We have all been there—constantly applying lip balm only to feel like our lips are even drier just minutes later. It is incredibly frustrating to deal with a flaky, tight, and painful pout when you are trying your best to stay hydrated. Based on my skincare experience, it is important to note that our lips are exceptional since they lack oil glands to keep themselves hydrated.
Table of Contents
1. Learn How to Lip Slug Your Pout
If you enjoy exploring various skincare practices, you most likely know what face slugging is. Apply it to your lips and see how it will transform the way you treat your chapped lips. Our lips do not contain natural lipids, and they quickly dehydrate due to the dry environment around us during nighttime.
To perform this practice, you need to moisten your clean lips with a small amount of water or hyaluronic acid serum. Thereafter, apply a thick layer of occlusive ointment (for instance, pure white petrolatum). This way, the serum will bond the moisture in your skin cells, while the ointment will seal it to keep from evaporating.
2. Focus on Ceramide-Rich Lip Treatments
While looking for the best lip balm for dry lips, it is recommended to avoid waxy solutions. In my opinion, you should try a ceramide-lip treatment that focuses on restoring the structure of the skin barrier. Ceramides serve as nourishing cement that holds our skin cells firmly together.
According to some clinical studies reported by Byrdie, topical application of ceramides can restore the skin barrier and provide instant relief from flakiness. This formula will help you restore the suppleness of your pout since it penetrates into the skin. This practice will eventually help your lips become resistant to external factors.
3. Never Forget About Lip Sun Protection.
It is quite obvious that we should protect our face from the damaging effects of sun rays. Unfortunately, people often forget that our lips are very sensitive and require sun protection as well. Our lips contain very little melanin; that is why they can easily get damaged by the sun and dehydrated. Chronic sun exposure often results in deep wrinkles, peeling, and discolouration of our lips.
You should keep the lip balm with SPF 30 or more near your sunscreen. Daily sun protection is a must for beautiful and youthful lips. If you want to take care of your healthy skin, then you should protect it from head to toe.
4. Skip Some Irritating Ingredients
We are all familiar with the cooling sensation that many popular lip balms provide us. However, according to the experts from Healthline, it is just another form of irritation of our skin. Such irritants include menthol, camphor, and peppermint oil that strip our natural lipids and cause inflammation.
This cycle includes regular application of a lip balm, irritating our lips and forcing us to apply more balm. To stop this vicious cycle, use fragrance-free, hypoallergenic lip balms. Such products soothe the skin and help it recover.
5. Gently Exfoliate Your Lips (Without Overdoing It)
It is quite necessary to get rid of dry patches on our lips, but this process can do more harm than benefit. Harsh and jagged particles of sugar or brushes that are used to scrub the lips can cause micro-tears that lead to irritation and dehydration. To avoid that, try the following gentler method once a week:
Using a soft damp washcloth to gently scrub the lips in circles.
You can also create a gentle scrub with these simple components:
- 1 teaspoon of fine-grain organic sugar
- 1 teaspoon of pure cold-pressed coconut oil
- A few drops of raw organic honey
Apply this scrub for no longer than twenty seconds. Rinse the lips with lukewarm water. Afterwards, apply a moisturising or ceramide-rich ointment for better hydration.
Learning how to develop a gentle skincare routine is the main thing to having a healthy and soft pout. I recommend keeping a tube of pure petrolatum near your bed in order not to forget about the slugging routine at night. I believe that this will help you to restore your lips.
Did you try lip slugging or use ceramide-rich products in your routine? Share your opinions and recommendations in the comments!
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