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Dry and chapped lips are a really common problem among many of us, by why do our lips tend to bear the brunt of the hot – or cold – weather?
By upping your fluid intake – this means water, sadly wine doesn’t count – you can reduce the risk of flakiness as skin is hydrated and plumper; you can also reduce the chances of your kisser being damaged by the elements by pulling your scarf up to just below your nose during winter.
In days gone by, the answer would have been to slather a thick layer of Vaseline right around your lips and hope for the best, but with petroleum jelly a great product for sealing in moisture – it isn’t actually the best standalone option as it prevents any further moisture from penetrating lips and can in turn actually make skin drier, and sorer.
One of the obvious ‘fixes’ for sore lips is not to pick or bite any flaking skin, but as an anxious picker, this is easier said than done! So what is my three-step system to prevent peeling?
Scrub
Balm
Mask
Scrubbing is a great way to ensure that dead cells are buffed away and lips lops and feel soft and smooth. Unlike the thicker skin on our faces, our lips don’t react well to acid toning. Honestly, let me make that mistake for you!
When this tool showed up in my beauty box it was quite novel for me! I do absolutely adore the feeling of a manual scrub, so this is a little bit like exfoliating gloves but just for your lips. You just run the finger puppet-sized pouch under the tap and then gently buff your lips. Not ideal if you have active cuts as this could catch on them and make them hurt more.
I first discovered Fresh Beauty at the tail end of the summer and truly love every product of theirs I’ve come across – they’ll be mentioned here again! Unlike most products I use, this doesn’t have an overpoweringly sweet or fruity scent, it doesn’t have a real fragrance at all, but sniffing it is very moreish! I think subconsciously it reminds me of something else but I can’t think what. The texture of this is spot on, it isn’t gloopy; so there’s no risk of it dripping off your finger – not is it too dry that it’s painful to use. As you massage into your lips it does dissolve slightly to aim the spreadability of the sugar granules but not to the point that the texture is gone. Upon wiping it off, lips are lift soft and smooth with no overwhelming flavour.
Can you believe at the big old age of 26, this was my first foray into Lush Skincare? This looks like a little jar of Christmas all sealed up – though I can’t apologise for using all year round! Peppermint scented, this scrub is brilliant for those looking for a proper physical scrub. The granules in this are much chunkier and the formula is much drier, which does mean that it makes a bit of a mess but also gives a great result. This scrub is one that’ll have you liking your lips for a good hour after use, an excellent product if you like something that does it’s job and is tasty too!
Once lips have been suitably scrubbed, the next step is to layer up with a hydrating balm to rehydrate the new skin you’ve buffed up! As mentioned previously, it’s highly recommended that you use a balm with petroleum jelly – for many that have this as a secondary ingredient, the formula isn’t as weighty and can often taste more pleasant!
This was a wee beauty box number but one I was buzzing (sorry!) to receive! I remember as a teenager my mum got a Burts Bees giftset and it was strictly off limits My mum didn’t – and still doesn’t – wear a lot of makeup or buy into skincare, so any ‘nice’ things were not for my paws. Unusually, this has a hint of cucumber and it’s actually quite an unusual result. Firstly, the formula is lovely, it’s pretty solid and applies from the stick really nicely and is a brilliant, affordable on-the-go product. Secondly, the fragrance is really odd. It doesn’t have a noticeable taste to it, but if breathing with my mouth open (thank you, face masks) I notice a real cucumber scent coming through. Is that a little bit weird and gross? Yes, but lets roll with it.
This bitch is boujie. Genuinely, I associate Elizabeth Arden with sheer and utter opulence – then wonder why on earth I’m using the products! The Elizabeth Arden 8Hour Lip Balm is a great on-the-go product as it’s a great size to pop into even tiny handbags and applies like a lipstick, so there’s no need to get fingers dirty. The great thing about this balm is that it’s sheer, so can even be dabbed on top of a lipstick to add a bit of moisture and shine.
I wasn’t joking about my love affair with Fresh! I picked this up in order to meet the minimum spend for a free gift – which truly is the story of my life! I really love fruity flavours and scents, anything like mango, raspberry or orange is my go-to, so the mango option in this was a total shoo-in. Of course with any balm product, it’s the first use that’s so daunting – what if I catch my nail and accidently gouge it? Or, what if I’ve had a bit of cat hair stuck to my hand that gets embedded? Just me? Cool. This really is a lovely balm, it’s a great one to use on-to-go, as the container is flat enough to fit even into the smallest handbag and can be used to prep lips whilst applying the rest of your face. This is such a little luxury that I enjoy every day!
Masking is probably the step I’m least ‘on’, I have a box full of single-use masks and various tube and tubs of masking products stacked up – but I just never seem to find the time to use them!
Okay, this is a slight cheat as this isn’t just my favourite lip mask, but my favourite beauty product in general. Honestly, if you don’t have this in your makeup bag – or medicine cabinet – you’re seriously missing out. I personally use this for an intensive lip treatment, a tiny scraping as a face cream during cold, windy weather, a barrier for the eczema on my knees, the sore skin inside my ears after my hair is bleached; but you can also use it on minor burns, as a hand or foot mask, body moisturiser, hair treatment and brow shaper. If I’m ever away from home I make sure to have a travel-size tube with me, a multi-tasker means less packing for me!
Honestly, this is to die for. The scent is beautiful and the cream is really like crossover with a balm as it isn’t too heavy, but leaves lips feeling really nourished and soft. My favourite way to use this is through the day so I can enjoy the scent, instead of applying as I head into my bed. If I’m working from home I notice that I peel my lips through stress, so if I apply this liberally I’m less inclined to do this, likewise if I’m driving into work I’ll apply a layer of this before I leave the house and by the time I get to work my lips don’t feel raggedy and dehydrated like the rest of my body.
Drinking more liquid is something I really want to make more of an effort to do, so I know that the overall condition of my lips will improve – I just need to find the motivation!
Personally, my winter mantra will be to spend less time picking at my lips and more time hydrating from within, and slathering my favourite creams on the outside.
I’d love to know if you have a favourite lip product that has completely bypassed me!