Hannah Frye

mbg Assistant Beauty Editor

By Hannah Frye

mbg Assistant Beauty Editor

Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including health, wellness, sustainability, personal development, and more.

woman touching lips

Image by Liliya Rodnikova / Stocksy

October 28, 2022

Welp, it’s that time of the year again when everything dries out—the leaves are crisp, the air is crisp, the apples are crisp, and unfortunately, your lips might follow suit. Dry, flaky lips may seem inevitable during the fall and winter, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Here’s how to rehydrate your lips and keep them so—this way, you can mitigate the lip picking, feathered lipstick, and cracked skin for chillier months to come.

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How to prevent dehydrated + flaky lips. 

Make these changes as cooler weather rolls around, and you’ll be set for plump, juicy lips ahead:

1.

Invest in your lip balm. 

While you may be able to slide by without lip balm in the summer months (thanks to the natural humidity), it’s essential when the weather cools down and dries out. But beware: Not every formula nourishes the lips—some simply provide a physical block from wind and thus, won’t do much for the actual health of your delicate lip skin.

Look for formulas with humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, emollients like shea or cacao butters, and occlusives (preferably botanical oils over mineral oils, like petrolatum-derived products). 

Here’s a list of the all-time best natural formulas to get you started.

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Ingestible hyaluronic acid is as buzzy as ever, especially after the $17 Hailey Bieber x Erewhon smoothie collab went viral. This sought-after blend includes both hyaluronic acid and collagen powder—a dream for smooth, hydrated skin from the inside out.

Why should you ingest HA, you ask? Well, research shows positive effects from replenishing your natural stores of HA with supplements: One study found that people who took 120 milligrams of hyaluronic acid per day for eight to 12 weeks experienced better skin aging1 (fewer wrinkles and more supple skin) compared with those who took a placebo. And let’s not forget: Your lip skin is your skin, too, and it’s even more prone to accelerated skin aging given the fragile, sensitive area.

Here, the best hyaluronic acid supplements on the market to help your skin prep for the cold weather.

3.

Add a humidifier to your home. 

Humidifiers just might be one of the most underrated tools to maintain supple skin all year long. Even if you don’t live in a notoriously dry environment, the increased use of internal heating systems can dry out the air in your home or office—which can then lead to drier skin and chapped lips.

Humidifiers don’t have to be this huge investment that will take up space or offset your interior design—here are seven small but mighty desktop humidifiers we’re obsessed with at the moment. Pop the device by your bed before you fall asleep, or keep it on your desk during the day for an extra boost of hydration.

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The takeaway. 

Yes, keeping your lips hydrated in the winter months can certainly be more difficult than during the summer—but it’s not impossible to maintain moisture. If you keep a high-quality lip balm on hand, ingest skin hydrators like hyaluronic acid, and keep your environment humid; your lips will surely thank you. If you want to take it a step further, try this five-step lip care routine for an even softer pout.