Winter is around the corner for some of us and beauty fanatics have their hydrating skincare routine down to a fine art (gentle exfoliants only, people – step away from that apricot scrub!). Our skin may be glowing but it’s easy to forget that our lips need some TLC, too.
It’s hard to nail the trendy winter-kissed cheeks and blindingly-white highlighter cold-girl look when your cracked lips are serving frostbite instead.
The Carousel to the rescue – our quick guide below outlines the best tips on how to exfoliate your lips and restore your pout to its former glory!
Put Down The Moisturising Lip Products (For Now)
It’s tempting to cover up the problem with a few layers of lip balm or a hydrating gloss.
This will only make your cracked lips look worse.
Yes, really.
Moisturising lip products with lots of shine act like a highlighter and draw more attention to your mouth. If you actually want to fix your chapped lips, you need to take the time to exfoliate properly.
How To Exfoliate Your Lips
Step one involves getting all of that flaky cracked skin off your mouth. The best way to exfoliate your lips is with a sugar scrub.
While you could rush down to Lush and pray that their Watermelon Sugar Scrub is in stock, it’s super quick and easy to make your own at home instead. Plus, when you make your own exfoliating lip scrub, you’ll know for sure that all of the ingredients are safe to consume.
All you have to do is raid your kitchen pantry for some sugar and honey. Simply mix the sugar and honey together in a 2:1 ratio. 2 teaspoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of honey is plenty.
That’s it!
Once you have your scrub ready to go, gently apply a generous layer to your lips. While it’s tempting to lick it all off (let’s be real, most of the appeal of a homemade lip scrub is getting to taste all of that sugar-y goodness), be sure to pat your mouth dry afterward.
It’s gross to think about, but the salvia in your mouth is full of enzymes that are too harsh for the sensitive skin on your lips. These saliva enzymes are a huge cause of chapped lips in the first place! So rinse the area well with water and pat your mouth dry with a tissue after exfoliating.
Now that your lips are kissably-soft, it’s the perfect time to apply a hydrating lip balm on top.
How To Hydrate Exfoliated Lips The Right Way
If you want to banish dry lips for good, you need to be mindful of the ingredients in the lip balms you buy. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends avoiding any drying ingredients like lanolin, menthol, or salicylic acid. They suggest balms made from shea butter, hemp seed oil, and white petroleum jelly instead.
Exfoliate and then hydrate your lips once every week from now on. Before you know it, your lips will withstand even the most matte and drying lip kit from Kylie’s collection.
We thank Laura O Connor for contributing this piece.
