Misconception: If you have dry lips, moisten them with your saliva.

Lips are particularly sensitive to their environment, as they lack sebaceous glands. These glands are responsible for producing the sebum, a component that contributes to the composition of the hydrolipidic film. Therefore, the skin of the lips is not protected and is thus exposed to external aggressions as well as dehydration. Moreover, the skin of the lips does not secrete melanin, the substance that protects our body from the sun's rays.

Before understanding the best practices to prevent lip dryness, it's important to know what not to do. You've likely done this many times, but you must stop licking your lips. Moisturizing the skin of the lips with saliva is not a good idea at all. In the moment, this practice may seem effective and provide relief, but not in the long term. Here are the reasons why this method is not recommended:

• Licking dry lips provides only temporary relief. It will worsen the situation when the saliva evaporates. Indeed, it will carry away the little moisture that remains on the skin, which will further dry out your lips.

• Saliva contains enzymes, a crucial component for digestion. By licking your lips, you deposit this same aggressive agent on the skin. As a result, the deposited enzymes will dry out the lips to the point of causing them to crack.

• Long-term repeated moistening of the lips can lead to a condition known as licker's dermatitis. This is characterized by the emergence of redness around the lip contour. The lips also become dry, which can cause bothersome irritations.