I Never Knew My Lips Were Sunburned — Until I Talked To A Dermatologist

Something strange has been happening to my lips. While I tend to go heavy on lip care in colder months, they normally require minimal maintenance in the summer, thanks to the increased humidity in warmer air. This year, however, I’ve noticed the complete opposite. My lips have been feeling extra raw and dehydrated, with bits of skin peeling off like fish scales. Slathering on my go-to hydrating lip balm hasn’t helped one bit. I attributed my lip troubles to recovering from a nasty flu at the beginning of summer, but it didn’t seem to explain this prolonged period of dryness. It wasn’t until I spoke to a dermatologist that I got an a-ha moment: My cracked lips might have something to do with sun damage. Despite diligently wearing sunscreen daily (on my face and body and reapplying every two hours), I’ll be the first to admit that I often forget SPF protection on my lips. Many SPF lip balms have a weird, unctuous texture that doesn’t sit nicely u