While most people use lip balm to soothe their lips, it still can impact your oral health if you use the wrong kind. Not all lip balms are bad for your oral health. Therefore, it pays to read the ingredients.
What Lip Balms Should I Avoid?
When you choose a lip balm, you need to understand the purpose of the product. While some lip balms are designed to moisturize the lips, others are applied to strip off the top-most layer of chapped skin so the layer of skin underneath can be moisturized. The type of lip balm that strips off the top layer is the balm you want to avoid. Using this type of product can damage the lips and, in turn, end up damaging the soft tissues inside the mouth. Lip balms that contain phenols are the balms that remove the topmost layer of skin so the lips can be moisturized. While you might use the product one time and switch to a moisturizing lip balm, you don't want to continue to use it. Doing so will only cause your lips to dry out and crack, which can lead to an infection.
Why You Cannot Continue to Use Lip Balms with Phenols
The continual use of a lip balm containing phenols will make it difficult for you to close your lips. After all, if the lips are dry, cracked, and sore, you will choose to keep them open. When this happens, it can cause bacteria to enter the mouth. Also, ultra-chapped lips means the lips on the inside of the mouth are affected. Again, if you wish to keep your lips smooth year-round, you need to veer clear of any lip balm containing phenols. Make sure you understand how the lip balm will help you. Some balms do not offer the protection that you would normally expect.
Give us a call with any dental questions or concerns. We want you to feel good about your oral health. If you are not sure about a dental product, contact us and ask us if you should use it. The more you know about what to use to support your oral health, the more confidence you will feel when taking care of your gums and teeth.
Dentist Tigard, OR | Dental Blog - Lincoln Center Smiles Dr. Saklofsky has created an educational blog as a resource for our patients. If you like an article or the dental blog in general please share it to social media, then call (971) 317-9499 to make an appointment. Lincoln Center Smiles, 10500 SW Greenburg Rd, Suite 3, Portland, OR 97223-1406 - (503) 598-0898 - sakdental.com - 2/18/2025 - Key Phrases: dentist Tigard OR -