Some easy TLC will ensure your kisser is always ready to pucker up
Think
of your lips as a sponge. "When exposed to moisture, they absorb water
and plump up. When dehydrated, they dry out and shrink," explains Bruce
Bart, M.D., a dermatologist at Hennepin County Medical Center in
Minneapolis. And, because they're always exposed, they're prone to
dehydration, particularly during the cold, windy winter months.
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The skin on the lips is also unlike skin anywhere else on the body: It's thinner (allowing the blood vessels to be visible, making the lips look red) and has no oil glands (oil acts as a barrier for skin, helping to protect it from the elements). The result can be red, rough, sometimes painful, chapped lips that couldn't hold lipstick color if you spray-painted it on.
Luckily your lips can be perfect in no time with a little loving care.
RELATED: For advice on how to always look your best from head to toe, check out these beauty secrets from people who know best.
Consuming at least 9 cups of fluids daily will keep your body, skin, and lips hydrated.
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Saliva
contains digestive enzymes that can break down lips’ protective barrier
and dry them out, says Robert Brodell, M.D., a dermatologist in Warren,
Ohio. Resist the temptation to lick and instead regularly apply lip
balm like La Mer The Lip Balm (cremedelamer.com).
Look
for hydrating ingredients such as beeswax, shea butter, vitamin E, and
almond, jojoba, or coconut oils in lip balms. Good old petroleum jelly
(think: Vaseline) works well too. Women with sensitive skin should use
camphor-based medicated lip balms sparingly since they can be irritating
and are better off with something like Aésop Rosehip Seed Lip Cream
(Aesop.com) with shea butter. Others can use ChapStick Medicated lip balm (at drugstores) with camphor and menthol.
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A
humidifier can replace moisture in dry indoor air, keeping your lips
and skin hydrated. Try using a Homedics Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
(Homedics.com) while you sleep. It lets you control the flow of the mist and rotates so it moistens the entire room.
Just
like face and body exfoliators, ones for your lips that contain
fruit-acid-based alpha or beta hydroxy acids slough of dead skin. “But
if you have sensitive skin or your lips are severely chapped or cracked,
use these products no more than once weekly, as they can irritate skin
and cause stinging or persistent redness,” says New York dermatologist
Dennis Gross, M.D. Try Ava Anderson Sugar Lip Scrub (avaandersonnontoxic.com) with shea butter and spearmint leaf oil.
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Lips
are susceptible to sunburn since they lack melanin, the pigment that
helps shield skin from the sun. Apply a layer of a sun-protective
product daily like Neutrogena Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20 (drugstores).
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One
reason matte lipsticks stay put for so long is that they are drying—so
if your lips are extremely chapped, use them sparingly. Alternate with
sticks featuring vitamin E or glycerin, such as MAKE Silk Cream Lipstick
(Birchbox.com),
which also boasts moisturizing rosehip, soybean, and safflower oils and
lasts all day. Or layer a hydrating lip balm underneath your matte lip
color. We like Prescriptives Lip Specialist (prescriptives.com).
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The skin on the lips is also unlike skin anywhere else on the body: It's thinner (allowing the blood vessels to be visible, making the lips look red) and has no oil glands (oil acts as a barrier for skin, helping to protect it from the elements). The result can be red, rough, sometimes painful, chapped lips that couldn't hold lipstick color if you spray-painted it on.
Luckily your lips can be perfect in no time with a little loving care.
RELATED: For advice on how to always look your best from head to toe, check out these beauty secrets from people who know best.
Drink, Drink, Drink
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Go Easy with the Tongue
Be a Balm Reader
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Nix Dry Air
Scrub Up
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Slap on SPF
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Switch Up Your Sticks
