Who hasn’t experienced dry lips on occasion? Typically, you can use lip balm to soothe and soften your lips once again. But if the usual remedies for chapped lips don’t get rid of the problem, a nutrient deficiency may be the cause. 

“Our entire body is made up of the food that we eat — that’s the only way we get new components to encourage cells to turnover every day and build our bodies,” says Stephanie Dunne, RDN, an integrative registered dietitian-nutritionist with Nutrition Q.E.D. in St. Petersburg, Florida. That includes your skin and the skin on your lips, she says. 

Here’s how to tell whether your dry lips signal a nutrient deficiency and how to find relief.

Dry lips are often caused by environmental factors, such as cold weather or being inadequately hydrated. 

Still, nutrient deficiency is a possible cause (which in some cases can come with other potentially problematic health effects), so it’s something to be aware of, says Carolyn Stull, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with MDCS Dermatology in New York City. 

Three vitamin and nutrient deficiencies that can dry out your lips are:

1. B Vitamins

When patients present with these telltale cracks, Dunne often recommends a B complex supplement — particularly a methylated version (the active form of the vitamin that can be more easily used by the body) to promote the body’s ability to absorb and use the nutrients. 

B-vitamin deficiencies can cause additional symptoms that are very different from lip redness and irritation, such as tongue and eye inflammation, stomach upset, or genital rash, says Dr. Stull. A vitamin B deficiency could be to blame if you notice any of these symptoms.

2. Iron

3. Zinc

This mineral may be more famous for its role in immunity, but it also affects your skin. “Zinc is important for skin repair and regeneration,” says Sarah Bird, DNP, a functional medicine nurse practitioner with Palm Health in Ladue, Missouri.

Beyond nutrient deficiencies, your lips are vulnerable to other lifestyle habits and environmental factors. 

Other common causes of dry lips include:

• Dehydration Proper hydration is important for your skin health — lips included, says Stull. “Drink lots of water throughout the day and eat foods like fruits and vegetables that have a high water content to stay hydrated,” says Stull.
• Dry Air When the air is dry, your lips are much more likely to chap, says Stull. “It’s much more common to have chapped lips during the winter when there’s less humidity, or moisture, in the air compared to the summer,” says Stull.
• Licking Your Lips While licking your lips can temporarily relieve dryness, this habit often has the opposite effect. “Enzymes in your saliva, which break down food, can irritate your lips,” explains Stull. That irritation can cause cracking and dryness.
• Allergies Products you use on or near your lips, such as lip balm or toothpaste, can contain ingredients that cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms can include scaling, itching, and burning on your lips and around your mouth, says Stull.
• Medications Oral isotretinoin, a vitamin A derivative used to treat severe acne, can cause severely chapped lips, says Stull. Other medications can make you more prone to dehydration, which can dry out your lips. These medications may include diuretics, laxatives, diabetes medicines, proton pump inhibitors, beta-blockers, and statins.

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   Some medications — primarily antidepressants, antihistamines, and high blood pressure medicines — cause dry mouth, which can lead to dry lips.

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Because dry, chapped lips are common, it can be easy to brush it off as a nuisance. However, dry lips can signal a nutrient or vitamin deficiency, particularly if accompanied by other symptoms, including tongue or eye inflammation, a rash around your groin, slow-to-grow hair or nails, or redness, irritation, or dryness in the skin around the mouth. 

In that case, consult your primary care provider about potential nutrient deficiencies.

If you’ve been dealing with chapped lips for over a week or two, and at-home treatments aren’t providing relief, consider visiting a dermatologist. They can help identify the underlying cause of your dry lips and recommend treatments. In some cases, chapped lips — especially when associated with other symptoms — can signal a nutrient deficiency or more serious condition that at-home treatments can’t resolve. 

Lips feeling parched? Here are several ways to treat dry lips at home:

• Drink water. “Hydrating can often be enough to help with chapped lips,” says Bird. She often encourages patients to include electrolytes (minerals that help balance fluids in the body) as they increase their water intake to promote hydration. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine suggest that women get 2.7 liters (L), or 11 cups, of fluid from beverages and water-rich foods, and men get 3.7 L (16 cups) daily.

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• Apply healing products. There are many lip balms you can use. However, some contain ingredients that may be irritating to chapped lips, including camphor, eucalyptus, lanolin, and menthol.

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   Stull recommends petroleum jelly. “It’s very mild, is fragrance-free, and does not have a lot of added ingredients. It will not cause allergies,” she says.
• Use SPF on your lips outdoors. Dry, chapped lips can burn more easily. So, protect your lips from the sun by using a lip balm that offers SPF 30 or higher before you venture outdoors, even in the winter.

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• Use a humidifier indoors. Dry air can do a number on your lips. Consider placing a humidifier in your bedroom, especially during the winter.

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   A humidifier adds moisture to the air while you sleep, which may help your skin and lips stay hydrated.
• Don’t lick. It feels good at the moment, but it’ll prolong parched problems. Carry lip ointment so you can swipe whenever it's needed.

Dry lips are a common complaint often caused by environmental factors and lifestyle habits. However, dry lips can also be a symptom of a nutrient deficiency, particularly B vitamins, zinc, and iron. Visit your healthcare provider if you don’t see relief from at-home treatments like drinking more water and using non-irritating lip balm.