I find myself reaching for the lip balm more and more these days. No surprise — it’s been a beautiful autumn, filled with days that you can spend outside, as long as you can handle a little wind. I’m trying to soak up enough sun to get me through winter, but that wind can make my lips feel like it already IS winter. Wind is the dreaded enemy of healthy lips because it further dries out skin that lacks moisture-providing oil and sweat glands.

So far, the lip balm is doing the trick and keeping my lips moisturized, but I don’t want to spend the winter feeling like I’m single-handedly propping up the ChapStick industry. I did some research at HowStuffWorks on how to avoid chapped lips, and naturally, I’m now passing it on to you.

Prepare for the elements: When the sun is shining, as it has been lately, it can be hard to remember that the cooler weather poses a danger to lips. It’s important to wear wide-brimmed hats as well as lip balm with an SPF of at least 15, even on these sunny fall days. Once fall turns to winter, though, wear a scarf over your lip-balm-protected mouth, and avoid going outside into really blustery weather whenever possible.

Don’t lick your lips: It might seem like you do your lips a favor by dousing them with saliva, but it’s more bad news than good. Saliva will chomp through what little protective barrier your lips already have, in addition to causing dryness when it evaporates. That’s why you may want to stick with unflavored lip balms — delicious flavors on your lips may cause you to sneak a lick.

Stay hydrated: Really, every blog post that we write here on How-to Stuff should include a reminder to stay hydrated. But it’s important when it comes to your lips because they have so little moisture to begin with, and winter weather does nothing but steal it away.

Try a humidifier: Even if you drink enough water to sink the Titanic, you may still need some help maintaining a moisture-friendly environment on cold days. A humidifier may be especially helpful at night, as many people sleep with their mouths open. All that breathing through the mouth can lead a person to wake up with chapped lips.

Upgrade your lipstick: Some lipsticks can dry out your lips, so if you’re not using a hydrating formula with glycerin or Vitamin E, it might be time to go shopping for a new tube. And if you’re more of a lip balm person anyways, look for ingredients like beeswax, shea butter or Vitamin E in your next purchase. Products with menthol can cause irritation

For more on keeping the kisser in tip-top shape, check out these articles from HowStuffWorks:
How to Moisturize Your Lips
How to Get Rid of Lip Lines
Top 5 Natural Remedies for Dry Lips