The mouth is one of the most important aspects of the body that God has given us. Winter is the season where all are having little bit problem with skin. Many persons also feel problems with lips also. Lips have an extremely thin outer layer and few oil-producing glands, which can lead to excessive dryness. Dry chapped lips are a common problem in winter. Soft and smooth lips figure among the foremost indicators of physical beauty. The skin on lips lack oil glands; hence they tend to get dry and cracked easily. The most important step you can take to achieving the sexiest lips ever is to protect them from the sun. The best protection against sun damage is a water resistant lip balm that keeps lips moist and has an SPF of 15 percent or higher.
If you want healthy lips always apply a sunscreen to your lips with a minimum of SPF 15. Dip a black tea bag in warm water and press it on lips for three to four minutes. This increases moisture level on skin of lips. Remove your lipstick before going to bed using a herbal cleanser and apply a thin layer of ghee on and do not lick lips repeatedly. Collagen is a protein that prevents wrinkle development around the lips. Constant exposure to the sun can lead to undesirable and premature aging. Around 92 per cent of women use lipstick each day. Lip balms with sunscreen should be applied half an hour prior to sun exposure and then reapplied throughout the day. Extreme weather can also lead to chapped and flaking lips. To keep lips supple, exfoliate them gently with a soft toothbrush and a lip exfoliator.
Tips for Healthy Lips in Winter
- Always apply a sunscreen to your lips with a minimum of SPF 15.
- Massaging lips with ghee (clarified butter) and leaving a thin layer of it on lips overnight acts as a natural protection for lips.
- Repeatedly apply herbal moisturizing lotion on lips.
- Apply a thin coat of natural balm on your lips before applying lipsticks.
- Dip a black tea bag in warm water and press it on lips for three to four minutes. This increases moisture level on skin of lips.
- Do not lick lips repeatedly.
- Dip small cotton gauze in warm clarified butter (ghee) and place it on lips for 20 minutes.
- Remove your lipstick before going to bed using a herbal cleanser and apply a thin layer of ghee on.
- Exfoliate the lips every week with a stiff tooth brush and a drop of honey.
Remedies For Dry Lips
Simple care at home can avoid this extreme condition. Following tips can help you take care of your lips, chapped and otherwise:
- Ensure your body is not deficient in B vitamins, iron or essential fatty acids. These deficiencies can cause scaling of lips and cracking of lip corners. Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement after consultation with your physician.
- Hydrate your body by drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can cause dryness of lips. Increase your water intake during winter to keep your lips look fresh. You can also humidify the rooms to deal with winter dryness.
- Rule out allergy to lipstick dyes.
- If in spite of water intake your lips seem dehydrated, apply cool wet cloth to hydrate lips. Also try to seal in the moisture with a lip balm. Apply lip balm every hour or two to treat dry lips and to keep them healthy. Use balm with spf of at least 15 to save your lips from sun damage.
- Don’t lick your lips, it will cause more chapping. Licking lips doesn’t moisturize them.
- Lip lickers also tend to be lip biters. Biting lips removes their protective covering which causes further drying.
- Some people are allergic to flavoring agents in toothpastes and mouthwash. Check with your physician if that could be your problem.
- Creamy lipsticks can act like balms and prevent your lips from chapping. Avoid using lipsticks that can dry out your lips.
- Use a soft toothbrush to softly buff your lips to remove the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking.
- Chapped lips are also susceptible to infections. Apply over-the-counter antibiotic ointment to avoid infection.
- If your chapped lips are due to drooling in the night, you can use zinc oxide ointment that acts as a protective agent.
- You can also try applying clarified butter or milk cream before going to bed for a few days.
- Other remedies that you could try are – rub a slice of cucumber on your lips, apply neem extract, and use aloe vera gel. A saline bath is also seen to help some people.
- Vitamin A is also important for repair of skin. Ensure that your diet includes vitamin A rich ingredients like carrots, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, whole grains and legumes. You can also have a vitamin rich juice made up of 1 tbsp. of water cress, carrot and spinach juice, 2 tbsp. wheat germ oil, one glass of tomato juice, and 1 tbsp. of nutritional yeast.