Sore, dry, peeling…If you’re like many of us, your lips may not be in the greatest shape this winter. Because they’re always exposed, lips are prone to dehydration, particularly during the cold, windy, winter months. Lip skin is thinner and lacks oil glands found on many other parts of the body. This leaves them without a natural protective barrier. Add sun damage to the mix, and you can understand why our lips deserve a little extra TLC.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and unappealing lips just won’t do. Here are 7 tips to help keep your lips moisturized, protected and plumped for this special occasion and through the rest of winter.
1. Stay Hydrated. Drinking enough water will keep the body, skin and lips hydrated and help to treat dryness from within.
2. Don’t Lick! Licking your lips damages its protective barrier, which can dry out the lips. If lips feel dry, regularly apply lip balm instead.
3. All Lip Balms are Not Created Equally. Look for hydrating ingredients like beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E and almond, jojoba or coconut oils. If you’re not averse, good old petroleum jelly (think: Vaseline) works well too. If you have sensitive skin, use camphor-based medicated lip balms sparingly as they can be irritating. We love Flexitol Lip Balm which is formulated to protect lips, moisturize and relieve pain associated with chapped lips.
4. Plug in a Humidifer. Humidifiers can replace moisture in dry indoor air, keeping your lips (and your skin) hydrated.
5. Exfoliate. Lip exfoliators (products that contain fruit-acid-based alpha or beta hydroxy acids or even sugar granules) slough off dead skin — much like the ones you’d use on your face. If you have sensitive skin or your lips are severely chapped or cracked, use these products cautiously – no more than once weekly as the acids can irritate skin. For a quick, cheap and easy fix, gently rub your lips with a warm, damp washcloth in a circular motion to remove flaking skin.
6. Protect, Protect, Protect. Lips are susceptible to sunburn. Apply a layer of a sun-protective product daily like Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Lip Stick or Ombrelle Lip Balm SPF 30 to deliver UVA and UVB protection.
7. Skip the Matte Lipstick. Matte lipsticks might give you a cutting edge look, but they can be extremely drying to the lips. For this reason, use them sparingly when your lips are extremely chapped. Instead, opt for something like Neostrata Anti-Wrinkle Lip Enhancer for light gloss while reducing the appearance of fine lines around the lip area.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Get Ready to Pucker Up!
Nice Tips, Tooth paste its helps to clean your lips.