When temperatures drop, most of us reach for lip balm nonstop—yet somehow, our lips still end up painfully dry, cracked, or peeling. According to dermatologists, that’s no coincidence. Many popular lip balms actually worsen winter chapping because of the ingredients inside them.
People assume that if a product is labeled as a lip balm, it’s automatically soothing, but several common ingredients do the opposite—they dry the lips out further, trigger irritation, or create a cycle where you feel like you need to keep applying more.
Before you swipe on another layer, here are three ingredients you should always avoid if you want truly hydrated, healthy winter lips.
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1. Fragrance & Flavoring Agents
Sure, vanilla-mint-cupcake-sugar-cookie balms smell amazing—but dermatologists warn they’re a major culprit behind irritated lips.
Fragrance mixes and synthetic flavors are among the most common allergens in beauty products. On the thin, delicate skin of the lips, they can lead to redness, peeling, and chronic dryness.
Why it worsens chapping:
- Causes inflammation and micro-irritation
- Can trigger allergic contact dermatitis
- Creates a cycle of itching → licking → more dryness
Experts recommend choosing fragrance-free, flavor-free balms—especially in winter.
2. Menthol, Camphor & Phenol (a.k.a. The “Cooling” Ingredients)
These ingredients give that minty, tingly, “cooling” sensation many people associate with healing—but dermatologists say it’s actually a sign of irritation.
Menthol, camphor, and phenol exfoliate and strip the skin’s protective barrier. That’s why your lips may feel smooth at first, then become even drier hours later.
Why it worsens chapping:
- Disrupts the skin barrier
- Causes burning or stinging
- Leads to rebound dryness
Many classic balms include these ingredients, so read labels carefully.
3. Alcohol (Including Denatured Alcohol & Drying Alcohols)
Alcohol shows up in some balms to create a lightweight texture—but it evaporates quickly, taking moisture with it.
On already-dehydrated winter lips, alcohol accelerates water loss and can worsen cracks and flakiness.
Why it worsens chapping:
- Instantly dries the skin
- Increases transepidermal water loss
- Can cause painful splitting in severe dryness
If “alcohol denat.” appears near the top of the ingredient list, steer clear.
So What Should You Use Instead?
Dermatologists say the most protective, winter-friendly lip balms contain:
- Beeswax or lanolin (to seal in moisture)
- Petrolatum (a top-tier occlusive for extreme cold)
- Ceramides (to repair the barrier)
- Shea butter and cocoa butter (deep moisturizers)
- Hyaluronic acid or glycerin (to draw in hydration)
Look for “fragrance-free,” “alcohol-free,” and “dermatologist-recommended” labels.
