Mouth, Teeth & Gums
Cheilitis (Cracked, Inflamed Lips)
Sore, dry, cracking lips — often at the corners of the mouth — caused by irritation, moisture, infection, or low B-vitamins, and usually soothed and healed with simple care.
📝 Summary
In short: Sore, dry, cracking lips — often at the corners of the mouth — caused by irritation, moisture, infection, or low B-vitamins, and usually soothed and healed with simple care.
Common causes: Habitual lip-licking or drooling, which over-wets and irritates the skin; Cold wind, dry air, or sun exposure; A reaction to a lip product, toothpaste, or food.
First thing to try: Stop licking or biting the lips — this is the most important step.
See a doctor if: A crack or sore that will not heal within two to three weeks
🌿 Overview
Cheilitis is the catch-all name for lips that have become dry, red, scaly, or cracked, and for the painful little splits that form at the corners of the mouth (a form called angular cheilitis). It can sting when you eat, smile, or open wide. The causes are everyday ones: licking the lips, cold wind, sun, a reaction to a lip product or toothpaste, drooling at night, ill-fitting dentures, a yeast or bacterial infection settling into a moist corner, or a shortage of B-vitamins and iron. Most cases clear up well once the irritation stops and the lips are kept clean, protected, and moisturized.
The lips have very thin skin and no oil glands of their own, so they dry out and crack more easily than the rest of the face. When the corners of the mouth stay damp — from saliva pooling there — the skin softens and splits, and yeast or bacteria can move in, turning a small crack into a stubborn, sore patch. That is why simply applying more lip balm over wet corners sometimes makes it worse; the trick is to keep the corners dry and clean and treat any infection.
Gentle home care does most of the healing: stop the lip-licking habit, protect lips from sun and wind, dab on a soothing balm, and nourish the body with the B-vitamins and iron that keep skin and mucous membranes strong. If a corner stays cracked for more than a week or two, looks crusted or pus-filled, or keeps coming back, it is worth checking for a yeast infection, a vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → shortage, or an underlying cause a doctor or dentist can spot.
Common signs
- Dry, scaly, or peeling lips that feel tight
- Painful cracks or splits at the corners of the mouth
- Redness, swelling, or a burning, stinging feeling
- Crusting or oozing if infection sets in
- Discomfort when eating, smiling, or opening wide
🔎 Why it happens
Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.
- Habitual lip-licking or drooling, which over-wets and irritates the skin
- Cold wind, dry air, or sun exposure
- A reaction to a lip product, toothpaste, or food
- A yeast (Candida) or bacterial infection settling in a moist corner
- Shortage of B-vitamins (especially B2 and B12), iron, or zinc
- Ill-fitting dentures or deep mouth-corner folds that trap moisture
✅ What to do
Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.
- Stop licking or biting the lips — this is the most important step.
- Keep the corners of the mouth dry; gently pat away saliva.
- Apply a soothing, fragrance-free balm or a thin film of coconut oil several times a day.
- Protect lips from sun and wind with a balm containing sunscreen.
- Eat a B-vitamin and iron-rich diet of whole grains, leafy greens, legumes, and nuts.
- If a corner stays cracked or looks infected, have it checked for yeast.
⭐ Community-ranked natural supports
Vote ▲ on everything that helped you, and ▼ on anything you tried that didn't — the ranking updates live. Tap 💬 to share what worked, so others can find it faster.
Drinking enough water keeps the thin lip tissue from drying and cracking in the first place.100573
A dab of raw honey soothes cracked skin and has mild germ-fighting action while it heals.85282
Crowd feedback, not medical advice — in this preview your vote is saved on your device. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit).
📊 Compare these remedies side by side
Our editor score weighs sources, safety, simplicity, cost, and lifestyle fit. Source endorsements tally how many books and studies reference each remedy. A higher number isn't a promise — it's just a starting point.
| Remedy | Type | Editor score | Source endorsements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & Hydration | Therapy | 100 | 573 |
| Aloe Vera Gel | Therapy | 91 | 329 |
| Raw Honey | Food | 85 | 282 |
| Coconut Oil | Food | 81 | 227 |
| Calendula Salve | Herb | 84 | 114 |
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Whole grains and legumes for B-vitamins
- Leafy greens and beans for iron and folate
- Nuts and seeds for zinc
- Plenty of water to keep tissues hydrated
Go easy on
- Salty or acidic foods that sting open cracks
- Sugary foods that feed yeast in moist corners
Cracked corners that keep returning are often a clue to low B-vitamins or iron — a richer plant-based diet frequently solves them.
⚖️ Good to know
- Cracks that last more than two weeks, spread, or keep returning should be checked by a doctor or dentist.
- Pus, fever, or fast-spreading redness can signal infection that needs treatment.
- Persistent lip changes — a sore that will not heal — should always be examined to rule out other causes.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- A crack or sore that will not heal within two to three weeks
- Spreading redness, pus, swelling, or fever
- Repeated bouts despite good lip care (may point to a vitamin shortage or yeast)
- Lip changes in someone with a weakened immune system or diabetes
📜 A note from history
The cracked-corner form has long been called *perleche*, from a French word for the licking that so often causes it; older physicians used it as a visible sign of dietary lack, especially of the B-vitamins, in their patients.
📚 Learn more
Trusted, independent sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
💚 Was this page helpful?
A quick tap helps us improve these guides. Saved on your device in this preview.