The lips are one of the most important components of your face. They functions as a sensory organ, make a key contribution to the smile, are vital in speech, eating and of course expression. Right now, a sexy pout is the ultimate style accessory. It has fuelled a rise in lip plumping makeup and the popularity in lip enhancement using lip fillers. However, we don’t think there is enough awareness of the contribution of day-day lip care to the health and beauty of your lips. We’ve put together a fuss-free guide on how to care for your lips properly with minimal time and effort.
4 Things to do as part of your lip care routine
Exfoliation
First of all, remove dry skin using a gentle lip exfoliator once a week. This simple lip care step will yield softer smoother lips in no time. Two easy to use products are the e.l.f. Studio Lip exfoliator (£7.50) or Bimble’s Organic Raw Cane Sugar Grapefruit Exfoliator (£4.95).
Moisturise
As with the skin on the rest of your body, it is important to also moisturise the lips as part of your lip care routine. A great targeted product is the Clarins Hydraquench Moisture Replenishing balm (£19.50). You can also combine this lip care step with your makeup routine by using a tinted moisturizer to save precious time with Estee Lauder’s Genuine Glow Reviving Oil tint (£16.00).
SPF
Adding SPF to your lip care routine is also extremely important in reducing the risk of lip cancer and slowing down the ageing effect of sun exposure. The best products contain a moisturisor and SPF such as the Aveda Lip Saver (£12.50), GLŌ Minerals Protecting Lip Treatment (£13.50) or this more basic SPF lip balm by Nivea (£3.39). Keep one of these in your bag and you will have moisturised and protected lips throughout the day.
Hydration
Good hydration is also essential for maintaining lip volume and condition. Check out our previous post on how to easily and consistently remain hydrated.
2 Things to avoid
Smoking
By far, the biggest improvement you can make to the health and appearance of your lips and skin is to stop smoking. Smoking is associated with mouth cancer and also accelerates ageing of skin. It is responsible for the appearance of puckering and wrinkles around the mouth area (“smokers’ lines”). There are a number of organisations and resources that can help you quit as its a hard but rewarding path.
Harsh Weather
Finally, cold weather and/or repeated over exposure to the sun can lead to drying and cracking of the lips and mouth. Sun exposure also increases the risk of skin cancer to the lips which is often ignored but sadly not uncommon. The lip care tips above regarding hydration, moisturising and using sunscreen on the lips should help reduce the effects of harsh weather.
In conclusion, all you need is to follow a few simple lip care steps regularly for healthy and fabulous looking lips. The combination of exfoliating, moisturising, protection from the sun and avoiding smoking can easily integrate into your skin care routine for fuss-free beauty.
