Lipcare 101
Similar to how scalp care can be often overlooked when it comes to haircare, I find that lips are often overlooked when it comes to skincare. The thing about lip care is it doesn’t typically take a lot to care for them, but if we don’t care for them, it can lead to persistent dryness, chapping, and even premature aging. In this blog, I’m giving you all my thoughts on lip care, as well as some of my favorite products for the lips!
It’s important to note that the skin on your lips is unique. Unlike most parts of your skin, your lips don't have oil glands, which makes them prone to drying out. They are also thinner than the skin on the rest of your body, which makes them more vulnerable to environmental factors like cold, wind, and sun. This is why habits like licking your lips frequently or using harsh products, can exacerbate dry, chapped, and irritated lips.
Let’s get into some of the lip care steps/products I adore:
Exfoliate Your Lips
For starters, semi-regular gentle exfoliation can help maintain smooth and soft lips by removing dead skin cells and promoting renewal. Especially because the lips are thinner than the skin on other areas of your body, I really want to emphasize that this should not be abrasive. For this reason, I love products like Fresh’s Sugar Lip Polish. It has brown sugar that works as the perfect gentle exfoliant, while also containing moisturizing ingredients like shea butter and jojoba oil. However, if you aren’t wanting to go buy another product, making your own lip scrub is SO easy (one of the few DIY skincare hacks I can stand behind). You can try my DIY Lip Scrub recipe and it will be just as effective.
I should also state that the frequency of exfoliation should be tailored to your lips' sensitivity and reaction. It’s also going to vary with variables like the season! I typically do so 1-2 times a week, but find the cadence that works for you! P.S if you don’t already exfoliate before a dark or red lipstick color, it’s a game changer.
Hydrate Your Lips
Probably obvious, but hydration is crucial for lips (especially since they can’t moisturize themselves). I love using a good lip mask at night and a balm for the day regularly. I am not going to lie, there are a ton of good lip masks out there, but in my opinion, nothing beats the simplicity and effectiveness of petroleum jelly. If you are wanting a little variety, I am absolutely obsessed with the Lip Mask by Lawless Beauty. I have repurchased it more than 5 times and the brand uses a MaxiLip technology that has been clinically shown to increase lip volume.
As for your day-to-day lip balms, I suggest looking for ingredients like shea butter and hyaluronic acid, which will keep lips hydrated and help with retaining moisture. Here are a few of my go-to lips balms:
Use SPF on Your Lips
To literally nobody’s surprise, I am going to tie in SPF to pretty much every blog (I promise I wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t important)! Just like the rest of your skin, your lips need protection from the sun. The lips are a common place missed by sunscreen users and a common place that skin cancers arise. Using lip balms with SPF is going to shield your lips from UV rays. If you aren’t using sunscreen on your lips, you are subjecting your lips to sunburn and premature aging and elevating your risk of skin cancer. I usually just apply mine as the final step to my morning skincare routine (consider it the cherry on top).
Avoid Lip Irritants
Irritating ingredients can be found in many products, even chapstick!! This is one of the reasons you may feel that you are “addicted” to your lip balm. These chapsticks can actually perpetuate the dry, chapped, lip licking cycle leading to worsening of the dryness and chapped feeling. I am always an advocate for checking ingredients, so I suggest avoiding potentially irritating ingredients such as menthol, fragrance, or camphor, especially if you are prone to irritated lips.
Extra Steps You Can Take
For anybody looking to take their lip care to the next level, consider investing in innovative treatments like the Drx Spectralite Lipware Pro. This device uses LED technology to stimulate collagen production, enhancing the natural color and supporting the aging lip skin.
When to See a Dermatology Provider
Just like any other skin struggle, seeing a derm provider is the fastest and most efficient way to solve the problem. Especially if you are experiencing persistent lip issues, such as severe dryness, cracking, or irritation that doesn't improve with regular care, or especially if you are experiencing darkened areas, new freckles, or dry spots that won’t go away. They will be able to provide targeted treatments and rule out any underlying conditions.
Favorite Lip Products
Now that we have covered some of my favorite products to keep your lips hydrated and healthy, it’s time to switch gears to some amazing lip products for Summer. I will attach some of my favorite liners, glosses, and lipsticks below, but I do want to take a moment to highlight the “skin-friendly” lip combo I can’t get enough of. I did a little demo on IG Reels, but I am absolutely in love with this Kosas Lip Hotliner, paired with Lawless Lip Plumping Mask (the only “lip plumper” that doesn’t wreak havoc on my lips). It’s becoming the daily combo I swear by.
I hope this helps in building an effective lip care routine! Please DM me any other topics and questions you want me to cover in a blog post!
**Disclaimer: This post does not constitute medical advice. Please speak to your Dermatology provider before adding any at home procedures or products into your routine!
***This post contains affiliate links.
xx Amy
