Today I will be covering some tips on keeping lips soft and hydrated during the cold weather months, as well as a quick, yummy mini lip facial! I'm a lip product junkie, so today, I'm getting my fix and I hope you get yours, too!
Lips are one of the first parts of the body to dry out and are the hardest to keep hydrated, as the skin is thinner and more open and vulnerable to the elements. The key to keeping them moist is, basically, keeping them constantly protected with a quality lip balm.
But, what else can ya do to keep your smoocher soft?
Dry Lip Tips
- Stay hydrated
- Use a lip balm with only natural ingredients. Many lip balms out there contain ingredients (like mineral oil and petrolatum) that actually can upset your skin's natural moisture process, drying your lips out further!
- Look for protective ingredients, like shea butter, avocado butter and beeswax (or candelilla wax if you are a vegan friend). These ingredients provide a protective seal, while still allowing lips to breathe.
- Stick to balms or salves without added flavors. I know, I know! Peppermint lip balm is awesome, but some essential oils can irritate delicate rose petal lips and make dryness worse. Plus, flavored lip balms invite one to lick them off, which brings me to the next bullet point...
- Avoid licking your lips. Lip licking dries lips out like crazy.
- If your lips are majorly chapped and cracking, run to your nearest calendula salve to help add moisture and major healing at the same time.
- Do a mini lip facial once a week (see below) for a little extra lip lovin'!
Mini Lip Facial
Note: Please do not perform this treatment if you have active cold sores, wounds or cracking on the lips.
- A cotton washcloth
- A pinch of your coconut and sugar scrub from yesterday
- Your favorite natural lip balm (or body butter works in a pinch, too.)
- Moisten the washcloth with warm water and use it to gently exfoliate your lips in small circular motions.
- Apply the coconut/sugar scrub with a fingertip in gentle, circular motions on the lips and the area of skin around them (this helps to minimize those fine lines around lips - not that you have them! But I do, and this helps. :) )
- Moisten the washcloth again with warm water and gently remove all traces of the scrub.
- While lips are still damp, apply loads of your favorite lip balm or salve.
Want to take this treatment a step further?
Luxurious Additions
- Add a drop of vanilla essential oil (or vanilla extract) to the scrub for a coconut/vanilla extravaganza!
- Apply a lip mask made of a pinch of kelp powder mixed with enough water to make a paste after removing the scrub. Leave the mask on for 5 minutes, remove with a warm washcloth and apply your lip balm.
- Use a tinted lip balm (try my homemade recipe here) for a little pop of color!
Voila! Soft lips!
What are your favorite lip products or treatments?
Tomorrow is the last day of Dry Skin Workshop Week. Sniff. But to send us off with a bang, it will also be January's Mask of the Month! See you then!
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