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| Photo Source: marin | Freedigitalphotos.net |
Even though our lips consist of a small part of our skin, it is no excuse to skip lip care. Long before I started this blog, I am guilty of neglecting my lips. Not only were my lips dry and chapped, they were also very pale. When I discovered lip gloss, I saw the huge difference between beautiful lips and dull lips. Of course, I later learned that lip gloss is only a quick fix, not a cure, and therefore switched to lip balms.
If you tend to get dry lips, here are some tips to dealing with them:
If you tend to get dry lips, here are some tips to dealing with them:
1. Avoid licking your lips. Saliva are not for moisturizing the lips. They can only exacerbate the dryness.
2. Do not breathe through your mouth. If you're a mouth-breather, then it's time to kick off the habit. Continually blowing through your mouth can quickly dry the lips, making them very vulnerable to getting chapped.
3. Use a lip balm as often as needed. Balm retains moisture and creates a protective barrier against the harsh elements.
4. Choose lip products with SPF. Do not ignore protecting your lips from the sun as they are very prone to sunburn.
5. Exfoliate your lips regularly but gently. This allows dead skin cells to be sloughed off, making the lips smoother. I use a soft bristle toothbrush to do this.
6. When choosing lip balms, check the ingredients. Petrolatum, beeswax, cocoa butter, shea butter, oils, and squalene are very nourishing to cracked lips. On the other hand, eucalyptus, menthol and camphor can cause irritation and dryness.
Sources:
WebMD: Why Your Lips are Chapped
Howstuffworks: 5 Tips for Battling Dry Lips
Mayo Clinic: Chapped Lips FAQ
