How to Get Rid of Flaky Lips With Petroleum Jelly

Last Updated: October 25, 2022 References

Flaky lips can occur due to dry weather or lack of hydration. Many lip balms don’t moisturize enough to improve the feel of your lips over the long term. Applying petroleum jelly to your lips can soften them and reduce flakiness.

Things You Should Know

Exfoliating your lips before applying petroleum jelly will remove the dead skin cells and make it easier for your lips to heal.
Use your finger or a cotton swab to apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over your lips.
Leave the petroleum jelly on your lips overnight to wake up with flake-free lips.
You can use lip balm instead of petroleum jelly if you prefer.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Exfoliating Your Lips

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Scrub off the dead skin before apply petroleum jelly. Exfoliate your lips with a store-bought or homemade lip scrub to keep your lips looking soft and smooth.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Ashleigh Grounds
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 22 April 2020.} Just put a little of the scrub on your lips and rub it in thoroughly, then rinse it away.
- To make your own lip scrub, mix a tablespoon of brown sugar with just enough honey or olive oil to get it to stick together.
- Once a week (twice at the very max) rub the scrub onto your lips, vigorously enough to loosen the dead skin. Let it sit for one minute, and then wipe off with a damp washcloth.
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Use a toothbrush to exfoliate your lips. Take a clean toothbrush and brush the flat part of the bristles back and forth on the lips, much as you would brush your teeth.^{[2]
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- Do this for 30 or so seconds per lip, and stop if they start to hurt. Flaky lips are dry lips. The “flakiness” is dead skin. It needs to be exfoliated off.
- Rinse your brush and your lips with water. You could also use a washcloth to exfoliate lips.
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Mix sugar with petroleum jelly. Using small crystallized sugar molecules, you can softly scrub away the dry flaky skin around and on your lips.
- Apply like a facial scrub and enjoy the immediate removal of any dead skin on your lips.
- Be careful not to eat or swallow the mixture because petroleum jelly is not edible.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Applying the Petroleum Jelly

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Smear petroleum jelly on your lips. One of the best ways to keep your lips from looking flaky is to keep them well-moisturized all the time.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Ashleigh Grounds
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 22 April 2020.} You’ll notice that your lips will feel softer and look better too. You could use a Q-tip or your finger.^{[4]
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- Some lip balms leave your lips moist and soft temporarily or leave a layer of product on the lips, giving the illusion that the lips are moisturized. Petroleum jelly penetrates the lips to actually moisturize them. It also leaves them with a shine.^{[5]
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- Apply about triple the amount of a normal application. Your lips will look and feel greasy, but don't smother it on. It shouldn't look like you have a paste on your lips.
- You should be able to rub your lips together comfortably. Let this sit for around 3-5 minutes, until the dead skin is soft. Petroleum jelly helps you get rid of flaky lips just as long as you use it constantly! It’s a byproduct from the production of petroleum, which means it's very cheap. It seals your lips like a barrier, letting nothing in (including cold air or environmental toxins).
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Leave the jelly on your lips overnight. The next morning, the flakiness will peel away along with the petroleum jelly. Continue to hydrate yourself, and apply lip balm to prevent your lips from drying out again.
- The petroleum jelly treatment is recommended to be done about 3 times a week in the winter and once a week in the summer (or when it is a rainy season). Your lips might look pinker as petroleum jelly can reduce dark patches on lips.
- Depending on how you sleep, you may wake up with the crusty remains of the jelly around or on your lips. This can easily be removed by wetting a soft washcloth and rubbing softly off.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making Your Lips Less Chapped

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Drink a lot of water. You should drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated as much as possible. Sometimes chapped lips are the result of a poor diet. People sometimes forget how important water is to the body.
- Lips often get chapped, cracked, dry and unsightly because of how little we care for them. Like the rest of our skin, lips require moisture to stay healthy and beautiful. In fact, because the skin on our lips is so thin, we need to keep them moisturized even more than the rest of our skin.
- The key to smooth lips is hydration. You need to drink plenty of water or other healthy fluids to keep your skin healthy, and even more so your lips.
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Carry a lip balm at all times. Apply it regularly in addition to using the jelly now and then.
- A good rule of thumb is to apply the lip balm once every 3 to 4 hours or so. Over usage could lead to dark patches on the lips.
- Lip balms with ingredients such as mint, peppermint or eucalyptus can be used and a variety of brands are available at supermarkets or pharmacies.
- Try using a lip primer before you put on your lipstick to fill in any cracks, making your lips look smoother.^{[6]
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  Ashleigh Grounds
  Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 22 April 2020.}
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Try natural oils. Some people are concerned about the environmental and health consequences of constantly using petroleum jelly. A substitute could be natural oils.
- Coconut oil is a great option. It's good for the hair, the skin and the lips too. Simply apply it as you would have applied the jelly. Olive oil can work too.
- The Vaseline lip therapy line could be a replacement for any lip products you already use. It has a small range of colors also.
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Avoid doing things that will make your lips dry. Don't lick your lips. The saliva will dry them out and chap them.
- Don't touch your lips a lot with your hands. Biting your lips also can lead to dryness and sore lips.
- Applying sunscreen to your lips is a good idea to protect them in the summer from the rays of the sun.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I prevent my lips from flaking when I'm putting on lipstick?

Ashleigh Grounds
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Ashleigh Grounds is a Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist based in Austin, Texas. Ashleigh has over 11 years of cosmetology experience. She studied cosmetology in Dallas, Texas and completed a two-year hair salon apprenticeship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with Toni & Guy Hair Salon. She is accredited by the International Board of Cosmetology, is a certified Babe Hair Extension Professional, and is a certified Brazilian Blow Out Professional. Ashleigh was voted the best Hair Stylist in Austin for 2012 by RAW Artists and was voted in the top 20 salons for 2020 in Austin by Expertise. Ashleigh's work has been featured in Talentmagazines, BlogTalkRadio, KXAN, and Studio 512.

Ashleigh Grounds

Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

If you take good care of your lips in general, you're less likely to have flakiness. Keep your lips moisturized all the time, and exfoliate them regularly with a scrub. If it's still an issue, use a lip primer before you put on your lipstick to fill in the cracks a little.
Question

Can I use a flavored lip balm?

Community Answer

Yes, there are no ill effects to using a flavored lip balm, just don't use it every day, as it will actually dry out your lips more if not used in moderation.
Question

Does Vaseline help?

Community Answer

Vaseline is petroleum jelly. For some people, it may help. If it doesn't help you, you can try a lip balm or an oil (such as coconut oil).

Warnings

Do your homework. There is controversy over whether it can be harmful to apply petroleum jelly to your lips. Check with your doctor first.

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Some have also raised eco concerns about petroleum jelly, saying it is not a green product.^{[7]
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Petroleum jelly is not water soluble and can be hard to clean from the skin.^{[8]
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