About Your Lips

Lip Skin is Different

Lips do not have the same protective outer layer (or stratum corneum) found in other skin; nor do lips have the same amount of oil and sweat glands. Sweat glands add moisture to skin, but the lips’ only source of moisture is saliva inside the mouth. Thus, harsh winter wind, cold, sun and dryness–indoors and outdoors—leads to what we commonly call dry, cracked lips or chapped lips. That’s why lip care is important.  

Your lip skin is also unprotected by clothing, making lips fully exposed to the elements. And lips have almost no melanin, the natural pigment in skin that helps screen out the sun’s harmful rays. That’s why lip balm with SPF is often recommended by doctors and dermatologists. Blistex provides a variety of lip balms that contain sunscreen, such as Five Star Lip Protection which provides Broad Spectrum SPF30 for maximum SPF protection. There are also many Blistex products with an SPF of 15.

Whether you need medicated lip products, enhanced lip products or daily moisturizing lip products, Blistex has a solution for you. Blistex offers a range of hydrating lip balms, moisturizing lip products and medicated lip ointment and medicated balms to help heal dry, cracked lips. 

A Good Lip Care Routine

Doctors and dermatologists would likely recommend including lip care into your daily skin care routine. After all, lips are skin too.  And that’s true whether you spend time outdoors or not. Outdoor factors such as sun, wind and cold can speed up the rate of lip moisture loss. Indoors lips can be affected from a lack of moisture in centrally heated or air-conditioned rooms with low humidity.  

What to use for your daily lip routine? A lip protectant, such as Blistex Five Star Lip Protection, provides daily defense against nature’s harshest conditions and provides Broad Spectrum SPF 30 sun protection. For a medicated alternative try Blistex Medicated Lip Balm. Daily lip therapies help keep lips their healthiest. 

If dryness, cracking or soreness of the lip has already developed, a medicated lip product can provide relief.  Blistex Lip Ointment delivers penetrating medication and contains penetrating analgesics to bring cooling relief to lips. And it is the only lip ointment that contains moisturizing ingredients to rehydrate lips. Also, for sore lips, Blistex Lip Medex  provides ultra-cooling relief. 

Year-Round Lip Care

Summer or winter, indoors or outdoors, lips can benefit from daily care. Different environmental conditions may change the type of lip care or lip treatment you need, but a good lip care routine can lead to lips that feel and look healthier. And that’s true for both women’s lips and men’s lips. 

We typically think of “summer sun,” but the sun’s harmful rays are always present whether it’s July or January, sunny or cloudy. Lips have little or no melanin, the natural skin pigment that screens out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. And sun damage can alter collagen and can even lead to melanoma. That’s why dermatologists often recommend using lip care products with sun protection for people who spend any time outdoors. So, before you head outside, look for a lip balm with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or more.  

Blistex provides a variety of lip balms that contain sunscreen, such as Five Star Lip Protection which provides Broad Spectrum SPF30 and provides both UVA and UVB sun-protection. There are also many Blistex products with an SPF of 15. Lips need year-round protection from different dry conditions too. Dry conditions can happen any time of the year too. Whether due its harsh outdoor elements or a dry indoor environment, use a lip care product that seals in natural moisture and seals out the drying forces. Recommended products, like Blistex Medicated Lip BalmBlistex Complete Moisture, and Blistex DCT (Daily Conditioning Treatment) combine a number of protectants to defend your lips.

Lips can also become dry when the common winter cold or flu strikes. This lip dryness happens because of people’s tendency to breathe through their mouths when they get sick, inadvertently drying out their lips. Lip irritation can even be caused by certain types of food, cosmetics and cigarette smoke. If your lips are extremely dry, cracked or sore you might want to try a medicated lip product that has an analgesic to help soothe the pain associated with minor lip irritation. Blistex Lip Medex provides medicated ingredients that delivers immediate cooling relief and provides a special barrier that helps lip cells return to their natural moisture balance. 

Care for Men’s Lips

Many people wonder if men’s lip care is different than women’s lip care. Basically, all lips need the same care when it comes to an every day moisturizing routine or treating dry, chapped lips. The same is true for men who are working outside. Sunny or cloudy days call for men’s lips to be protected with an SPF lip balm. Blistex offers many lip balms for men and women that contain sunscreen, such as Five Star Lip Protection which provides Broad Spectrum SPF30. There are also many Blistex products with an SPF of 15.

Care for Aging Lips

Over time, the cumulative effects of aging and exposure to sun and weather can result in the development of fine lines and wrinkles on the lips. While no one can turn back the clock, there are options to combat the effects of time. One option is Blistex Deep Renewal. Deep Renewal combines Coenzyme Q-10, hyaluronic filling spheres and a vitamin & antioxidant complex to help combat the cumulative effects of aging and reduce the appearance of visible signs of aging. In addition, Deep Renewal provides Broad Spectrum SPF 15 that works to protect lips from new damage. Blistex Deep Renewal is clinically proven to reduce fine lines and wrinkles on your lips, within 4 weeks. 

Cold Sores and Fever Blisters

Both “cold sore” and “fever blister” refer to the lip blisters caused by Herpes Simplex I virus (not to be confused with Herpes Simplex II, which is generally associated with genital herpes). Cold Sores are viral infections which cause recurrent groups of irritating, even painful blisters on the lips. Once a person contracts the virus, it may exist in a latent or dormant state throughout his or her lifetime. After a cold sore first appears, it has a tendency to recur frequently in the same spot. 

Because cold sores and fever blisters tend to recur in the same spot, alert sufferers can sometimes detect warning signs. Itching, tingling and a heat sensation can be a sign. As soon as these signs are detected, you might want to massage a medicated lip care product, such as Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment, gently into the affected area up to four times daily. The penetrating analgesic provides quick, effective relief and the Ointment’s moisturizing properties soften the area to help prevent cracking.  Blistex Lip Medex is another option for those who prefer an ultra-cooling effect. 

Cold sores and fever blisters tend to develop when an individual has a cold or fever, but they also can be triggered by sun exposure, emotional distress, intestinal illness and menstruation. Eliminating all of the sources that can contribute to the onset of cold sores and fever blisters is impossible, but sufferers can condition their lips with products such as Blistex Five Star Lip Protection with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 to reduce the sun’s impact and limit cracking that can lead to making lips more vulnerable.

Close up of a woman smiling

* Among some Dermatologists who recommended at least one brand for lip moisturization and treatment of chapped lips in a ProVoice® 2023 survey