How to Care For Your Lips

If you’ve been following Makeup Tips Blog for a while now you’d probably know that I’m a severe sufferer of dry lips and lip care is something I’m extremely passionate about.

DO: Remove Your Lip Colour

Whether you’ve worn a gloss that lasts five minutes or a lipstick that has lasted all day, chances are you will still have a little residue of something left on your lips. This is why it’s especially important to give your lips a quick clean at the end of the day. When removing lipstick I like to use a nice oil and cotton pad as to prevent drying out the lips.

DON’T: Lick Your Lips

It can be tempting to lick your lips to give them a little moisture when you’re on the go or don’t have a lip balm nearby, but it is one of THE WORST things you can do for your lips in the long run. Saliva contains acids designed to help break down food, but it can also damage the protective layer of your lips. Pretty self explanatory, but you should also avoid biting or peeling dead skin off your lips as this can severely damage them.

DO: Use a Lip Mask

Lip masks are one of my favourite things on this planet and a true savior for dry lips. It may seem like just another thing to add to your beauty routine, but with the results they produce it’s well worth investing a little time in to them. Bite Beauty do a fantastic leave on lip mask, which is soothing and equally hydrating. Another option I love is to slather some organic honey over the lips, leave for 15 minutes, and then remove with a warm washcloth. It’s safe and anti-bacterial, just don’t lick it off!

DON’T: Use a Lip Scrub

I am not a fan of lip scrubs and think they are harsh, nasty things. The lips are one of the most sensitive parts of the body and have no oil glands so scrubbing them is a bad idea. Not only can it severely damage the lips, but it can also excessively dry them out, causing discomfort and flaking. In the words of lip queen Kirsten Carriol (founder of Lanolips) “Think of the lips like the skin on a baby’s bottom. If you saw a baby’s bottom cracked and peeling would you roll your sleeves up and start scrubbing that dead skin off?  No you would not. It would bleed and damage the skin.” If you really insist on removing flaky skin from the lips put down the scrub or toothbrush and try a product like Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Ointment which gently sloughs away dead flaky skin leaving you with soft lips.

DO: Use A Proper Lip Balm

If you’re continuously slathering lip balm on your lips and finding that no matter what you do they’re still dry; the product you’re using could be to blame. Many lip balms simply place a layer over the lips to protect them, but don’t actually do anything on the hydration front. To keep lips in tip top shape use a moisturizing balm packed with oils and butters and if you desire, follow up with a barrier balm. It’s a good idea to avoid anything petroleum based and skip ingredients such as beeswax, menthol and peppermint as these can be irritating to the lips.I swear by Go-To LIPS! For nourishment and Suvana Honey & Paw Paw Ointment for locking in moisture.

DON’T: Forget to Protect Your Lips From the Sun

You wouldn’t head out to the beach in the middle of summer without protecting your skin so why wouldn’t you protect your lips? The lips are super sensitive and contain very little melanin which means they are very prone to burning. Next time you head out into the sun use a specialized sunscreen lip balm or a lip colour with SPF. Bonus: Lip balms with zinc oxide in them (a physical sunscreen) can help repair the skin!

DO: Toss Products Regularly

I get it. You spend an insane amount of money on makeup so why would you want to chuck it away before it’s even finished? Well so you can make room for more makeup, obviously but also because old, expired makeup can irritate your skin, eyes and lips. Lip products often come in to contact with saliva, bacteria and remains of food (yuck) so it’s important to toss them regularly. Solid lipsticks and products in “squeeze” tubes can last up to two years, products in pots one year and anything with an in-built applicator no more than 9 months. If any product starts working differently, looks different or smells off it should be chucked immediately, and don’t even think about sharing them with someone else unless you want to open yourself up to a cold sore.

DON’T: Create Your Own Lip Plumper

I do not become my own scientist and mix beauty products in my kitchen, there are people trained for that. Sure I love using Olive Oil as a cleansing oil, but that’s pretty much where it stops. There’s a reason why cosmetic chemists have to undergo years and years of training before they can head to a lab and make beauty products, mixing ingredients together and making products requires extensive knowledge and correct safety procedures. Products such as lip plumpers have to contain the exact right amount of plumping agents so not to damage the lips and must be packaged in the right container so they don’t create a chemical reaction.

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Check out 8 Of The Worst Things You Can Do To Your Lips

by Evangeline Sarney at Mode