Are you dealing with dry and chapped lips? Here’s how you can get soft and supple lips year-round.
Regardless of the season, chapped lips can occur at any time, despite your best attempts to keep them moisturised. Did you know your lips cannot naturally produce any oils to keep them from drying out because, unlike the rest of your skin, they lack oil glands? This means that your lips can dry out easily if you don’t take care of your lips. Your lips require a little extra TLC as factors like wind, sun, and even your saliva can dry them out. Fortunately, you can easily treat chapped lips. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you get a soft and hydrated pout:
Use a gentle lip scrub to get rid of dead skin
If you are struggling with dry and chapped, lip scrubs are the ultimate solution as they offer some incredible lip-loving benefits. To keep your lips nourished and supple, I recommend using a mild exfoliator on a regular basis. Regular exfoliation encourages skin cell turnover and removes dead skin cells, giving you a gorgeous pout. It also boosts blood flow to the lips and makes them plump. However, avoid over-exfoliating. You just need to exfoliate once each week to keep your lips looking smooth and soft. Excessive exfoliation can aggravate your skin and dry up your lips.
Stay away from lip irritants
It is crucial that you are informed about the ingredients in the lip products and lipsticks you use as they can irritate your lips. For example, camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus-based lip balms may feel nice at first on your lips but can dry and irritate them. If you have chapped and dry lips, The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) advises avoiding the following ingredients in addition to those already mentioned above:
- Flavoring (Cinnamon, citrus, mint, and peppermint flavours can be especially irritating to dry, chapped lips)
- Fragrance
- Lanolin
- Octinoxate or oxybenzone
- Phenol
- Propyl gallate
- Salicylic acid
Apply hyaluronic acid serum
Applying hyaluronic acid serum to moist lips is an excellent way to heal chapped lips. It draws moisture into your lips and locks it in to give you softer, smoother, and more hydrated lips. Since hyaluronic acid also boosts collagen production, it can make your lips look and feel fuller and more voluminous.
Nourish your lips with a hydrating lip balm
Moisture loss is one of the primary causes of chapped lips. So, I recommend applying a generous amount of lip balm to keep your lips hydrated at all times. Use a lip balm that has emollient properties as it softens the skin’s surface and functions as an occlusive agent to lock in moisture. Are you unsure about how to choose the best lip balm? The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) recommends using the following ingredients to effectively treat chapped lips:
- Castor oil
- Shea butter
- Ceramides
- Petroleum jelly
- Hemp seed oil
- Mineral oil
- Dimethicone
You can choose tinted balms as an alternative to lipsticks if you want that pop of colour without compromising moisture. Another important tip–don’t forget to reapply lip balm.
Don’t forget to protect your lips from the sun
If you want a healthy, plump pout, it is crucial to safeguard your lips from the negative effects of harmful UV rays. Did you know your lips could burn just like your skin without adequate sun protection? SPF-infused lip products are quite effective. So, I recommend choosing a lip balm with SPF–preferably one with an SPF of 30 or higher.
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