Dry Lips During Pregnancy: Causes, Solutions and 5 Best Products to Use
All the pregnant celebs you see on TV look stunning. Sporting perfect bumps and beautiful glowing skin. And let’s be honest, we all want that beautiful pregnancy glow.
The miracle of pregnancy is amazing, but it might not always feel like a miracle. And that’s ok. You can’t believe every pregnancy myth you’ve seen and heard. For example, many women find pregnancy leads them to dry lips during pregnancy, along with a mirage of other uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms.
During pregnancy, your body will undergo several natural changes, often resulting in cravings, morning sickness, swollen feet and ankles, bigger breasts, mood swings, and an ever-growing belly.
Many women wonder ‘why are my lips so dry during pregnancy,’ especially as they don’t see it coming.
Although dry lips during pregnancy are one of the least expected side effects, rest assured, it’s completely normal. Inconvenient, yes. But abnormal, no.
4 Causes of Dry Lips in Pregnancy
Women question why their lips are so dry during pregnancy because the doctors don’t tell them to expect it. Unfortunately, this misinformation leads many women to worry that dry lips during pregnancy cause concern. Some even think that chapped lips during pregnancy are gender-specific.
But there’s no reason to be alarmed; dryness during early pregnancy as well as later on is entirely normal.
You might be glad to learn that some of the more ordinary causes of dry lips during pregnancy include;
1. Dehydration During Pregnancy
I’m sure you probably already know the dangers of poor dehydration and not drinking enough water. Always look out for any dryness during pregnancy, which is usually an indication of inadequate hydration.
As your baby grows, so does the amount of water you’ll need. Not increasing your fluid intake appropriately means your body will suffer dehydration. That’s when you’ll notice those dry lips.
2. Changes in the Shapes and Size of Your Pregnant Body
It won’t be long in your pregnancy before your growing body needs to stretch to support your bump. As your skin stretches to accommodate a growing baby, it becomes thinner, drier, and can even result in flaky, itchy skin and dry lips.
3. Increased Blood Volume
Dry lips during pregnancy are often the cause of your body’s increased blood volume, sometimes rising by 50% more than non-pregnant women.
Increased blood volume leads to increased blood sugar levels, leading to your kidneys working harder than they are used to. Frequent urination and dehydration then lead to dry lips and skin.
4. Water Retention
Increased blood volume and water retention often cause dry skin to become stretched out and bloated, especially in the third trimester.
Although dry lips during pregnancy are nothing to worry about on most occasions, they can sometimes indicate a more severe problem such as iron deficiency or gestational diabetes.
Always check with your health care provider if your dry lips are becoming bothersome; they can help you find the cause.
How to Relieve Dry Lips During Pregnancy?
Parched, cracked lips and dry, itchy skin often starts early in pregnancy. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it can even last for the whole pregnancy.
But the good news is that there are plenty of home remedies for dry lips.
- Always Stay Hydrated During Pregnancy
To remedy dry skin and dry lips during pregnancy, make sure to drink plenty of water. Now, I know it doesn’t always feel easy to guzzle down the recommended 12 glasses of water every day during pregnancy. Still, it is essential for a baby’s development and comfort.
You can make it easier to get more water by drinking something you like (but not caffeine) and eating foods with high water content, like watermelon, spinach, or cucumber.
- Always have a Decent, Natural Lip Balm to Hand
When choosing a lip balm, look for one with natural and moisturizing ingredients that will nourish your lips and lock in that well-needed moisture. But always go for pregnancy-safe ingredients such as coconut oil or cocoa, jojoba, or shea butter.
It can be hard to know what products to use during pregnancy, so always avoid those that contain Formaldehyde, Hydroquinone, Phthalates, Retinoids, and high-dose Salicylic acid.
Remember always keep your lip balm to hand to remedy dry lips during pregnancy, even when you go into labor or are booked in for a C-Section.
- Avoid Irritants That Can make Lip Dryness Worse
You’re always best choosing mild skincare products and gentle soaps to avoid dryness, especially fragrance-free ones.
- Avoid Mouth Breathing (If You Can)
Pregnancy hormonal changes lead to an increase in estrogen and, therefore, the mucous membrane of the nose swell. Of course, this leads to mums-to-be to often breath through the mouth and causing dry lips.
If you can, try to breathe through the nose.
This is usually nearly impossible in labor, so always have your essential lip balm to hand.
5 Best Products for Tackling Dry Lips During Pregnancy
When choosing a lip balm or moisturizer for your dry skin and lips, you’ll want to try out these home remedies:
The best and safest ingredients for dry skin during pregnancy include:
- Coconut oil; not only is coconut oil a wholly natural ingredient, but it’s also a proven and effective moisturizer for super dry skin.
- Cocoa butter; as another natural moisturizer for use during pregnancy, cocoa butter is an essential tool for locking moisture into your skin.
- Lansinoh HPA Lanolin nipple cream; I know; this one seems a bit weird. But this is a well-tried and tested pregnancy method for curing dry lips during pregnancy. So, make sure you have it packed in your labor bag.
- Peptides; products containing Peptides are known to stimulate collagen production.
- Topical Hyaluronic Acid; is a great option to hydrate the skin by binding with water molecules.
