Why your lips crack first, and what to do about it.
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 at this point is my gratitude for having created a natural lip balm - it hit a whole new level. Long gone are the days of reaching for the Chapstick from the bottom of the bag.
I remember following an Instagrammer who chased the sun because she suffered from SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I got it, it's a real thing, and with a little research, I discovered it affects far more people than realise it, 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.
Why do our lips get hit first?
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 dont 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 skin on our lips is thinner than anywhere else, 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 dont smile as much), then your lips are constantly moving, add into that the habit of licking our lips and our lips become sensitive, becoming dry and chapped. And there you have it, the reasons why our lips crack in winter.
The petroleum problem
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 good; it doesn't heal, hydrate, or support the skin underneath. It occludes without nourishing, ultimately just sealing in dryness rather than replacing it.
And if my dislike of petroleum products wasnt 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, because newsflash, cosmetic-grade beeswax most likely isn't petroleum-free. One of my absolute pillars is research, 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.
What beeswax actually does differently
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, meaning it's made up of long-chain fatty acids, esters, and hydrocarbons. It's 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 and challenges we face as a petroleum-dependent world, in the case of skin care, it doesnt actually do what we need it to do. Petroleum creates a fully impermeable seal. Nothing gets in or out. This causes your skin to stop what it does naturally. The skin stops producing its own protective lipids because something external is doing the job. And this is quite simply not a good thing, because it becomes dependent rather than stronger.
So yes, beeswax is breathable, but like all wholly natural ingredients, it is so much more: Raw beeswax also contains natural vitamin A, which supports cell regeneration, and traces of propolis with natural antimicrobial properties, meaning your lips get protection and repair, not just a barrier. That's why we choose to source beeswax directly from the hives.
Beeswax is non-comedogenic, rated 0 to 2 on the comedogenic scale, meaning it won't clog your pores. Safe for every skin type, including the skin around your mouth that's already working overtime. And here is the kicker, it actively supports barrier repair rather than just covering it. At the end of the day I worked through all my questions around choosing beeswax as a base, and I wrote about in depth in Victoria's Secret to Glorious Skin, and there is no question she was on the other side of the spectrum, loving herself a daily dose of vaseline.
I know that as a culture we are always 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.
Where else does winter show up
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. I refer to AYA Balm as our hard-working, multi-tasking balm that does it all, and winter is where it really earns its keep.
Here are the places winter hits hardest:
Corners of the mouth - the first to crack and the last to recover. A small amount of AYA Balm before bed makes a noticeable difference within days.
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, R65, lasts 3–6 months with daily use; 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.
One More Thing: Don't Skip SPF in Winter
I want to be really clear, just because it is winter doesnt mean we dont 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 the full sunscreen debate - mineral filters, chemical filters, and everything in between.
The Bottom Line
So there it is, how to manage 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.
