Cracking Lips 3 Yo...

My son goes through this every winter. The pediatrician has recommended Vaseline, not Chapstick and NOTHING with flavor. He says that vaseline is very difficult to "lick off", which only makes it worse.

We apply the vaseline very thick each night at bedtime and then throughout the day. It has gotten much better!

Aquaphor is a miricle worker!! My middle child has the same issues & the chapped lips also include a chapped face. I put the Aquaphor on his face right before he goes to bed at night & by the morning, the majority of the dryness is gone.

Our dentist said to use Lansinoh. Works great!

Hi R.. You have received great answers, so I will only add a new thought. As you live in Florida...is your daughter also using sunblock on her lips. The sun can be drying as well.

HTH. Jilly

The only thing I have found to work the best on severe chap lips is some stuff called Lipapeel from BeautiControl. That stuff is the bomb! lol! It is more expensive than your regular lip balm or chap stick but it works. I think sometimes the chap sticks and lip balm they sell actually makes it worse. I think some are worse than others and I agree with some of the other posters here as well. Making sure she pushes her fluids.

DON{'T USE VASOLINE-it is by far the worst thing to use....look up the ingredients on that stuff-you will see what I'm talking about ....whoever's pediatrician recommended that needs to go back to school or actually read the ingredients on that stuff. I don't know a single doctor that would sit there and say its safe to use. Especially on the lips where you are licking it and introducing it into the bloodstream and everywhere else-just don't use vasoline.......

I am a certified Homeopath and have been for years, my suggestion is you only use natural lip balms as the others can dry the lips...natural ingredients, also make sure she gets omega 3 oils and a good multi-vitamin and vit. c...and hydrate her, lots of fluids (water)

Please don't put Vaseline on your child's mouth, and also stay away from Petroleum-based lip balms like Carmex (illegal in the UK!) which shouldn't be ingested. Good luck.

Make sure she's getting enough quality SATURATED fats: butter, coconut oil, etc. Saturated fats have been demonized, but they are essential for our bodies and especially in our growing children. Using vaseline and aquaphor and those remedies will help get you through this tough spot, but they are for the symptom, not the root of the problem. You could also use coconut oil topically.

Lansinoh (nipple balm)--safer than Vaseline (think about it :) but very effective!!! I use it now.

Probably a mouth breather. Get her to an ENT to look at the size of her adnoids. They could be causing her to not breathe well at night and lose out on retaining information she learns. When I hear of lips like that, I would check it out.

My 3 year old is a lip licker. She hates any and all Chapstick. I got her the pink Burts Bees and she LOVES it! She thinks it's lipstick. I put Carmex on her at night after she's a sleep. That usually takes care of our problem.

Aquifor...it is the best! I use it too!!

My son has the same thing during the winter months. The air is dry and cold especially when it is windy outside...it gets worse! We were advised to put Aquafore on the lips as often as possible. It is much more hydrating than chapstick and lasts longer on the lips. Remind your daughter to stop constant licking and/or biting of the lips. They do this because it is itchy from the dryness and it actually exasperates the problem. Refrain from salty foods too like chips which dries it out more.
Hopefully things get better in the Spring.

I agree with Krista. That is EXACTLY what we do with our 3 yr old. She licks her lip all the time and the area around her lips.Any type of lip ointment id just a temporary relief, however lather a bunch of vaseline on her lips at nigh, and as she sleeps it has a chance to soak in without herwiping her face and eating and drinking. I suppose using some during the day with a lighter coat is good! Trust us, this really works. You can get the ltitle travel size bottles of vaseline and keep it with you or at her daycare!

My kids go through this every winter. Yeah, we haven't had much luck with chapsticks, either. This year, I spent a little more and got some Aquaphor lip treatment. I also got the Neosporin nighttime lip treatment. I put them on morning and night. It's hard to remember, sometimes, but I set it out where I will see it in the morning before school and next to their beds at night. It works a lot better than the typical stick chapsticks. If you do this twice a day ( even more if you can remember), their lips should look better within the week.
Hope this helps!

Try putting the lip balm or aquafor on at night literally before she falls asleep that way she is getting moisture back in her lips overnight and not licking them in her sleep. Does she go outside at all? Put some on her lips before she goes outside and after she comes in.

My daughter always had cracked lips as a child. The only thing I have found to work is Carmex. Not flavored, just the plain in a little jar. The tube one is ok, but the jar one is the best. It may burn a little to start, but works really fast. Good luck.

oil soluble vits- A D E, and vit C.
Have to heal this from the inside.
Also no sugar, none, will help alot.
Best, k