Why Winter Is So Hard on Your Lips and Heels
Winter dries everything out. Cold winds outside and warm heaters inside pull moisture from your skin all day. Your lips suffer first because they don’t have oil glands. Your heels follow slowly, thickening and cracking over time. Add hot showers, low water intake, and long hours in closed footwear, and dryness becomes unavoidable unless you step in early.
Common Habits That Make Things Worse
You might be harming your skin without realising it. Licking your lips feels comforting, but it dries them more. Skipping moisturiser after bathing leaves skin exposed. Using very hot water strips natural oils. Walking barefoot on cold floors dries heels faster. None of these feels like a big mistake, but together they lead to painful cracks.
How to Care for Chapped Lips Daily
Keep your lip care simple and consistent. Use a plain, nourishing lip balm with ingredients like ghee, coconut oil, beeswax, or shea butter. Apply it often, not only when your lips hurt. Morning, after meals, before going out, and before bed are key moments. Night care matters the most because your lips repair while you sleep.
Once or twice a week, gently exfoliate your lips. Use a soft toothbrush or sugar mixed with honey. Rub lightly, rinse, and apply balm right away. Skip this step if your lips are bleeding or very sore. Overdoing exfoliation delays healing.
Also, drink enough water. Winter dulls thirst, so you forget to sip. Warm water, herbal tea, or plain water throughout the day helps your lips heal from the inside.
What to Avoid When Lips Are Dry
Avoid flavoured or tingling lip balms. They often irritate cracked skin. Matte lipsticks and long-wear formulas dry lips further. If your lips sting when you apply a product, stop using it. Healing skin doesn’t need drama.
Why Heels Crack More in Winter
Heels deal with pressure all day. In winter, they also deal with dryness. Closed shoes, hot showers, and less oil production make skin thick and hard. Over time, this hard skin splits. At first, it feels rough. Later, it hurts. If ignored, cracks can deepen and bleed.
Simple Foot Care That Actually Works
Soak your feet two or three times a week in lukewarm water for 10 to 15 minutes. This softens hard skin. After soaking, gently use a pumice stone or foot file. Be gentle. You’re smoothing skin, not scraping it off.
Moisturise right after. This step decides how fast your heels heal. Use a thick cream or natural oils like coconut, sesame, or mustard oil. Massage it into your heels and soles. Then wear cotton socks. Socks seal moisture and speed up repair, especially at night.
Night Routine for Cracked Heels
Night care changes everything. Wash your feet, dry them well, apply a generous layer of moisturiser, and wear socks before bed. Do this daily for a week. You’ll feel softer heels when you wake up and less pain while walking.
Footwear Choices That Help Healing
Avoid very tight shoes that rub your heels. Avoid very open slippers that expose skin to dry air. Choose well-fitted shoes with soft soles. At home, try not to walk barefoot on cold floors. It dries heels faster than you think.
Food and Hydration Matter Too
Dry skin often reflects what’s happening inside your body. Drink enough fluids even when you’re not thirsty. Add healthy fats to your meals. Nuts, seeds, ghee, and cooking oils support skin repair. Regular meals help too. Skipping meals can show up as dryness over time.
Mistakes to Stop Making Right Now
Don’t wait for cracks to hurt before caring. Dry heels and lips won’t fix themselves. Don’t use harsh soaps that leave skin squeaky clean. Clean skin should still feel comfortable, not tight. Don’t over-scrub. Gentle care heals faster.
Make Winter Skin Care a Daily Habit
You don’t need many products. You need consistency. A good lip balm. A thick foot moisturiser or oil. Cotton socks at night. Water throughout the day. Gentle habits that you repeat without thinking.
Soft lips make smiling and eating comfortable. Smooth heels make walking pain-free. These small comforts affect how you feel every day. Winter will still be cold, but your lips won’t crack, and your heels won’t hurt. That’s a quiet kind of relief worth keeping.
(The article is written by Mantasha, Sr. Executive, Clinical Health & Content, and reviewed by Monalisa Deka, Deputy Manager, Clinical Health & Content, Medical Affairs.)