While drinking plenty of water is essential to keeping your body hydrated, your lips also need extra care and protection. Experts recommend incorporating nourishing ingredients such as coconut oil, argan oil and shea butter into your daily lip-care routine. Here are some simple yet effective tips to protect your lips from winter dryness.
Avoid Licking Your Lips
Licking your lips might provide temporary relief when they feel dry, but it can actually make the problem worse. Saliva evaporates quickly, taking away the natural moisture from your lips and leaving them even drier. Repeated licking can also irritate the delicate skin around your mouth. Instead, reach for a nourishing lip balm whenever your lips feel dry.
Nourish Your Lips with Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is an excellent natural moisturizing ingredient that helps soften dry lips and reduce moisture loss. Its nourishing properties make it a great addition to your winter lip-care routine. Look for lip treatments containing coconut oil and other moisturizing ingredients, such as lemon butter, for added nourishment. Choosing a lip treatment with SPF can also help protect your lips from sun damage, even during winter.
Make Argan Oil Your Lip-Care Essential
The delicate skin on your lips loses moisture quickly, particularly when exposed to cold temperatures and harsh winds. Argan oil is rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, making it a beneficial ingredient in lip-care products. Choose lip balms and lipsticks enriched with argan oil or shea butter to help keep your lips soft, supple and moisturized throughout the day.
Exfoliate Gently with a Lip Scrub
Dry, flaky lips can benefit from gentle exfoliation, but it is important not to overdo it. A mild lip scrub can help remove loose flakes and leave your lips feeling smoother. For a simple homemade scrub, mix a little brown sugar with honey. Gently massage the mixture over your lips without applying too much pressure, then rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. Follow up immediately with a nourishing lip balm. Avoid exfoliating lips that are cracked, bleeding or severely irritated, as scrubbing can worsen the damage.
Keep a Lip Gloss Handy
If you love wearing matte lipsticks, winter dryness can make your lips feel uncomfortable. Matte formulas may accentuate dry patches, so keep a hydrating lip gloss handy for an extra layer of comfort.
Make lip moisturizing the first step of your makeup routine. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly, allow it to sit for a minute and gently blot away any excess before applying your lipstick. Whenever possible, choose lip products with moisturizing ingredients.
Choose the Right Lip Balm
A good lip balm is a winter essential. It helps seal in moisture, protect the delicate skin and support the healing of minor cracks and splits. Look for ointment-based formulas containing ingredients such as petrolatum, glycerin, shea butter or other nourishing oils. Don’t forget sun protection. Your lips need SPF protection during winter too, as UV rays can still cause damage on cold or cloudy days. It is equally important to avoid lip balms containing ingredients such as camphor, menthol and eucalyptus if they irritate or worsen your dryness. These ingredients can cause a cooling sensation but may aggravate already sensitive lips.
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