Ultimate Guide To An Effective Lip Care Routine
The first question you might have is
Why do you need a lip care routine? Is it even that important?
Our lips are always exposed to elements such as the sun and air, along with our daily activities like kissing, eating, rubbing etc. They are considerably thinner that the rest of the skin on our bodies (our lips only have 3-6 layers vs the 16 layers on the rest of our body), and they do not contain any oil or sweat glands which causes them to become dry very quickly. Without the ability to produce moisture on their own, and the fact that they can't retain water very well, our lips need help in that department.
There are many reasons why our lips become chapped. The main one is when the weather changes and becomes dry we tend to try to rehydrate our lips by licking them which only dries them out even more. Other conditions such as an allergic reaction to a medication, nasal congestion causing you to breathe through your mouth, eczema, a burn, and so much more can also be the root cause of chapped lips.
Did you know the medical term for chapped lips is Cheilitis?
You will know when your lips are drying out by how they feel. They usually start out by feeling dry, tight, and a bit irritated. It's best to really amp up your lip mask and lip balm use at this point to avoid your lips from becoming worse. Severely chapped lips can become painful, cracked, itchy, and can sometimes bleed if the skin splits.
So what can you do to keep your lips smooth and soft?
I think the most important thing is to make sure your products are non-toxic and do not include harmful ingredients such as camphor, alcohol, parabens, chemical sunscreens, or fragrances just to name a few. A lip care routine is actually really simple and consists of 3 items.
- Lip Mask
- Lip Scrub
- Lip Balm
A lip mask over night will help restore the moisture in your lips and help heal any damage that has been done.
Exfoliating your lips lightly with a toothbrush or a lip scrubber tool will help shed the dead skin and generate new skin cell growth. Doing a more intense lip scrub with a sugar scrub 1-2 times a week will help restore shine and smoothness to your lips. (do not do this when your lips are chapped)
A good lip balm will protect your lips during the day from elements like the sun, and it will also help keep your lips hydrated.
Everyone's lips are different and some may need a little more TLC than others. Do you have a lip care routine currently? I'd love to hear from you so leave a comment below and let's chat!
