Lip Care Routine

Ever wondered why your lips tend to chap and crack even if your skin is oily?

Lips are likely to become chapped and cracked during the winter when it's dry and cold outside. Extreme heat or wind can also trigger chapping.

How to take care of your lips

Unlike the skin on the rest of your body, lips don't have sebaceous glands. These microscopic glands open into hair follicles. They're responsible for producing the oil that keeps skin soft and moisturized.

While you might instinctively lick your lips to keep moisturized,doing so actually leads to more dryness.

Licking can also cause yeast to build up on the lips. This may lead to a condition known as angular cheilitis, or painful inflammation at the corners of the lips.

The key to healthy lips is using a moisturizing product every day. If your lips are very dry, you may also want to exfoliate your lips 1-2 times per week.

If you have healthy lips, exfoliation isn't necessary. However, if your lips tend to be dry and flaky, gentle exfoliation can smooth out rough spots, so that lip cosmetics apply more uniformly.

Step-by-step daily lip care routine
 

There are two parts to a lip care routine: hydration and exfoliation. You'll only need to exfoliate if your lips are prone to chapping and cracking.
 

Hydrate

"Any time your lips feel dry is an appropriate time to use a lip balm," says. Here's how:
• Use an applicator or your fingers to apply moisturizing balm liberally over lips, including at the corners.
• If you're spending time outside and your lip moisturizer doesn't contain sunscreen, follow up with an SPF 30+ lip balm.
• Reapply as necessary at regular intervals throughout the day. Use a hydrating lip product 2-4 times per day. You may need to use more if you have very dry lips or eczema.
 

Exfoliate

"Exfoliating your lips can help eliminate some dry, flaking skin that builds up and restore the [shininess], softness, and smoothness that we all want," says.
She recommends exfoliating 1-2 times per week as a part of your nighttime routine :

• Apply a small amount of exfoliating scrub to your fingertips.
Gently rub over the lips in small circular motions for no more than 30 seconds.
• Leave mixture on lips for 10 minutes, allowing the nourishing oils to soak in.
• Rinse with warm water.
• Pat skin dry with a clean towel.
• Apply a protective balm to lock in moisture and soothe lips.

To boost your lip health, stay hydrated and avoid picking or biting your lips.
It's also important to apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 anytime you're in the sun. This can be either in your lip product or in addition to it.

The lips are a common spot of precancerous lesions and need to be protected from the sun.

Lip care home remedies
 

These DIY recipes can support your lip care routine.

Lip scrub

To make a simple lip scrub at home, combin 2 teaspoons of a naturally abrasive ingredient, like salt or sugar, with 1 tablespoon of a nourishing ingredient

Nourishing ingredients can include:

• coconut oil
• jojoba oil
• avocado oil
• beeswax
• pure petrolatum
• almond oil
shea butter

Add more oil if you want a looser mixture.

Lip balm
 

You can use the same nourishing ingredients without the sugar or salt to make a lip balm at home.
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. shea butter
• 4 tbsp. liquid oil, such as coconut, almond, or olive oil
• 3 tbsp. beeswax pellets

Directions

• Melt all ingredients in the microwave for 30 seconds.
• Stir together.
Keep microwaving and mixing until the ingredients are well-blended.
• Pour mixture into pots or tubes, and let it cool.

Just be sure to avoid the facial skin, where oils can cause acne breakouts.

Tips for Taking Care of Your Lips
 

Use vitamin E

Vitamin E boosts circulation and may help generate new skin cells, making your lips softer, so applying the product straight to your lips is also a very good option.

Protect and moisturize. Lips receive a lot of sun exposure particularly the bottom lip. That means they are a common spot for skin cancers. So it's SUPER IMPORTANT that your daytime lip product includes an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen.

And yes, you still need to protect your lips, and the rest of your skin, even if you are wearing a mask! At night switch to a moisturizing product to help combat nighttime dryness.

Reapply often. Remember to reapply sun protective lip product every two hours, 

Speaking of products: make sure you're using the right ones. Look for lip products that have been awarded.

Hydrate. Unlike the rest of your skin, lips tend to dry out and become chapped easily since they do not contain oil glands. Drink lots of water to keep lips from drying out, and avoid licking your lips which also saps moisture.

Exfoliate. Remove dry, dead skin flakes by gently brushing your lips with a wet, soft toothbrush or washcloth. Do this about once a week, usually on a weekend morning when you are not planning on going outside right away since it makes lips a little sensitive.