Dry, Peeling and Cracked Lips: A Dermatologist Separates 9 Causes, Which Kinds Are Dangerous, and What to Apply

3 days ago

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Dry, peeling lips (cheilitis or chapped lips) means the skin of the lips is dry, cracked and flaking in scales or sheets, sometimes with stinging or slight bleeding. Most cases come from dry air combined with a lip-licking habit, and improve within 3–7 days with regular petroleum jelly. But if the peeling comes back every day for more than 2 weeks, it may be an allergy to something in lipstick or toothpaste, a side effect of acne medicine, or, in older adults with long sun exposure, actinic cheilitis, which is a precancerous condition.

From October to March, searches for dry, peeling lips in Thailand are more than twice as high as in the rainy season. Most pages that come up simply say to drink water and apply lip balm, without explaining how the different kinds of dry lips differ. This article separates dry, peeling lips by cause, describes what to look for, the medicines doctors use with their strengths and durations, and the signs that mean you should no longer wait and see.

Why do lips dry out and peel more easily than other skin?

The red part of the lip (vermilion) is several times thinner than facial skin. It has no oil glands and no sweat glands, so it has no natural oil coating, holds in little water, and does not have enough pigment to block sunlight.

Dry, cold air: when humidity is low, water evaporates quickly from the lips, so the outer skin tightens and cracks.
Air conditioning and wind: these lower the moisture around the mouth all day, especially for people sitting in front of a fan or riding a motorbike.
Saliva: it moistens the lips for only a few seconds, but enzymes in saliva irritate the skin and, as it evaporates, it draws moisture away. The more you lick, the drier they get.
Mouth breathing: in people with a blocked nose or who sleep with the mouth open, the lips are driest on waking.

Dry, peeling lips can happen to anyone. But if proper care does not help, another cause is probably layered on top, which you can tell apart by the features in the sections below.

Dry, peeling lips from cold and dry air (chapped lips)

What it looks like: both upper and lower lips are dry and tight, with thin flakes or vertical lines of cracking. There is no swelling and no rash spreading beyond the lip border.
Cause: low humidity, strong wind, air conditioning, and drinking less water than the body needs.
Severity/urgency: not dangerous. It improves in 3–7 days with regular use of an ointment that seals the lips.
When to see a doctor: if there is no improvement after more than 2 weeks of regular application, or a red rash starts to spread around the mouth.

This kind of dry lip usually gets worse along with dry skin elsewhere in winter. If the skin on your body is also dry and itchy, read more at Dry skin: causes and care.

Red ring around the mouth from lip licking (lip-licking dermatitis)

What it looks like: a red, dry, peeling rash in a ring around the mouth, with a sharp border matching how far the tongue reaches, extending beyond the lip border onto the facial skin. It is common in school-age children and in winter.
Cause: repeated irritation from saliva. It is irritant contact cheilitis, not an infection. The drier it gets, the more the person wants to lick, creating a cycle.
Severity/urgency: not dangerous, but hard to clear unless the licking stops. It is common in children with atopic dermatitis.
When to see a doctor: if the rash is very red, stings, weeps or has yellow crusts, or lasts more than 2 weeks.

The way to break the cycle is to apply thick petroleum jelly over the whole lips and the rash ring around the mouth, 4–6 times a day. The layer of ointment keeps the tongue from touching the skin directly. If it is very red and inflamed, a doctor may give hydrocortisone 1% to apply thinly for a short period. A rash ring around the mouth with small bumps that does not improve with steroids may be another condition; see Rash around the mouth, not acne.

Dry, peeling lips from an allergy to lipstick, lip balm or toothpaste (allergic contact cheilitis)

What it looks like: dry, peeling, itchy, stinging lips, sometimes slightly swollen, involving the whole lip. It starts after changing lipstick, lip balm, toothpaste or mouthwash. Applying the same lip balm makes it worse.
Cause: an allergy to something that touches the lips. The common ones are fragrance and flavoring (such as peppermint, cinnamon, vanilla), propolis, lanolin, preservatives, some sunscreen ingredients, and flavoring in toothpaste.
Severity/urgency: not life-threatening, but it stays chronic as long as the allergen is still used. When the right one is stopped, it usually improves within 2–4 weeks.
When to see a doctor: if the peeling is chronic for more than 1 month, or does not improve after changing products, so that a skin allergy patch test can be done.

A patch test places test substances on the back for 2 days, with results read on day 2 and day 4. It shows which substance you are allergic to, which matters more than guessing and stopping everything, because the same substance appears in many products. While waiting for results, use only plain, fragrance-free and flavor-free petroleum jelly, and switch to a toothpaste without peppermint flavor. To learn how contact rashes are told apart, read Contact dermatitis: symptoms and treatment.

Lips that peel in sheets every day, or peel off as a white coating (exfoliative cheilitis)

What it looks like: the lip skin thickens into sheets or a white-yellow coating that peels off and grows back within a few days, repeating for months or years. The skin under the peeled sheet is often red and stings.
Cause: usually linked to a habit of repeatedly biting, pulling or peeling the lip skin, stress, and in some people Candida infection or an added contact allergy. A doctor diagnoses this condition after ruling out other causes.
Severity/urgency: not dangerous, but chronic and bad for confidence.
When to see a doctor: if sheet-like peeling keeps recurring for more than 1 month, to check for fungus, do a patch test and rule out other diseases.

Treatment starts with stopping the peeling or biting, and applying thick ointment to the lips so the skin sheets soften and come off on their own. If a fungal infection is found, a doctor may give an antifungal such as miconazole or clotrimazole twice a day for 1–2 weeks, and if there is inflammation, a calcineurin inhibitor cream may be used instead of a steroid so it can be used for longer. For people who peel the lips from stress or habit, behavioral care helps a great deal.

Dry, cracked lips from the acne medicine isotretinoin and retinoid drugs (retinoid cheilitis)

What it looks like: the whole lip is dry, peeling and cracked, starting within 1–2 weeks of beginning the medicine, often with dry facial skin and dry eyes as well.
Cause: isotretinoin (an oral acne medicine) and acitretin (a psoriasis medicine) reduce oil gland activity and thin the outer skin. Dry lips occur in almost everyone who takes isotretinoin and increase with the dose. High-dose vitamin A can also cause it.
Severity/urgency: it is an expected side effect and does not mean you must stop the medicine. It improves within a few weeks after stopping.
When to see a doctor: if the lips crack and bleed every day, have yellow crusts, hurt, or make eating difficult, tell the doctor who prescribed the medicine. Do not stop or reduce it yourself.

While on the medicine, apply petroleum jelly or a lip-sealing ointment from day one, at least 4–6 times a day, and thickly before bed. Carry it with you and reapply after every meal or drink. Avoid lip balms that are scented or contain menthol. If the lips crack badly, the doctor may adjust the dose, or give an antibacterial ointment such as mupirocin 2% 2–3 times a day for 5–7 days when yellow crusts show a secondary infection.

White flaky dry lips in older adults with sun exposure (actinic cheilitis)

What it looks like: usually on the lower lip, with rough, dry skin and white-gray flakes or patches that do not come off. The once-sharp border between the lip and facial skin looks blurred. There may be spots that break into shallow sores that heal and then return in the same place.
Cause: sunlight accumulated over many years. It is seen in people over 40–50 years old, with fair skin, who work outdoors, such as farmers, fishermen and construction workers, and smoking adds to the risk.
Severity/urgency: it is a precancerous condition. Some cases turn into squamous cell carcinoma of the lip, a skin cancer that can spread faster than skin cancers at other sites.
When to see a doctor: every case with these features should see a dermatologist without waiting, and more urgently if there is a hard lump, a sore that does not heal after 3–4 weeks, or easy bleeding.

The doctor will examine with a magnifying scope and may take a biopsy. If it has not yet become cancer, treatment options include 5-fluorouracil 5% cream once or twice a day for about 2–4 weeks, imiquimod cream, freezing with liquid nitrogen, light treatment combined with a topical medicine (photodynamic therapy), or carbon dioxide laser removal of the upper layer of lip skin as the doctor assesses. These creams make the lips very red and inflamed during treatment, which is an expected reaction and must be under a doctor's care. The same condition on the face and backs of the hands is called Actinic keratosis.

Dry, peeling corners of the mouth with cracks and sores (angular cheilitis)

What it looks like: dry, red, cracked grooves at one or both corners of the mouth, painful when opening the mouth. The middle of the lips is usually normal.
Cause: saliva pooling in the corner folds lets Candida yeast and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria grow. It is common in older adults with dentures, people with deep corner folds, and people lacking iron or B vitamins.
Severity/urgency: not dangerous, but it often recurs unless the cause is fixed.
When to see a doctor: if it does not improve after 2 weeks of self-treatment, recurs several times a year, or comes with mouth sores and a smooth tongue.

Standard treatment is an antifungal such as miconazole 2% or clotrimazole 1% twice a day for 1–2 weeks. Some doctors combine it briefly with hydrocortisone 1%, and if there are yellow crusts an antibacterial ointment may be added. If it recurs often, blood tests should check for iron deficiency, vitamin B12 and blood sugar. For how to tell it from cold sores, see What causes angular cheilitis.

Dry, peeling lips from vitamin deficiency: it does happen, but less often than people think

What it looks like: dry lips with cracks at the corners, a smooth red tongue or sore tongue, and often other symptoms such as fatigue, paleness, and numb hands and feet.
Cause: a lack of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3, B6, B12, folate, iron or zinc. It is seen in people with very limited diets, regular alcohol drinkers, people after stomach surgery, people with bowel diseases that impair absorption, and strict vegetarians who do not supplement B12.
Severity/urgency: depends on the underlying disease. Anemia from iron or B12 deficiency always needs its cause found.
When to see a doctor: if cracked lips come with a smooth tongue, paleness, easy tiredness or weight loss.

People who eat a balanced diet and have dry lips only in winter are almost never deficient. Taking multivitamins therefore does not stop dry lips, and taking too much vitamin A actually makes the lips dryer and more peeling. If you suspect a real deficiency, have a blood test before supplementing.

Dry lips from dehydration or whole-body disease

Some dry lips do not start in the lip skin but are a signal from the body.

Dehydration: diarrhea, vomiting, high fever or exercising in the sun. Dry lips come with little, dark urine.
Poorly controlled diabetes: great thirst, frequent urination, weight loss.
Dry mouth (xerostomia): little saliva, difficulty swallowing dry food, easy tooth decay. It is seen with antihistamines, diuretics, antidepressants, radiation to the head and neck, or Sjögren's syndrome, which also brings dry eyes.
Chemotherapy: it inflames the lining of the mouth and the lips. Care should follow the advice of the cancer treatment team.

In these conditions lip balm alone is not enough; the underlying cause must be treated.

Dry, peeling lips with swelling or blisters: telling them from cold sores and swollen lips

Ordinary dry lips have no swelling and no blisters. If these come with it, think of another condition.

Clear blisters in a cluster at the lip border, with burning that comes a day before, then breaking into crusts: herpes labialis (cold sores), which is treated with antiviral medicine. Read Cold sores on the lip: how many days to heal and which medicine.
Lips swelling quickly within a few hours: this may be angioedema, a deep form of hives. If the tongue or throat swells or breathing is difficult, go to the emergency room immediately. Read Swollen lips: which kinds are dangerous.
Raw sores over the whole lip, with fever, red eyes and a body rash after starting a new medicine: this may be a severe drug allergy rash and needs a doctor immediately.
Lips darkening along with dryness: this is usually post-inflammatory dark marks from repeated inflammation. Read Dark lips: what causes them.

Which dry lips are dangerous: warning signs not to wait on

Most dry, peeling lips are a surface skin problem, but the following signs need a doctor.

A sore or crack in the same place that does not heal after 3–4 weeks, especially on the lower lip.
A hard lump under the lip skin, or lip skin that thickens into a white patch that cannot be scraped off.
A fading lip border in an older adult with sun exposure or who smokes.
Swollen tongue or throat, difficulty breathing, hoarse voice: go to the emergency room immediately.
Raw sores over the whole mouth, fever, red eyes, body rash, especially within 1–8 weeks of starting a new medicine.
Dry lips with dry eyes, great thirst, frequent urination or weight loss: a whole-body disease must be looked for.
No improvement after more than 2 weeks of proper care means there is probably another cause layered on top.

What to use on dry, peeling lips: how to choose a lip balm

What really helps dry lips is a substance that seals the skin and stops water evaporating (an occlusive), not flavoring or substances that give a cooling feeling.

Petroleum jelly (petrolatum or white soft paraffin): it has the most evidence and very rarely causes allergy. It can be used from small children to older adults and is the first choice for every kind of dry lips.
dimethicone, ceramide, squalane, shea butter: these seal the skin and replace oils. They can be used if you are not allergic.
Lanolin: it moisturizes well but can cause allergy. People with chronic peeling lips should not use it until the patch test result is known.
Sunscreen lip balm SPF 30 or higher: necessary for people who are outdoors. Reapply every 2 hours and after eating or drinking. People who react easily should choose a type using zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

A good product has an ointment or stick texture, with no scent, no flavor and no color. Price does not tell you whether it helps more; the ingredient list on the back does.

Lip balm ingredients to avoid when lips are dry and peeling

Some lip balms give a temporary cool or tingling feeling, but they irritate skin that is already cracked and make you want to reapply until the lips are drier than before.

Menthol, camphor, phenol, eucalyptus: they feel cool but irritate the lips.
Fragrance and flavoring: peppermint, cinnamon, citrus and vanilla are the most common causes of allergy in chronic peeling lips.
Salicylic acid and exfoliating agents: they make already thin skin thinner.
Long-wear matte lipstick: it often pulls moisture from the lips. If you must use it, apply ointment underneath first and remove it before bed with oil or a gentle cleanser.
Toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or strong mint flavor: if the peeling continues, try switching to a gentle, mildly flavored type for 4 weeks.

Medicines dermatologists use for dry, peeling lips

Each medicine suits a different kind of dry lips. The choice of medicine and its duration depend on the doctor's examination.

hydrocortisone 1% cream or ointment: a mild steroid, used when the lips are inflamed, red and itchy. Apply thinly once or twice a day for no more than 5–7 days. Never use a strong steroid on the lips yourself, because lip skin is thin and side effects occur easily.
tacrolimus 0.1% ointment or pimecrolimus 1% cream: non-steroid anti-inflammatory medicines. Doctors use them for chronic lip inflammation or a rash around the mouth that needs treatment longer than 1–2 weeks. There may be mild burning at first.
miconazole 2% or clotrimazole 1%: antifungal creams, used when Candida is present, especially at the corners of the mouth, twice a day for 1–2 weeks.
mupirocin 2% or fusidic acid 2%: antibacterial ointments, used when there are yellow crusts or weeping, 2–3 times a day for 5–7 days.
5-fluorouracil 5% or imiquimod: used for actinic cheilitis only under a doctor's care.

Signs that treatment is working are smoother lip skin, less peeling, and no return of cracking in the same spot within 1–2 weeks. If there is no improvement in this period, the doctor will review the diagnosis, for example with a patch test, a fungal scraping, or a biopsy.

Why you should not pick lip skin or scrub the lips hard

A lifted flake is still attached to the skin beneath. Pulling it off takes away skin that is not ready to come off, causing a bleeding, painful sore with a risk of infection, and the newly repaired skin will dry and peel again within a few days. Repeated lip picking is also a key mechanism in chronic sheet-like peeling.

Apply thick ointment and leave it. The flake will soften and fall off on its own within 2–3 days. If it bothers you a lot, use clean small scissors to trim only the loose part. A lip scrub is not necessary while the lips are cracked, and should be avoided until the skin has healed.

How to care for dry, peeling lips at home, in this order

Stop licking, biting and peeling the lips. This is the most important step.
Apply petroleum jelly 4–6 times a day and again after eating, drinking or washing your face.
Apply thickly before bed so you see a shiny layer, because the lips are driest during sleep.
Reduce irritants. Switch to a fragrance-free lip balm and toothpaste, and avoid matte lipstick for now.
Use SPF 30 lip balm in the daytime when you go out in the sun.
Raise the humidity in the room. In a very dry air-conditioned room, a humidifier keeping it around 40–60% helps, as does treating a blocked nose if you sleep with the mouth open.
Drink enough water. Pale yellow urine is a good guide.
Reassess at 2 weeks. If there is no clear improvement, see a dermatologist.

What to eat to cure dry lips

No single food cures dry lips, because most dry lips come from the environment and contact, not from a lack of nutrients. What helps is

Drink enough water, because dehydration really does dry the lips, but drinking more than you need does not make the lips moister.
Eat a balanced diet with sources of vitamin B2 (milk, eggs, leafy greens), B12 (meat, eggs, milk), iron (red meat, liver) and zinc (seafood, nuts).
Cut down on very spicy and very sour food while the lips are cracked, because it stings and irritates the sores, including fruits with a sap that irritates the lips, such as raw mango and pineapple.
Cut down on alcohol and quit smoking. Both dry the lips, and smoking raises the risk of lip cancer.

Dry, peeling lips in children

Children get dry, peeling lips more often than adults because licking the lips is a habit, they suck their fingers, and many already have atopic dermatitis. A common picture is the red ring around the mouth from licking. Apply thick petroleum jelly to the whole lips and the ring around the mouth before school, after meals and before bed. Explain to the child that licking makes the stinging worse.

Do not use colored or sweet-flavored lip balms in children, because they encourage licking, and do not use leftover steroid medicine from an adult. If there are yellow crusts around the mouth, it may be a bacterial skin infection, which is contagious, so see a doctor.

Quick summary

Most dry, peeling lips come from dry air combined with lip licking. Apply petroleum jelly 4–6 times a day and the lips should improve in 3–7 days.
A red ring around the mouth in children is lip-licking dermatitis. Seal the lips and stop the licking.
Chronic peeling lips that get worse when you apply lip balm: suspect an allergy to fragrance, lanolin or toothpaste, and have a patch test.
Cracked lips on isotretinoin are a normal effect of the medicine. Apply ointment from day one and tell the doctor if it is severe. Do not stop the medicine yourself.
An older adult with white flaky skin on the lower lip and a fading lip border may have a precancerous condition and must see a dermatologist.
If there is no improvement after more than 2 weeks of proper care, or a sore does not heal after 3–4 weeks, see a doctor.

Frequently asked questions about dry, peeling lips

Why are my lips dry and peeling?

Lip skin is thin and has no oil glands, so it loses water more easily than other skin. The most common cause is dry air or air conditioning together with lip licking, where saliva irritates the skin and makes it drier. Next come an allergy to something in lipstick, lip balm or toothpaste, side effects of the acne medicine isotretinoin, mouth breathing, and, in older adults with long sun exposure, actinic cheilitis. If regular petroleum jelly does not help within 2 weeks, a doctor should look for the cause.

Which dry lips are dangerous?

Dry lips that need a doctor are those with a sore or crack in the same place that does not heal after 3–4 weeks, a hard lump, a white patch that cannot be scraped off, or a fading lower lip border in an older adult with sun exposure or who smokes, which may be a precancerous condition. Swollen lips with a swollen tongue or throat and difficulty breathing, or raw sores over the whole mouth with fever, red eyes and a rash after starting a new medicine, need the emergency room immediately. Dry lips with great thirst, frequent urination or dry eyes should be checked for a whole-body disease.

What should I use on dry, peeling lips?

The first choice is petroleum jelly with no scent, color or flavor, applied 4–6 times a day and thickly before bed, and reapplied after eating or drinking. If you must go out in the sun, use a lip balm of SPF 30 or higher. Avoid lip balms with menthol, camphor, fragrance or salicylic acid. If the lips are red, inflamed and itchy, a doctor may give hydrocortisone 1% applied thinly for no more than 5–7 days. Sores at the corners of the mouth usually need an antifungal such as miconazole 2% twice a day for 1–2 weeks. The choice of medicine should follow a doctor's examination.

What should I eat to cure dry lips?

No food cures dry lips by itself, because most dry lips come from the air and lip licking. What helps is drinking enough water until the urine is pale yellow, and eating a balanced diet with vitamin B2 from milk, eggs and leafy greens, vitamin B12 from meat, iron, and zinc. While the lips are cracked, avoid very spicy or sour food that stings, cut down on alcohol and quit smoking. Taking multivitamins without a real deficiency does not help, and high-dose vitamin A actually makes the lips drier.

What causes dry, peeling edges of the lips, and how do I fix it?

If it is a dry, peeling red ring extending beyond the lip border, it is usually lip-licking dermatitis, common in children and in winter. Fix it by stopping the licking and applying thick petroleum jelly over the whole rash ring 4–6 times a day. If it is at the corners of the mouth with cracks and sores, it is usually angular cheilitis from fungus and bacteria and needs an antifungal. If the lip border is fading with white flakes in an older adult, it may be actinic cheilitis, which a doctor must examine. If it started after changing lipstick or toothpaste, stop that product and consider a patch test.

Which vitamin deficiency causes dry, peeling lips?

The nutrients linked to cracked lips are vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B3, B6, B12, folate, iron and zinc. They usually cause cracks at the corners of the mouth along with a smooth red tongue or sore tongue, fatigue or paleness, but this is uncommon in people who eat a balanced diet. Groups at risk are regular alcohol drinkers, strict vegetarians who do not supplement B12, people after stomach surgery, and people with bowel disease. If the lips are dry only in winter with no other symptoms, it is usually not a deficiency. If you suspect one, have a blood test before supplementing.

Read other skin disease articles at All skin disease articles.

Written by Dr. Patara Voravutinon, Dermatologist · Last reviewed October 11, 2026

The information in this article is general knowledge, not a diagnosis or an individual prescription. The choice of medicine, dose and treatment duration should be assessed by a doctor.