Healthy Girl (Mesa, Az) on 07/13/2017:
I battled angular cheilitis for over two years. I tried anti-fungal creams, B-complex vitamins, turmeric, different essential oils, yogurt, ointments - you name it, I probably tried it! It came on so suddenly that it had me stumped. At times it would get better and then flair up again, although not as bad as the first time I came down with it. I think I have finally solved my problem:
I believe I have developed an allergy to the peppermint oil in my toothpaste and lip balm. I also think that Xylitol makes it come back. Recently, I started brushing my teeth with straight baking soda and salt and then I gargle with peroxide. When my lips start getting chapped, I put Vaseline on them, although I still wear lipstick just about every day. It has now been two months and no peeling or cracking at the corners of my mouth. I think cheilitis can be caused by many different things whether it is an allergy, fungal or a deficiency.
I hope found my cure - the real test will be when I go to the dentist the end of this month. Hopefully, I won't have a flair-up.
Terry (Westport, Connecticut) on 12/22/2008:
I have had angular cheilitis many times in my life. I believe it to be an allergic reaction to some preservative in foods, but I haven't yet pinpointed which preservative it is. Some brands of hot sauce cause this to happen. I also just bought a new brand of toothpaste last week at the grocery store from Arm & Hammer and within an hour the right corner of my mouth started to peel. The toothpaste had touched my lips when I was brushing. It's happened before with toothpaste so I need to use natural brands - I just forgot until it happened yet again! The fluoride isn't causing it because the natural brands I use like Tom's of Maine have fluoride in them (ha, not so natural!). I am guessing you are also having an allergic reaction to either food or toothpaste and it's something you keep using! One more trigger for me is certain brands of lipstick. I don't know what they put in them but it causes the cracking and dryness at the corners.