SAY NO TO DRY, CHAPPED LIPS THIS WINTER
Dry lips can totally ruin your makeup mojo, but in winter, when the temperatures and humidity levels drop, it’s hard to escape the perils of a parched, flaky pout.
We said hard, however, not impossible.
Read on for the best ways to avoid chapped lips this winter, no matter how Arctic the weather gets.
But First, What Causes Dry Lips?
It’s weird isn’t it, how the skin on your face can stay relatively soft and healthy, yet your lips feel like they've been roughed up with sandpaper and had all the moisture sucked out of them? Why is that? Simple: the skin on your lips is very different to the rest of your face. For starters, it contains fewer cellular layers which makes it way thinner and therefore more susceptible to dryness and damage. It also lacks sebaceous glands which are the ones that produce sebum to naturally moisturize your skin on the reg. Cue more dryness and damage.
Licking your lips in an attempt to counteract dryness is also a massive mistake. Saliva contains digestive enzymes, which upsets the protective barrier of your skin, leaving them even drier than they were before.
Your poor lips; they really don’t stand a chance against a) the elements and b) your lip licking habits!
5 Ways To Avoid Chapped Lips In Winter
Of course, you could hole up indoors as soon as the weather turns chilly, but that’s kind of unrealistic. Also, dramatic, much? In any case, indoor heating is just as drying on your skin, so that’s not the answer. Instead, follow our five favorite ways to ensure chapped lips don’t get the better of you this winter. Oh, and number six? Drink plenty of water. And stop. Licking. Your. Lips! If not you could end up with Lip Lickers Dermatitis. Yes, that is a thing and no, you don’t want it.
1. Exfoliate Once A Week
Scrubbing the thin, sensitive skin on your lips might feel like the last thing you want to do, but a little gentle exfoliation is a great way to remove flaky skin while boosting cellular turnover and encouraging fresh skin cells to make their way to the surface. The key, however, is to be uber gentle so you don’t overstimulate the skin, destroy your barrier function and cause irritation.
There are plenty of lip scrubs available (Fresh Sugar Lip Polish Exfoliator is a consistent fan-favorite) but if you don’t want to buy more new products, adding a little brown sugar to olive oil is just as good. You could also apply a nourishing balm then work an old, soft toothbrush over your lips for a few seconds.
Just remember don’t exfoliate your lips too often; once a week should be plenty.
2. Balm Up Before Bed
One of the best times to treat your lips with an intense moisturizing kick is overnight, when you’re sleeping and therefore less likely to lick it all off! This is especially important if you tend to sleep with your mouth open because you’re more likely to drool (sorry, but it’s true) and thus suffer with dry, chapped lips.
Look out for intense balms that contain different types of moisturizing ingredients. Humectants like hyaluronic acid, honey and glycerin are super effective as they draw water to the surface of the skin. But a really good lip balm should also be packed with emollients and occlusives to fill in any cracks and seal all that moisture in. Things like shea butter, vitamin E and plant oils check those boxes nicely and are the cat’s whiskers for flake-free lips.
Try La Neige Lip Sleeping Mask and make sure you apply it generously, especially to the outer corners and just over the lipline which often gets neglected.
3. Choose Makeup Wisely
Your lip colors also play a major part in the dryness levels of your lips, so look at the ingredients on the labels of your favorite lip products to make sure they’re doing everything they can to keep your pout moisturized and healthy-looking – rather than the opposite.
Matte lipsticks, for example, are less than ideal if you have dry lips because they contain fewer oils than glosses and creamy lipsticks, resulting in less moisturization. Don’t even get us started on lip pencils, either. They literally could not be more drying.
Stains are also viewed as the bad guys here, but if you find the right formula – one that contains hydrating ingredients or botanical extracts – you’ll be less likely to end up making dry lips worse. Our Monogamous™ Lip Stain, since we’re on the subject, has been specifically formulated to be kind to and comfortable on your lips. Not only is it chock full of hydrating ingredients like glycerin but it also contains xanthan gum to condition the skin and help your lips retain moisture. All this AND hours-long color pay-off? What is this product? Magic?
Not quite, but it’s close. And if your lips are really feeling the winter parch, we love the combination of Monogamous™ Lip Stain with Spin-On® Lip Gloss applied over the top. This winning partnership blends colorfast staying power with hydrating shine for a pretty unbeatable makeup look. Even if we do say ourselves. In fact, we adore this match-up so much, we bundled these lip lovers together and created The Lip Sitch, officially this winter’s makeup must-have.
4. Always Apply Balm Before Active Skincare
If you’re of a certain age, your skincare routine likely contains powerhouse ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, salicylic acid or vitamin C. And this is great because these are some of skincare’s best. However, potent, active ingredients can be all too much for the thin, sensitive skin on your lips so you have to be sure to avoid them when applying your serums and moisturizers. The best way to keep your active ingredients away from your precious pout? Apply lip balm first. Ha, who knew?
5. Invest In A Bedroom Humidifer
While cold, blustery weather is mainly to blame for winter-chapped lips, the air inside your home must also be held accountable. Sure, you want to turn up the heat when it’s frigid outside, but the hotter you go, the more moisture you’re going to suck out of the air. Try to keep your heat at a moderate 68 degrees to avoid over-drying your skin and lips.
More importantly, treat yourself to a humidifier.
Humidifiers add moisture back into the air which is great trick for giving your skin extra moisture to enjoy. According to the Mayo Clinic, somewhere between 30 and 50 percent humidity is the sweet spot for your home.
Now pucker up, people, we have a long winter ahead of us!
