Located slap bang in the middle of your face, it’s hard to ignore when your lips aren’t feeling great. They might be chapped, they might be sunburned, and it may feel as though they’re always dry and uncomfortable. What makes this worse is that lips are dry in the winter, but they are also dry in the summer. It seems as though there’s no perfect time for perfect lips, but you can certainly make a difference if you know how. These are the best ways to care for dry lips.
Use lip balm
There’s a high chance that you already carry lip balm around with you for when your lips are feeling particularly dry, but are you applying it at the right time? While you can use it sporadically throughout the day or whenever your lips need a little moisture, but it’s also important to use lip balm before you wash your face. That’s because many face washes, cleansers, and soaps actually contain ingredients that can affect the pH balance of your skin. This can dry it out, and also dry out your lips. By applying lip balm before you wash your face, you can combat this.
Stay hydrated
Water is the solution for almost everything when it comes to the human body, as it’s also a solution for dry and chapped lips. When your body is dehydrated, it will cause everything to become much drier. Your skin, your hair, and your lips. By keeping yourself hydrating and drinking lots of water each day, you can keep your lips moist and chap-free.
Don’t lick them
When you have dry lips, it’s almost a natural instinct to lick your lips and provide them with moisture. However, this actually has the opposite effect. Your saliva actually contains acid, as its this saliva that ultimately breaks down your food and helps you digest it. By putting this acid on your lips, you are giving it the chance to become more dry and chapped. If you can, try to avoid licking your lips when they are dry, and let your body utilize natural oils instead.
Exfoliate your lips
It may sound odd to exfoliate your lips, but just as you exfoliate your skin to get rid of dead skin cells and dirt, you need to do the same for your lips. That’s because your lips are made up of various different layers of skin, and sometimes these can flake off and causing chapping and dryness. By removing these flaking layers, you’ll be able to see the smooth and fresh layers underneath.
Wear sunscreen
When you’re out in the sun, do you think about applying sunscreen to your lips? There’s a high chance you don’t. When your lips are exposed to the sun and the heat, they instantly become dry and hot. This can cause them to burn and flake off and can be incredibly uncomfortable. Because of this, it’s important to buy lip balm that has UV protector and sunscreen in it.
Do you have dry lips? Thankfully, it’s not the end of the world, as long as you care for them properly.
