If You Have Dry And Chapped Lips, This Is How You Heal Them
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Have you heard of the Rita Ora song, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile?” Well, if you haven’t, we’re pretty sure you’ve come across these words in the form of a saying at least. Isn’t it true that it’s a smile that completes even the most sophisticated dress we could ever get our hands on?
Now, let’s get a little technical about our smiles. That beautiful curve is at the mercy of those beautiful lips, right? And it’s very important that our lips are soft and supple; only then does our smile look beautiful and attractive. We aren’t lying when we say that lips are the tenderest part of our body. This is because they do not contain any melanin and therefore, are more likely to get sunburnt easily. And guess what, we are capable of damaging their protective cover by simply licking them (you didn’t know that, did you?) (1). We’ve put together a few ways that could help keep our smile beautiful always. Let’s take a look.
1. Say ‘No’ To Matte Lipsticks
We know the horrifying thought of “Oh, they are costly, I cannot throw them,” must have crossed your mind when you read this. But ladies, the fact stands that matte lipsticks do make our lips dry, and that’s how we get that matte effect on our lips. If you were wondering, that’s exactly why all those beauty bloggers on Instagram apply lip primers on their lips. The primers avoid the damage to the lips.
2. Scrub Your Lips
Exfoliation is a definite way of keeping our lips healthy (2). But make sure you opt for natural lip scrubs and not the acidic ones. One tip from us for lip scrubs is that make sure that the base is an oil (for example, shea or coconut oil) and a natural sugar is used as the exfoliant. There are plenty of DIY lip scrubs that you can find out about on the internet. Find your favorite one and start scrubbing your lips (3).
3. Make Note Of Lip Rescuers
Why opt for petroleum jelly products which are again not all-organic in nature. Make your own lip balm that can be applied overnight. Consider trying this one:
You’ll need:
- Organic honey
- Olive oil
- Cocoa butter
Just mix them up into a fine paste. Apply the paste on your lips just before you hit the sheets and start dreaming. You will wake up to beautiful, soft lips.
4. Opt For Oils That Contain High Comedogenicity
What’s comedogenicity? Well, it’s a measure that not many are aware of. It shows the potential of the oils to clog pores. For example, let’s consider coconut oil, it has a high comedogenicity. Therefore, it isn’t suitable for our facial skin as it can clog pores, but it is very apt to be used on our lips as it fills up the cracks of the chapped lips.
5. Moisturize Both, Inside And Out
If our body is unhealthy from the inside, it becomes apparent on our skin as well. Keeping yourself hydrated always is the best spa treatment you could give your body. It’s during winter that our lips take a beating. They become dry and chapped beyond our imagination. To counter this, drink lots of water, apply a natural lip balm and also eat foods that are rich in vitamin B (4). Make this your lip care routine.
6. Make Use Of Humidifiers
Dry air is the biggest contributor to your prevailing dry lips. Pollution around you could definitely make your lips dry. But, did you know that the dry air present in your home could also damage your lips? How can one fix dry air at home and make it more humid? You could do so by getting indoor plants, by leaving a bowl of water on the windowsill or by leaving the bathroom door open while showering (wink wink). You could also scour the internet and learn about new ways to keep your home humid enough for your lips to stay soft (5).
7. Buy Lip Balms Which Contain Ceramides
Although our lips do have their own natural protective outer layer, it gets destroyed or damaged due to various reasons – makeup, food, weather, smoking etc. And when it comes to lip balms, how many of us choose it based on the lip color or flavor? I’m sure none of us looks for any additional features like SPF protection or presence of ceramides.
It is ceramide that protects the moisture of our skin and doesn’t let the environmental factors suck up the water in the skin (6). Therefore, always opt for lip balms that contain ceramide. It will help keep your lips naturally moisturized and supple.
Apart from these, avoid eating acidic and spicy foods. It might burn the lips or crack them. Now we know how to keep our lips healthy and spread smiles around us, right? Do you know of any other ways to keep your lips plump and soft? Let us know in the comments below.
