Our lips are one of the most important parts of the face. Besides aiding communication and eating, lips help enhance our facial appearance and expressions. Like with any other body part, the lips are vulnerable to infections and wearing out.
One of the signs of infected or worn-out lips is the appearance of white stuff on them. This is an indication that something is amiss in your lip care routine, and immediate action needs to be taken. Below we endeavor to help you achieve healthy lips by answering why your lips have white stuff on them and how to get rid of it.
Why Do I Get White Stuff on My Lips?
The white stuff on your lips could be caused by different factors, as discussed below.
Shedding Dead Skin by Your Lips
The white stuff on the lips may be a mixture of your own spit and lips dead skin cells. Like any other body part, your lips shed off dead skin cells once in a while. These cells will then mix with your spit to form the white stuff on your lips.
Dehydration
Dehydration in your body may at times manifest through the formation of the thick, sticky saliva around your mouth. Being dehydrated means that your saliva has less water and is thus thicker, which leaves the white stuff on your lips when it comes into contact with them.
Oral Thrush
Oral thrush medical conditions could be the reason behind the white stuff on your lips. This condition emanates from the spreading of candida, a type of fungus found on the skin and inside the body. Oral thrush is common in babies and adults with low immune systems.
Allergic Reaction to the Lip Balm
Lip balms and other lip products are made using different ingredients that may be allergic to you. When you apply a lip product that’s allergic to you, the body will respond in different manifestations such as the whitening of the lips, cracking, or even drying.
Fordyce Spots
The white stuff on your lips could be due to abnormal secretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands found naturally on your lips and skin surface. This condition is more common in people with oily or greasy skins, rheumatic disorders, and people suffering from colorectal cancer.
How to Get Rid Of the White Stuff on Your Lips
The first step to treating the white stuff on your lips is to determine the cause. This requires that you first visit your doctor or dermatologist for a medical examination to determine the best treatment for the condition.
In addition to your doctor’s recommendation, you can incorporate the following measures to help get rid of the white stuff on your lips.
Take Adequate Amount of Garlic
Garlic has medicinal benefits that help improve oral health. It also helps reduce the bacteria in the bloodstream, which could be causing the white stuff on your lips. You can incorporate garlic in your everyday meals or opt to take it occasionally.
Take Fresh fruit Juices.
Fruit juices from lemons and tangerine work magic in reducing the white stuff on your lips. All you have to do is blend the juices with water and apply the mixture on your lips using a piece of cotton or clean cloth. With the consistent application of these juices, the spots will start to disappear gradually.
Apply A Lip Exfoliator or Scrub Your Lips Once A Day
The white stuff on your lips could be due to excess dead skin cells in this area. To get rid of these cells, scrub your lips using a gentle exfoliator or lip scrubber once in a while. You can buy a lip scrubber from your favorite skincare product dealer or decide to make one at home.
To make this mixture at home, you only need to mix some amount of olive oil or other essential oils such as tea tree oil or coconut oil with sugar and scrub your lips with the paste. After a few minutes, wipe off the residue from your lips and apply a layer of balm to keep them moisturized.
Drink Enough Water and Other Fluids
One potential cause of the white stuff on your lips is dehydration. To avoid this, ensure to take in a lot of water, fluids, and fruits.
Avoid Applying Too Much Lipstick or Lip Gloss
Your favorite lipstick could be doing more harm to your facial appearance than you think. When you put on excess lipstick/lip gloss, it remains stranded on the surface of your lips, and when the saliva comes into contact with it, the white stuff appears on your lips.
As with any other beauty product, stick to the rule that less is always great.
Change Your Lipstick/Lip Gloss Brand
The white stuff on your lips could be a manifestation of an allergic reaction to the balm you are using. To rule this out, try to note when the whitish stuff appears, and if it is after applying a given product, avoid it for a few days and observe what happens.
If the condition improves, stay away from the said brand completely. If there are no changes, then this means your lip balm had nothing to do with the condition. As such, continue using the product to keep your lips glowing as you find out where the problem could be.
When shopping for lip products, always try to settle on those with hydrating ingredients to help keep your lips moisturized. Also, pay close attention to the ingredient list to rule out those that you may be allergic to.
Conclusion
Like any other part of your body, your lips require specialized care and attention. The number one rule is to ensure to get your lip care products from recommendable and licensed brands. Moreover, ensure to use the right products for your lip type. If you, for instance, have dry lips go for lip balms that contain hydrating ingredients to help keep the lips moisturized. If your lips are the oily or greasy type, settle on products that are not too hydrating to avoid excess moisture on the lips.
On the same note, take special interest in the ingredient list of every product you purchase to use on your lips. If you are allergic to some of the ingredients, be assured of experiencing different problems like the white stuff on the lips.
Lastly, ensure to eat healthily and drink a lot of water to keep hydrated. Don’t forget to visit your doctor if the problem persists, as it could be an indication of a given medical condition.
