The key thing about lip eczema treatment and management is to avoid irritants and to ALWAYS keep your lips moisturized using a lip balm - never lick your lips to moisturize it as this actually does the opposite.
Here is a list of several lip balms as remedies that I have tried and my experiences with them. Please note that lip balms may react differently to different people. I am just sharing my experiences with them.
Discalimer: this is not a medical advice. It's best to consult with a dermatologist.
- Carmex (gel form) - This is the first one that I have tried. It gives a cool numbing sensation. I found this especially good during my worst flare ups. Carmex felt like a sort of anesthetic to pain due to irritation. Also, it gave relief when my lips were extremely itchy. However, after a while, I felt like it wasn't effective to me anymore. So I switched it with another lip balm
- Get Carmex on Amazon.com
- Nivea Fruity Lip Balm (Strawberry) - This used to be my staple lip balm before I had lip eczema. It actually did a good job of moisturizing my lips before. However, it didn't give me the kind of treatment that I needed. I guess this okay for ordinary moisturization needs.
- Nivea Lip Therapy- Like most lip balms, this is petroleum jelly based. Since it said lip therapy, I tried it. However, I saw very minimal improvement in my lips' condition using this lip balm.
- Human Nature Natural Lip Balm - This was the best lip balm that I have ever used. I still am using this until now. After trying the other lip balms, I thought okay, I'll look for a lip balm with beeswax as advised by my then-bf. One day, my sis made me try her lip balm. I looked at the website of Human Nature and read that their lip balm is made of beeswax instead of petrolatum. Luckily, I realized that their shop is just a walking distance away from work. My lips have improved greatly. It has rather normalized for as long as I regularly apply the lip balm.
- Watsons menthol lip balm - I bought this lip balm at the mall because I ran out of lip balm and the Human Nature shop was already closed when I dropped by after work. The first time I used it, my lips felt weird. On my second application at home a few hours later, I felt like my lips were becoming swollen, saw some water-like ooze coming out of my lips - like my lips were sweating. After a while, my lips looked really swollen. Then the next day, they were very itchy. It was a bad idea. I then learned in an article that menthol/mint lip balms are actually irritating for people with lip eczema. So, please avoid menthol lip balms if you have lip eczema.
I have just found out that i have lip ezcema and i have been suffereing with this for 4 years. To and from the doctors, and constantly putting bliteze on my lips and many other creams and nothing ever helped it. I recently went to a skin dermatologist and she told me that I have lip ezcema and prescribed me Eumovate ointment, which is a steroid and even with only a few applications I have noticed a difference. I have to use this for 2-3 weeks so I will come back on here and let you know how it goes. Hope this helps, i thought i would post this because i know how bad it can get and how self concious you can get from this.
ReplyDeleteHi, I would appreciate it so much if you could get back and tell me about it.
DeleteI once went to a dermatologist for my eczema on my arms. The doc prescribed a steroidal cream. She said it was only to control the flareup then told me that eczema really has no cure. Eventually, I stopped the cream and tried to find out what triggers it. I changed to using gentle white soap only (Dove) then switched lotion brands too.
Right now what suits me are Dove soap and Dove lotion. But as for my lips, I never went to have it checked by a dermatologist because I had an idea that I would only be prescribed with a steroidal cream.
I would really love it if you could share your experience here. There might be others out there who are experiencing the same thing as we do.
Reply to my previous comment 2 weeks ago. I have been using the eumovate ointment for about 17 days now and my skin is so nice and smooth. I can't even tell i have even had ezcema on my lips. I know eczema does not have a cure but it is more how to control your eczema. All i know is it has took me 4 years of trying many products including prescription creams and this is the only thing that has worked. It is amazing, i have my normal skin back, i can wear makeup and i feel really confident now. So for anyone suffering with lip eczema (not every doctor will recognise it as eczema as I found out after 7 visits to different doctors) i recommend you go to a dermatologist and hopefully they will prescribe you the Eumovate ointment. I really hope this helps with other sufferers as i know how horrible this is. I have pictures of before and after if you would like to see the, but i dont know how to send them? Thanks. Sophie
Deleteim so afraid that by using topical steroid regularly, my skin will get resistant to it.. what say you?
DeleteI fear the same. That's why right now, when flareups start, I deal with it with Elica (mometasone cream I currently use) but only for two days, 3 days max, instead of the prescribed 2 weeks. This works for me.
DeleteI see..:) I also wanted to ask abt the Human Nature Natural Lip Balm, is this brand available in Malaysia? If yes then where can I get it?
DeleteI am not sure if the brand is available in Malaysia. But you can try a beeswax lip balm. Just avoid ones with menthol or mint content. They can badly irritate the lips. Right now, I only use the lip balm when I go out and before lip stick application. I've been trying virgin coconut oil for the past 5 days and it seems to work for me.
Deletecan you put elica on your lips?
DeleteI have suffered with this too. My lips will start to burn from the inside out. I usually get this in the fall and will not go away all winter. My doctor and I have figured out it is allergy related. I also get Ecezema on my one eyelid. Now, first sign of allergies, I take Allegra D or Zertec. Last fall I was able to keep my lips from breaking out. My eyelid is still irrating. Hope this helps Sherry
ReplyDeleteHi Sheree,
DeleteThank you for sharing your experience. I have noticed that in my condition, weather change does seem to affect my eczema. Sometimes, I get breakouts around my arms as well, but they're more manageable than my lip eczema.
I still have yet to see a dermatologist for a prescription. Although, I presume I would be prescribed steroidal cream, similar to what has been prescribed to me for my eczema on my arms.
I hope your eczema on your eyelid will get better soon. :)
Hello, I just came across your blog posts as I was googling "lip ezcema," mine just kicked up this week and it's been making me utterly miserable -- it's like having burning sandpaper for lips! Just wanted to pitch in my 2 cents -- I haven't found any lip balms to be very helpful in treating my lip excema ONCE IT HAPPENS ( as for prevention, I'm sure regular use of my beeswax lip balm would have helped, oh well!) but for over-the-counter quick treatment, I've found that First Aid Beauty's Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal Mask (from Sephora) works wonders. It's clear if you don't layer it on your lips too heavily, so it is possible to wear it as a lip balm outside. Just be careful not to leave it on the cups and glasses you drink from! I got the Oatmeal Mask for my eye-area skin, which gets bad eczema, but have found that layering it on my lips for a few hours each day does wonders for healing my lip eczema too. Good luck with your search for lip balms that help with eczema -- you would think they'd have come up with something good by now! Take care, Cindy
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy,
DeleteThank you for sharing your experience. I wrote this blog hoping to help others suffering from lip eczema. Everyone's experience helps me too as I continue to search for relief from flares.
Regards,
Kim
Hi is there any perticular lipsticks we can apply ? I have stared developic lip Eczema
DeleteSuggestion... the font on this page is so hard to read, even with reading glasses, I gave up! Perhaps a clearer font that is easier to see might be helpful. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize it was doing that. I'll change the font into something more readable. :)
DeleteThank you!
Hi everyone, I just found that I too had lip eczema from my dermatologist a few days ago. Therefore the curiosity and the Google search on it which landed me up here. For 2 weeks my lips had been itching and peeling. It hurt so much at night. Initially I thought it was another allergic reaction and my body's antibodies would give it its own cure. That however turned out untrue. The pain, inflamed and drying lips persisted. Finally relented to consulting a Dermatologist. I was given an ointment, Betamethasone, to apply twice everyday for the first one week and to apply it once everyday after that. I'm on my third day of using it today and it has really helped me.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else, I've also been told this is a genetic condition and a recurring one. There will not be a cure. However there are ointments such as the one mentioned above to contain it.
Hope this helps!
I have personally almost given up on steroidal creams.
DeleteI went to a dermatologist last December, and he prescribed a hydrocortisone cream. It didn't help me, instead I had burns so I stopped using it. I am still using Human Nature beeswax lip balm as my primary source of relief.
I got introduced to Atopiclair (non-steroidal) which I plan to use soon. Hopefully I would be able to find out where I can buy it in the Philippines. My lips are getting flares again with the weather transition.
I'll write a post once I try it.
I too suffer with lip excema. I've had excema all my life but found out about lip excema when I wore lipstick in college. My lips turned black and I was devastated. I went to a dermatologist a few years ago when it happened around my wedding day and he prescribed me a lipbalm with sunscreen. It didn't really help! I've found that with time (usually a month UGH) that my lips turn from black back to their natural color. I am now battling it again because I am using some lip gloss so I know this issue is caused by an allergy in cosmetics. I wish I could pin point the exact allergy though. It's so irritating and the healing time sucks. My lips are burning and I have been trying everything to sooth them. I usually only use Petroleum Jelly on them and never have a problem. It's only when I try lip gloss after a certain amount of time that this occurs. I usually can only use a tube for about a month with infrequent application (Maybe every 2 weeks). Has anyone else experienced the black lips?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter suffers from the black lip problem as well, along with the itching and peeling. On really bad flare-ups, the corners of her mouth get really dry and cracked. I feel so bad for her...she's only 3 and I hate to see her so miserable. I'm going to see if I can order some of the products suggested above online..I'm a pretty desperate mama right now.
DeleteI am sorry to hear about your daughter having to suffer this at such a tender age. Mine developed in my late 20s. I suffer from black lips as well- black and thick.
DeleteRight now my lips are in a normal state only because I used the steroid cream that our school physician prescribed to me (Mometasone Furoate - brand: Elica).
I have said in my posts that I try to avoid steroid cream but my lips were in a really bad state. I developed cheilitis (cracking on the corners of my mouth) which may be similar to what your child has.
Since your daughter is still very young, I would suggest that you see a doctor.
I am glad though that my posts is serving as a help community for people suffering lip eczema.
Hello, I too recently realized that I have lip eczema. One day I went a whole day without applying my neosporin lip cream that I use, because I am allergic to almost anything else. The next morning I woke up with extremely dry throbbing lips, next couple of days my lipsstarted to swell, buring and itching. It was terrible. So then I went to Walgreens spoke with a pharmacist and he recom that I used Blistex medicated lip ointment and I was really scared to use it. Then next morning my lip swelling went down and now I have dark marks on my lips
Delete^^^^ Also my lips were soothed with this ointment and the itching stopped! Ive been to the doctor for this plenty of times and they prescribe steroids and benedryl!
DeleteBenadryl must be for the itching.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI developed lip eczema (the atopic dermatitis kind) just under a year ago and as all of you above have mentioned, it's terrible, embarrassing and painful.
My guess is that something got into my system through a cold sore I was experiencing. Though I have a prescribed creme from the dermatologist that has worked twice, this time it doesn't seem to be working.
Do any of you experience yellow liquid coming out of the irritated area? I am really worried about this. Also has it spread for any of you or has it just stayed on your lips?
Thank you!
I have experienced ooze coming out of my lips before. My lips were very, very itchy. One of my darkest periods. I've recently been using extra virgin coconut oil for the past 5 days. I'll write a post soon, maybe a month after, to share my experience. But so far, it's been good.
DeleteMine spreads on my bottom lip and looks like my lip is growing down my chin. I hate it and it burns bad a lot. I've tried everything and I use Berts Bees Lipbalm and they only help soothe it. It goes away and then comes back. I also had it on my eyelids this time and in my ears. That went away but the lip on stayed. I also get it horribly on my hands but that is gone now too after a year. I usually get a flare up every so many years and the flare up lasts for a year, then goes away. So it's all gone now except for the lip one. Can't even kiss when you have this, ha, ha. I have drastically changed my diet hoping that will get rid of eczema but it does nothing. Eczema consumes your life and my life is miserable when I have it. Mine got so bad I could not even expose my hands to air. The minute I did they developed hundreds of cuts and the skin would all flake off and be so painful i could not stand it. Also if even a drop of water got on my hands, it hurt and burned terribly. I have to wear rubber gloves to do everything!!! What's hard is that no one understand it. They think it's only itching and how bad can itching be. My doctor said she has it herself and can't cure her own.
ReplyDeleteI feel you. Oh, by the way, stress can also trigger flareups because our immune system goes haywire with stress and "attacks" our own skin.
DeleteAvoid stress too or have stress-relieving activities. :)
I've suffered from this for about 10 yr...the only thing western medicine ever offered me was steroids which is merely a bandaid. I'm now experiencing results under the care of a homeopathic Dr who is treating me for the CAUSE - Candida. The diet is a pain in the ass but between that & herbal treatment, I am seeing results I haven't experienced before. Here's a simple test you can try at home to see if you have Candida. In the morning before you brish your teeth or eat/drink anything, spit into a clear glass of water. If you have candida strings will form from your spit & float down towards the bottom of the glass. That won't happen if you dont have candida. If you dont pass the test, I suggest an eastern practitioner, as western drs don't take candida seriously
ReplyDeleteYes, steroidal creams are sort of bandaids. Doctors say dermatitis doesn't really have a cure. the only thing patients can do is avoid irritants (food or products) and they are sure to prescribe steroidal cream.
DeleteOne only needs to find the cream that works for him/her. I have tried several brands prescribed by docs, but so far only Elica (Mometasone furoate) worked for me.
Evening Primrose Oil!! My answer, am so grateful to God I finally found something that is helping my lip eczema. Had it for over 4 months, tried some of the things mentioned above. Finally' healed it completely (took a whole week), but so worth it! I stick a safety pin into the capsule, and squeeze it on my lips, then seal it in with Vaseline (otherwise it soaks/dries too quickly), reapply as needed, the first few days had to reapply every 30 minutes, now only every few hours. Also taking it internally, just to make sure. But every time I try to to off of it completely, nope, it comes back. I know I'm under stress because I'm caregiving for my Mom who is dying of cancer, so I will just keep using this til I don't need it...anyway, thought I'd tell you all what a lifesaver this has been for me; God knew I could not keep going with my lips needing more care than my Mom! Thanks for all your ideas.
ReplyDeletei have very bad eczema, specifically around my lips. i have tried EVERYTHING and none did anything more than temporarily relieve the pain. what i found works best is to get some exfoliating lip powder. it may hurt if you have a bad flare up but its very important to get that dead and damaged skin off( keep away from open sores). then use a natural lip moisturizer. Superlan is my favorite, it has natural oils in it that are extremely close to the oils that are present in out bodies. and finally to lock in the moisture and protect from sun, wind etc, use a lip balm with beeswax. If you apply it often it will keep a protective coating on your lips as it doesn't absorb into your lips.. After a few days of this my lips were back to normal and haven't flared up to the point that simple chap-stick didn't help. every one is different and react different so proceed with caution and get a professional opinion before trying anything you read online.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago, I used Elica (Mometasone furoate) for 2 weeks after bath. It did help a lot. As much as I want to avoid using any steroidal cream, I was desperate already as I was having serious flareups again as it was summer. After that, every time I feel a flareup is starting, I apply a very thin amount of cream for a day and see if it will get better the next day. More often than not, I only need to apply it for a day or two and my lips get back to "normal."
DeleteI can say it helped to "normalize" my condition. Again, as with other steroidal creams, consult a doctor first.
All of the above posts have been extremely helpful as I am also dealing with burning, peeling lips. Sure wish I knew what was causing my condition, but I do know that through allergy testing a few years back, that the mint in Tom's Natural Toothpaste I was using at the time was found to be an irritant. Aquafor (over the counter) has really helped over the years, but I think I need something else a little stronger now. I will try some of the remedies mentioned and will see what happens.
Deleteafter going mad for months - waking myself up rubbing my face in the pillow itching - I researched. I also found this page. My research led me to Neosporin overnight balm & Lucas' Paw Paw balm. The Neosporin made an immediate impact, I slept through the night. 3 days later & I feel normal. I still have the problem but it's totally contained using the two of these products.
ReplyDeleteOne common difficulty we (sufferers of lip eczema) have is finding what works for us. For months I've been trying to control eczema with a steroid cream that I usually apply for 2-3 days just to keep it under control instead of the prescribed 2 weeks. I don't want to be dependent on a steroid cream, so right now I'm using extra virgin coconut oil. So far, it works great for me. I'll write a post soon about it after a month of observation. I've only been using for the past 5 days.
DeleteOk I need help. I never had any type of lip condition in my life until 2 months ago. It started with cracked corners of the lips, then a month later I still had cracked corners, but also my lips started to get irritated. It looked like I had a big rash on my lips. Is that eczema? and if it is, how did develop it when when didnt have it before?
ReplyDeleteHi Amy, I wish I could take pictures of my lips for when I have flare ups. Unfortunately, I don't have a good quality camera. But the way I would describe my condition, it's like I get this round itchy callous that gets dark and sometimes develops papules and then just gets really itchy. And then, the skin just gets dry and peels endlessly.
DeleteCracks at the corner of you lips sounds like angular cheilitis. This can be caused by a fungal or bacterial infection. Best go to your GP to get it checked out.
DeleteI'm 5 1/2 months pregnant and have dealt with eczema for years. With my first child I had flare ups on my hands and now with this one my lips are on fire. I had serve dry lips this winter and then got pregnant and since then times have sucked. Its been a steady of natural bee wax fails and itchy , peeling, sweating pain in the butt. I need to go to a doctor because I'm running out of ideas. Right now when everything is inflamed and itchy I find relief with vinegar. Its painful but then relief. I'm now switching to flaxseed oil and vaseline. I'll keep you posted. I use extra virgin coconut oil as my face lotion and although its amazing I think if I combine with Vaseline at night maybe it would work better on my lips. It tends to dry out too quickly
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I have been using apple cider vinegar as well in the past month and it does seem to help. And like you, I use virgin coconut oil as face and lips moisturizer. In my most recent flare up (2 weeks ago), I never had to apply steroid cream. The vinegar, although stings a little, does relieve the itchiness. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one experiencing this.
DeleteI mean, that apple cider vinegar can be a good alternative to lip eczema relief or treatment. Btw, I use a 1:1 (vinegar to water) dilute mix.
DeleteNot sure if anyone is still reading this, but I thought I would post my experience just in case. I have suffered from eczema since I was a child, when I was younger I got it really bad on my lips and then went onto develop it on my eyelids as well. I tried all different kinds of moisturiser and lip balms but nothing seemed to work. Eventually my GP prescribed me protopic ointment. It is anti-inflammatory drug, similar to steroids, but importantly doesn't lead to skin atrophy/thinning. This means it can be used for longer term on the face. After a few weeks it really cleared up both my lip and eyelid eczema and now I only have to use it occasionally during a flare up (every 5 or 6 months). The downside is most GPs (at least in the UK) are rather reluctant to prescribe it, preferring steroids. If you manage to get a dermatologist appointment they are usually much relaxed about prescribing it. Hope this helps someone who thinks they tried everything!
ReplyDeleteHello, I just came across this blog and I think I might have exzema on my lips. It started about 3 weeks ago and I have been trying all kinds of creams/ointments. I am now asking for essential oil treatment in addition to taking notes from this blog. I will come back and post what solved my issues but in the meantime this sucks! I just tunred 39 and found out that I have it in my right ear, of all places, how weird, and just now....
ReplyDeleteI will take everyone's advice here and try some home remedies first as medication is not my first choice.
Hi. I hope you don't mind if I ask how your essential oil treatment went. I just found out I have eczema 2 months ago and came across this blog. I'm trying to take note all the possible treatment/remedies and see which one is effective to me.
DeleteThank you.
Hi, I'm into using rosehip right now and it's been a really great help. Currently however, the edges on my lips are starting to show signs of flareup which I suppose is either caused by transitioning weather or the toothpaste I've been using. At times like this, I just need to keep reminding myself to apply rosehip oil to combat it getting worse. But rosehip oil really works great for me.
DeleteThanks for your blog; I just subscribe your blog. This is a nice blog. Lip Augmentation
ReplyDeleteI am developing Lip Eczema everytime I apply Lipsticks. Its kind of some allergy. My outer lip line gets swell, dry, red and liquid ooze comes out of it if I pick up the skin. Mainly I am wearing Mac & Sephora lip products. Is there any brands or lipsticks I can use in such conditions? Please advise if anyone is going through with the same.
ReplyDeleteI was browsing because im also searching for balms and lipsticks that is safe for lip eczema. I was prescribed by derma of betamethasone as well but thus is a steroid. I was taking prednisone for 7 days. And now it came back because i use a certain lipstick and also ate spicy food. I dont have this cheilitis before. i just notice that after i gave birth postpartum of 8months. My skin was so sensitive including my lips having a windburn sensation, dry and cracked then its swollen and got acnes everywhere and my lips always flaring up due to lipsticks... But i stumble upon this vlogger that haved fungal acne and also cheilitis and said that maybelline superstay matte ink in liquid lippies and crayons are safe for lip eczema and vaseline (plain original). Also sezia.co is a website that helps me to check ingredients of the products thats triGgerring it. Hope we can all find other ways to get rid of this. I can no longer wear my fave lippies uugghhhh
ReplyDelete