Soft and smooth lips make your face more beautiful and lively. Lips always draw attention and they figure among the foremost indicator of physical beauty. Beautiful lips enhance the beauty of your face. Being one of the most sensitive parts of your body, lip care should be included in your regular skincare routine.

Chapped dry lips

The skin on lips is extremely thin and lacks oil glands, making your lips prone to dryness. Hence your skin tends to get dry and cracked easily. Chapped lips can be painful and you may feel uncomfortable while talking, eating, smiling, etc.

It is quite common to have chapped dry lips in the windy and cold weather of winter.

Other factors include:

– Inadequate water intake to keep your skin hydrated.
– Smoking can be damaging to your skin. The natural oils from the lips are lost due to smoking and it can even discolor your lips. Smoking can cause wrinkles around your mouth.
– Constant exposure to sun may dry out your skin and lips.
– Lip licking habit can cause chapping of lips.
– Alcohol and Caffeine dehydrates your skin.
– Allergic reactions to skin care cosmetics can contribute to chapped lips.

Pamper your lips:

Like your skin and hair, your lips too need to be taken care of. Here area couple of things you can do to get smooth and beautiful lips.

Cleansing your lips:

You can use a cleanser or a cold cream to cleanse your lips. Smear it on your lips generously and gently wipe it off with moist cotton. Use it every morning and night. If your lips are dry, you may need a cleanser with moisturizer.

Moisturizing your lips:

Lip balms contain significant proportion of petroleum jelly. They form a film over the lips to prevent moisture loss from your lips. Lip balms soften your lips and help prevent the entry of germs into cracks or cuts that have appeared in the lips. You can use lip balms several times a day to keep your lips well hydrated.

Exfoliating your lips:

Sometimes you may need to remove dead skin from your lips to promote the growth of new Cells. You can use a mild facial scrub and massage in circular movements using a toothbrush. Rinse your lips with lukewarm water and blot dry with a soft tissue. Moisturize your lips immediately after Exfoliation.

Lip care tips for beautiful lips:

Stay hydrated: Water is essential to keep your skin and lips hydrated. Drink at least 8–10 glasses of water in a day. Cut down on alcohol and Caffeine intake and quit smoking. You can always use a lip balm on regular basis to prevent chapped or cracked lips. Avoid frequent licking of your lips as it leads to more drying.

Sun protection:

Avoid overexposure to sun as it can suck out moisture and damage your skin. Lips tend to get sun tanned easily as they have less Melanin. Always use a lipstick or lip balm with a SPF of 15 or more to protect your lips from the damaging UV rays.

Avoid irritating skin cosmetics:

Certain ingredients like fragrances and preservatives in cosmetics can cause allergic reactions and chapped lips. Do not use any product that has caused allergy in the past. Remove your lip color before going to sleep.

Eat healthy foods:

Eat a diet rich in vitamins, particularly vitamin B. Certain vitamin and mineral deficiency may cause flaking and crackers at the corners of the mouth. Do eat a well-balanced diet and lots of fruits and vegetables which are rich in antioxidants.

Information Courtesy “http://www.indianwomenshealth.com/”