Winter weather is notorious for activating cracked, dry lips. This usually starts all the way back in the fall, when the air starts to become chilly. Then, one day, you all of a sudden have cracked lips. With the dead skin peeling off in uneven chunks, this makes it really hard to wear lipstick because it looks clumpy and gross.
The Reason Behind Chapped Lips
Your lips do not have oil glands. They are one of the few places on the whole body that do not have these. For instance, if your face is dry, your oil glands spring into action and start producing oil in order to help moisturize your face. Since there aren’t any of these oil glands on your lips, they are not able to moisturize themselves. This makes them much easier for them to dry out. This is also why it makes the dead skin on them start to peel and flake off in chunks.
Rid and Prevent Dry Lips
Some people are simply prone to dry skin, not just on their lips, but their body too. If you follow these next steps, you will be able to get rid of your dry skin and stop it from coming back again.
-Use a toothbrush to gently rub away the dead skin
-Moisturize your lips
-Increase your intake of water and stay hydrated throughout the day
-Don’t use a fan during the winter, if possible
-Keep your mouth closed while you sleep by preventing sinus congestion
-Regularly exfoliate your lips
-Start a regular lip care routine
-Always have lip balm or chapstick on hand
-To heal scabby lips, use Neosporin lip treatment
-Most importantly, do not lick your lips in the winter!
You will notice a significant difference once you start doing the above tips. Then you will never have to worry about chapped winter lips ever again. Let’s dive into each one of these tips above.
Use A Toothbrush to Gently Rub Away the Dead Skin
In the morning, after you have brushed your teeth and rinsed away all the toothpaste from your toothbrush, you can now use it on your lips. Use the toothbrush to gently rub your lips, using a circular motion. Doing this will remove the loose and dead skin from your lips. You can do this in place of exfoliating, as a cheap and easy thing you can do every day, as needed.
Moisturize Your Lips
One of the best ways you can moisturize your lips is with coconut oil. When you use coconut oil will depend if and when you wear lipstick. If you regularly use lipstick, you are going to want to apply coconut oil before going to bed. Whereas, if you don’t usually wear lipstick, you can apply coconut oil throughout the day. When applying coconut oil, use a cotton swab or your finger to dip into the oil. Take a small amount and put it on your lips. Since this is an oil, you won’t need much and it will spread easily over your lips.
Increase Your Intake of Water and Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated will not only help your lips but your whole body as well. This will help prevent all dry skin from appearing on your body. Here are some alternatives if you don’t like regular water:
-Eat watery foods like cucumbers or watermelon
-Water flavoring like crystal light or Mio
-Powerade or Gatorade (but watch you don’t drink too much of these)
-Lemon or lime slices in your water
Whatever way you decide to get more water into your body, as long as you are staying hydrated, you will see the results on the outside.
Don’t Use A Fan During the Winter
If you have constant wind blowing on your face, your skin will become dry and your lips will be chapped. This means the same thing for having a fan on and sleeping with it in the winter. If it is white noise you are aiming for, there are machines you can buy that will do the trick. If you don’t want to spend money on a new machine, simply turn the fan away from your face, so you still get the noise, without the wind constantly on your face.
Keep Your Mouth Closed While You Sleep by Preventing Sinus Congestion
Sometimes when you sleep, if your sinuses are clogged, you will end up sleeping with your mouth open to breath. If you are finding this is happening to you, get some decongestants so that you can breathe through your nose instead of your mouth. This will prevent you from getting dry skin and lips in the mornings.
Regularly Exfoliate Your Lips
Just like exfoliating your face, you should do the same for your lips. The result and purpose are the same. Get a lip exfoliator and rub it on your lips. Make sure to read the directions as for how long to leave it on after you are done rubbing. Most of the time, it is only for a few minutes. After this length of time, rinse the scrub off. There are many different lip scrubs you can choose from. Some will direct you to use more than once a week but when you start to use it, you will notice how effective it is working and you might only need to use it once weekly.
If you don’t want to go to the store and spend money, here are some great at home recipes you should try!
Honey, Sugar, and Coconut Oil
Take 1 tbsp. of sugar, 1 tsp coconut oil, and 1 tsp honey, mix them in a small container. Once you have them all nicely mixed together, you can apply it to your lips. Massage your lips gently for about a minute and then you can wash it off or simply wipe it away.
The granulated sugar is what acts as the exfoliant and the coconut oil with honey are what help to hydrate your skin. If you don’t like coconut oil and you want to substitute it, use Vaseline instead.
Olive Oil, Brown Sugar, and Peppermint Oil
Take 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp of granulated brown sugar, and 1 drop of peppermint oil. Mix these together and massage onto your lips for a couple minutes, then wash off with nice warm water.
Again, the granulated brown sugar is what acts as the exfoliant while the olive oil is what moisturizes your lips. The peppermint is mostly for the aroma but it also has a cooling effect on your lips.
Honey, Sugar, Cinnamon Powder, and Olive Oil
Take 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp olive oil, half a tsp honey, and a pinch of cinnamon powder. Mix the ingredients and gently massage into your lips. Wipe off with a warm cloth.
There are actually some healing properties in this scrub. As before, the sugar is what exfoliates your lips and removes any dead skin cells. While the olive oil and honey act to hydrate your lips. The cinnamon powder will actually plump your lips and has a nice aroma.
After any lip scrub, remember to apply a lip balm to hold in the moisture!
Start A Regular Lip Care Routine
This is important if you want your lips to stay luscious and smooth. Consistency is key in order to maintain results, not just exfoliating once a week. One thing you can do is continue to exfoliate once a week and start applying coconut oil daily. Again, depending on your regular makeup routine will depend on if you use coconut oil only at night or throughout the day as well. Also, you can make adjustments as needed. When you get a cold, make sure to take a decongestant during the day and especially at night. If you end up with chapped lips and you pick at them, make sure to get Neosporin lip treatment to help fix them.
Always Have Lip Balm or Chapstick on Hand
This is especially handy when you are out and about, exposing your lips to the harsh cold. Once your lips get dry, they need constant moisturizer throughout the day. This is especially true since they are unable to self-moisturize. If you carry a purse, grab your favorite lip balm or chapstick and keep it in there for when you are out of the house. Apply as needed during the day to keep your lips moist.
To Heal Scabby Lips, Use Neosporin Lip Treatment
As hard as you might try to not pick at your dry lips, it still might happen. When it does, it will make your lips feel much worse. If this happens, one amazing treatment is overnight Neosporin lip treatment. Apply a thick layer on your lips before you go to sleep. You will notice a drastic improvement by morning. Even if you don’t have a lip emergency, you can use this lip treatment to protect your lips against getting dry at night. This is especially helpful for people who need a fan in the winter.
Most Importantly, Do Not Lick Your Lips, Especially in the Winter!
Licking your lips in the cold, dry air of winter is cause for disaster! Your saliva has very powerful enzymes that are used to break down food. Your lips are no exception and the skin on your lips is especially delicate. When you feel the urge to lick your lips, use a chapstick or lip balm instead.
