Cracked skin causes

Cracked skin can happen when your skin barrier is compromised. Usually, it’s a symptom of dry and irritated skin, but there are many possible causes.

Your feet, hands, and lips may be especially prone to cracking. However, depending on the cause, cracked skin can develop in other areas, too.

Most causes of skin cracking can be managed with home remedies. But if your cracked skin is severe, of concern, or if you have any complications, it’s recommended to see a doctor.

What causes cracked skin?

Depending on the cause, cracked skin may be accompanied with a variety of other symptoms. Paying attention to these symptoms may help pinpoint the cause.

Dry skin

Dry skin, or xerosis, is the most common cause of cracked skin.

In smooth and hydrated skin, natural oils prevent the skin from drying out by retaining moisture. But if your skin doesn’t have enough oil, it loses moisture. This makes your skin dry out and shrink, which can lead to cracking.

Dry skin may be caused by:

• Cold weather. In the winter, low humidity and temperature can dry out your skin. Indoor heating also decreases the humidity in your home.
• Chemical irritants. Many products like dish soap and laundry detergent can contain harsh chemicals. These substances can damage your skin’s barrier and cause dryness.
• Hot water. The hot water from showers or washing dishes can reduce your skin’s moisture.
• Medication. Dryness may be a side effect of some drugs, like topical retinoids.
• Excess moisture. When your skin is constantly exposed to moisture, it can actually cause your skin to become irritated and dry out. This is because water can be an irritant to the skin in prolonged amounts of exposure.

Chapped and cracked lips

When your lips become very dry or irritated, they can crack, flake, and in some cases, became swollen, itchy, or sore.

Inflammation or dryness on the lips can occur for several reasons. Some of the most common reasons for cracked lips include:

• frequent lip licking
• cold weather
• exposure to the wind
• an allergic reaction to a lip balm or other product
• Eczema/ Dermatitis
  Eczema is a skin condition that causes redness and itching. It’s also known as atopic dermatitis. It can occur anywhere on the body, but it most often affects the face, hands, and inner arm folds and behind the knees, it can also affect the lips.

Our Favourites for Natural Lip-care:

Organic Lip Nurse balm (8ml)

Antioxidant Lip Balm 7ml

Kiwi Seed Oil Lip Conditioner (4g)

Cacao Cocoon Lip Treatment Balm (15g)

Lip Balm (4.5ml)

Nutrient deficiency as a cause of cracked skin

Deficiencies in various vitamins and minerals may contribute to chapped lips.

Iron

Iron is necessary for several bodily processes, including oxygen transportation, DNA synthesis, and red blood cell production. This mineral also plays a key role in skin health regulation [i]. Iron deficiency anaemia may cause angular cheilitis, which appears with dryness on one or both sides of your mouth [ii].

Try Balanced Iron Complex

Zinc

A deficiency in zinc may impair skin health and also cause chapped lips, as well as dryness, irritation, and inflammation on the sides of your mouth [iii].

Try Zinc Citrate Capsules

B vitamins

B vitamins are a group of eight water-soluble vitamins involved in energy production and cell function. Animal and test-tube studies indicate that they also affect tissue repair and wound healing [iv].

Chapped lips are a common symptom of deficiencies, especially in folate (vitamin B9), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and vitamins B6 and B12 [v].

Vitamin B 12 deficiency specifically can lead to a condition that leads to dry, cracked lips with difficulty healing. As vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal products, vegans and vegetarians may be at a higher risk of deficiency [vi].

We recommend this B complex and this B12 supplement