The Natural Way to Soothe Chapped Lips.

Rough, dry, flaking chapped lips are as natural as the weather. Why? Your lips are covered with epithelial tissue, the same sensitive mucous membrane that lines your entire digestive tract. Now, imagine for a moment what would happen if your intestines were turned inside out and exposed to hot sun, whipping wind, or blasts of cold, dry air. They might get a little chapped, yes?
When it comes to lips that are almost always chapped and dry, however, the cause may be the elements inside your body rather than those outside, says James Kennedy, D.D.s., a dentist in Littleton, Colorado.

CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, AND FATTY ACIDS:

Three's Company Calcium is the mortar that holds cells together, in your epithelial tissue and all over your body. But cells can't absorb the calcium they need without certain fatty acids, a component of a type of fat that's found in fish, flaxseed oil, and other foods that might not be regular tenants of your supermarket cart.
In fact, Dr. Kennedy believes that a deficiency of fatty acids may be
the most common nutritional deficiency in America. It may also be the reason that your lips are always flaking and peeling: too little means too little calcium, which in turn means that sensitive tissues like your lips can almost literally fall apart.
To counter the problem, Dr. Kennedy recommends taking 1,000 milligrams of calcium, along with 500 milligrams of magnesium to help the body use the calcium properly, twice a day on an empty stomach. Take a tablespoon of flaxseed oil every day as well, he says. You can down the oil straight, or you can use it on salads or as a substitute for olive oil in recipes that don't involve heating. Keep it in the refrigerator. "Calcium, magnesium, and fatty acids make an ideal remedy for chronically dry, chapped lips," says Dr. Kennedy.

PHENOL AND CAMPHOR: A Must to Avoid
These two ingredients are common in lip balms. They're also common in cleaning supplies used to sterilize counters in dental offices! "These are very strong antiseptic chemicals, and I tell people to stay away from lip balms that contain them," says James Hardy, D.M.D., a holistic dentist in Winter Park, Florida.

COCOA BUTTER: A Better Alternative
Instead, Dr. Hardy recommends a lip balm containing cocoa butter, which is nontoxic and rich in the emollients and moisturizers that can protect and soothe dry, chapped lips. "Cocoa butter will help rehydrate your lips," he says.

AROMATHERAPY: Essential for Moist Lips
For another all-natural, soothing lip balm, buy 2 ounces of unscented cream at any pharmacy and add healing essential oils to it, says Jade Shutes, director of the Institute of Dynamic Aromatherapy in Seattle. Use 30 drops of lavender essential oil to help reduce inflammation and redness and 16 drops of sandalwood essential oil to moisturize your lips.

WATER: Stay Hydrated
If your lips are chronically dry, drink more water, says William Payne, 0.0.5., a dentist in McPherson, Kansas. The standard recommendation of 64 ounces a day may not work. Instead, try 100 ounces a day, or even more.

MULTMTAMIN/MINERAL SUPPLEMENT: Insurance in a Pill

Many people have diets that are so overloaded with nutrient-poor, processed foods that even though they don't have outright nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy or rickets, they have many minor symptoms. Like chronically chapped lips. So, if you eat a lot of processed foods and your lips are always dry and flaky, a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement may correct the problem, says Dr. Payne. Take one daily until the symptoms subside.

Hydrate Your Lips With Hot Water.
If your lips are dry all the time, your body probably needs more water, right? But just chugging eight a-ounce glasses of water every day won't hydrate your lips, says John Douillard, D.c., a chiropractor, expert in Ayurveda (the ancient system of natural healing from India), and director of the LifeSpa in Boulder, Colorado. To hydrate your lips (and skin), he says, you need to sip hot water or decaffeinated tea, which gently dilates your circulatory system so that the moisture can reach the tissues. He recommends filling one or two 32ounce insulated hot-drink containers with decaffeinated hot tea or hot water and taking one or two sips every 10 minutes or so throughout the day.