(HealthDay News) — Chapped lips often occur throughout winter, but there are things you can do to prevent them, the Mayo Clinic says.

Here are the clinic’s suggestions:

• Before you go outside in cold weather, apply a lubricating lip cream or balm. Then cover your lips with a scarf. Reapply the balm as needed.
• Do not lick your lips. Saliva evaporates quickly, leaving lips drier than before you licked them.
• Drink plenty of fluids, and moisten the indoor air with a humidifier.
• Avoid contact with irritants or allergens, such as fragrances or dyes, in cosmetics and skin care products.
• Breathe through your nose. Breathing through your mouth can cause your lips to dry out.

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