The skin on your lips is much thinner than the skin on the other parts of your body. This is why they easily crack and chap. If not taken care of properly, your lips are not only unattractive, but can also cause a lot of pain and unease.
What really makes your lips look unhealthy? Well, bad weather can take a toll on your lips, making them look dry and unhealthy. Furthermore, consuming alcohol, smoking and trying on different lipsticks also leaves them chapped, dark and dry. Luckily, you can keep your lips healthy with the tips I’m about to give you.
1. Drink lots of water
I like to carry a water bottle with me wherever I go. When you drink enough water you keep the skin, body and lips hydrated. Also, using a humidifier can replace moisture in dry indoor air. This in turn, keeps your lips and your skin hydrated.
2. Kick the licking habit
When your lips are dry, you want to lick them. But soon after licking, they feel dry so, you lick them again. This then becomes a licking cycle that causes more dehydration. The saliva evaporates and your lips lose more moisture, making them even drier than before. Before you know it, your lips are peeling.
3. Use the right balms
The best hydrating ingredients include shea butter, beeswax, jojoba or coconut oils, vitamin E and almond. If you have very sensitive skin, you ca try using camphor-based medicated lip balms sparingly.
4. Exfoliate when necessary
Lip exfoliators slough off dead skin. However, if you have sensitive skin or your lips are severely cracked or chapped, use lip exfoliators products not more than once a week. If you appreciate simple and inexpensive home remedies, mix a little olive oil with some granulated sugar, then scrub your lips. Rinse it off when you’re done and apply lip balm. It works wonders.
5. Protect your lips
Lips are susceptible to sunburn because they lack melanin – the pigment that helps protect skin from the sun. Wearing an SPF lip balm every day can protects the skin on your lips and the collagen beneath it, in exactly the same way that regular sunscreen helps prevent future sagging and ageing of the skin on your body.
6. Avoid forever lipsticks
Matte lipsticks can have an extremely drying effect. This is what helps these lipsticks stay put for so long. So, use them sparingly especially when your lips are chapped. Try to alternate them with hydrating lipsticks or add a layer of moisturizing lip balm underneath the matte.
How to treat common lip problems
Cuts on lips: Allow your lips to heal by not applying lipsticks. Hydrate your lips with a balm and also apply a small dab of an over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream.
Peeling lips: This is usually an allergic reaction to a toothpaste, lipstick, food or medication you’re taking. Use a weekly elimination method to figure out what’s making your lips peel. And, if you have itching and/or rash, your dermatologist can prescribe a hydrocortisone cream to help reduce the irritation.
Wrinkles around lips: Sun exposure, smoking and age can cause wrinkles around the lips. You can treat these with chemical peels and creams containing anti-aging ingredients.
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