When lips first chap, they may just feel a little rough and dry. However, for many, the chapped areas quickly turn into cracked and peeling skin. Furthermore, it can worsen if you peel the skin or bite it.
On top of that, when you go for a jar of Vaseline, you don't always know how long you've had it or how clean it has been kept, particularly if you share it with a partner or family members. "People tend to have pots that have been open for a long time and dip a finger in, which might not be clean," says wound care advisor Jacqui Fletcher, as per BBC News.
If you introduce bacteria to cracked lips simply by touching them with a finger that has pathogens on it, you could have a bigger problem. Applying a layer of Vaseline to the lips after they have been in contact with bacteria essentially works to trap the bacteria on the lips and then seal them in with Vaseline. It also adds bacteria to the jar of Vaseline, so always wash your hands before touching cracked lips or dipping them into a jar of Vaseline.
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