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You might’ve put the cause of your chapped lips down to unfavourable weather conditions (looking at you, wind), but Reddit users have come up with another possible explanation for your cracked pout: toothpaste.
A discussion that took place between Reddit users uncovered toothpaste as a potential candidate to blame for chapped lips.
“I picked up a travel size Sensodyne Pronamel (because let’s face it changing toothpastes is a big decision) and switched to using just a thin layer of Vaseline on my lips twice a day,” said one Redditor.
“Oh my God the difference it has made in just a week!”
Another user added: “Toothpaste is such a common irritant! I’ve seen so many people that have dry irritated lips or they get dry red patches on the edges of the mouth.”
Some blamed SLS (sodium laureth sulfate), an ingredient which causes the toothpaste to foam, for causing dryness.
“Allergic reactions and irritations to toothpaste are unfortunately common. If you have chronically chapped lips, mouth irritation or burning, or even a rash around the lips that will not go away, you must consider whether it’s your toothpaste that’s having that effect,” explained dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, to Refinery29.
If your flaky lips continue to give you grief, it might be time to try out an SLS-free toothpaste – it certainly can’t hurt! Ultimately, your best bet is to go to a dermatologist to seek expert advice if the problem doesn’t go away.
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