Why Are there White Spots on your Lips?

Imagine this: you’re speaking to an acquaintance and they cannot be subtle enough as their gaze firmly rests on your lips with eyes of inspection. That’s a bit embarrassing, right? Especially when you know what the cause is. Some noticeable white spots may appear on your lips suddenly and without any history of a medical incident. It’s best to find a solution as quickly as possible because you will be worried about your appearance as long as the unwanted white spots stay on your lip.

For many people, this slight change in their looks can be more distressing than you can imagine. You may desperately seek a way to conceal this blemish which is in full view of the world. You might also be frightened of the possibility of having contracted an infection or STD if this is the first time you’re experiencing it. Is there any potential risk for your health? Is this white spot a symptom of a serious problem?

The spots that often appear on the lips can appear on both lips, and they look like transparent or translucent patches and wider dots. Some of these types of spots may also develop around your lips as bumps; they are harmless and are also known as Fordyce spots. Let’s see the causes of these spots that plague the lips.

Causes of White Spots on Lips

The white spots appearing on your lips are a result of the uncontrolled and unbalanced secretion of sebum by the sebaceous glands in your skin. When the sebum accumulates, it becomes a breeding ground for different bacteria, and this leads to infections and inflammation of the surrounding tissue. So these white spots are the aftermath of bacterial infections and the inflammation that follows.

Cleaning up these spots isn’t as difficult as many other blemishes caused by infections. White spots are not symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. There are a couple of ways you can get rid of them. Some of the treatments for Fordyce spots appearing on your lips are simple home remedies. However, to be on the safe side, you must see a specialist so you can confirm that the spots on your lips are the benign Fordyce spots that are not linked to a more serious infection.

6 Home Remedies for White Spots on the Lips

After confirming from your dermatologist or doctor that these spots are indeed Fordyce spots, you can confidently rely on the following home remedies to effectively treat these spots on your lips.

Essential Oils

There are a few quick-acting remedies for white spots on your lips, and essentials oils are one of them. You can have a unique mixture of essential oils which you will apply on your lips. Get ready a tablespoon of olive oil, three drops of benzoin oil, three drops of tea tree oil, three drops of cabreuva oil, and a tablespoon of Scotch pine essential oil. Mix all these quantities of essential oils into a fine blend and apply it on the white spots. After some minutes or half an hour, wash the oil with soap and warm water. Do this and repeat the same process twice daily until the white spots are completely erased.

Each oil used to formulate this mixture of essential oils has a unique capability to reverse the growth of Fordyce spots on your lips. The tea tree oil acts as an effective antimicrobial component that gets rid of the microbes which are growing on the white spots and encouraging its growth. Benzoin oil will bring relief to the soreness and dryness of your lips, while cabreuva oil has some powerful healing properties which help to prevent the development of scars on your lips.

For some people, benzoin oil is harsh to the skin and may burn. You may choose not to use benzoin oil if your skin is a sensitive type. Try to carry out a patch test for each essential oil used in this mixture to determine if any of them will be harsh on your skin.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy for different skin conditions. You can also use it to treat Fordyce spots on your lips. What you will need includes a few drops of water and apple cider vinegar each, and a cotton swab. After this, make a mixture of equal drops of apple cider vinegar and water. Use the cotton swab to apply the mixture on the Fordyce spots. Wait for the mixture to dry up after some minutes before you rinse the affected area with warm water. Apply the apple cider vinegar solution on your lips twice every week. You may also choose to drink a mixture of a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water twice times a day.

The antibacterial and astringent capabilities of apple cider vinegar make it a powerful and effective treatment for Fordyce spots. It eliminates the bacteria growing on your lips and manages the secretion of sebum on your skin. Just like essential oils, apple cider vinegar may be harsh on your skin if it is a sensitive type. So if you feel your skin burn or get any irritation after applying apple cider vinegar, rinse it off and use an ice cube to provide relief to the area in about two minutes.

Garlic

Garlic has been proven to be useful when dealing with white spots on the lips too. Get two garlic cloves, about two tablespoons of lemon juice and 200ml of water. Blend the garlic cloves and mix them up in 200ml of water, then pour in a tablespoon or two of lemon juice. You can drink this garlic mixture before and after each meal. Two or three glasses every day will suffice. You may also choose not to add the lemon juice.

There are many reports of how effective garlic can be in decreasing the number of bacteria in the bloodstream. This can help you to fight off the growth of bacteria which has given rise to the Fordyce spots on your lips. Garlic can improve oral hygiene and help to prevent inflammation of the mouth or the lips.

Coconut Oil

Another home remedy for Fordyce spots on your lips is coconut oil, which is a great option for moisturizing your skin and preventing dehydration. White spots develop when there is an excess secretion of sebum because of dry skin caused by dehydration. Coconut oil, with its moisturizing effect, can help to hydrate your skin and keep it smooth. Its antimicrobial properties will also keep bacterial and microbial growth in check.

Get ready two or three tablespoons of coconut oil and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Mix well and make a fine blend of the quantities of lavender essential oil and coconut oil available. Rub them on the spots which are on your lips and leave it to dry after a few hours. You can apply this coconut oil mixture three times daily. The lavender essential oil will help soothe inflammation and irritation on your lips.

Jojoba Oil and Argan Oil

This will be a blend of both oils. You will only need two drops of jojoba oil and two drops of argan oil. Mix equal proportions of both and rub the blend on the affected area on your lips. After it has dried, in about 10 minutes, rinse your lips with warm water. You may do this two or three times a day.

Why is this effective? There are some skin enriching components of jojoba oil which include pore-tightening compounds and vitamin E, that are effective in the management of excess sebum secretion and skincare. Argan oil also supports jojoba oil in controlling the secretion of sebum and preventing dry skin.

Buttermilk

A surprising as it may be, buttermilk can help you treat the Fordyce spots appearing on your lips. Get a cotton ball and some buttermilk, dip the cotton ball into the buttermilk, and rub it on your lips. Allow the applied buttermilk dry up before you rinse it off. You can repeat this a number of times during the day and continue until the spots go away. Buttermilk can act as an astringent and provide relief to inflammation on your lips.