. But the skin on our lips is only a few cells thick, and scrubbing it when it's already dry just takes away what little protection it has left.

This is where raw fermented pawpaw quietly does its thing. Pawpaw contains papain, a natural enzyme that gently loosens dead skin cells without any scrubbing or harsh acids. So when I put a rice-grain of AYA Balm on my lips, the flaky bits soften and loosen on their own, while the beeswax keeps the moisture in. No picking required.

If your lips are cracked or bleeding, skip exfoliating altogether and just keep them comfortable. I wrote more about why less is more when it comes to gentle exfoliation.

Where else does winter dry out your skin?

Lips first, always. But winter doesn't stop there.

As I said, I am always a less-is-more person. I don't want a million products for every different thing. I want one product that does it all. AYA Balm, made with raw fermented pawpaw (papaya), beeswax, and food-grade oils, is our hardworking, multitasking balm that does it all, and it really earns its keep in winter.

Here are the places winter hits hardest:

Corners of the mouth

The first to crack and the last place we think of. A small amount of AYA Balm before bed keeps them soft and comfortable overnight.

Knuckles and hands

Constant washing, cold air outside, warm water inside. Apply AYA Balm to damp hands last thing at night and wake up to a completely different sensation. 

Heels and cuticles

The areas we forget about until they're already cracked. Consistent daily use is all it takes. That’s another topic in itself, we can't buy something, never use it, and expect it to work. Skin care is never an overnight fix, but a long-lasting, consistent love story.

One tin of AYA Balm, R65, lasts six months to a year, depending on how often you use it; that's your entire winter skin kit sorted.

I wrote down all the ways our community uses AYA Balm in 20 Ways to Use AYA Balm. It's filled with beautiful customer reviews and uses I never even thought of myself.

Do you need SPF in winter in South Africa?

I want to be really clear: just because it is winter doesn't mean we don't need to use SPF. Winter sun in SA is still real, thank heavens, otherwise my SAD would spiral out of control. AYA Balm doesn't contain SPF, but I always recommend applying a layer under a mineral SPF if you're spending time outdoors. Don't skip sun protection just because it's cold. If you want to go deeper, I unpacked mineral vs chemical sunscreen and everything in between.

The bottom line

So there it is, how to care for your lips and needy winter skin. With love, care and completely natural ingredients. For me, each of our journeys, and our journey with our skin, is unique and finding our way to a loving, caring, healthy relationship with our skin is the ultimate goal. If you want the full winter skincare routine beyond just your lips, Winter Skin SOS has everything you need. And if you have questions about what to use and when, I'm always in my inbox.