How to Get New, Younger, Smoother, Sexier Lips Easily and Affordably

The key to luscious lips is not in a $70 lip plumper, or the latest hot red lipstick on the runway. It all starts with taking care of the lips to provide a smooth base to build upon.

To make sure you get maximum results, start by exfoliating your lips. This will help you get rid of excess dead skin as well as encourage healthy blood flow in the area. Depending on how chapped/rough they are, there are a couple of different methods to try.

Using a toothbrush: After you're done brushing your teeth, and before drying your lips, gently massage them with the toothbrush in a circular motion. Do not rub vigorously or you may risk cutting the delicate skin covering the lips. Rinse with water, gently pat dry, and moisturize (more on this below).

Using a home made exfoliant: Apply some sugar to olive oil, jojoba oil, petroleum jelly (my least favorite-- more on this below), honey, or even a lip balm to form a grainy exfoliant. Apply as much sugar as you feel necessary to make a grainy paste that will scrub dead skin off your lips. Massage the mixture with your fingers in a circular motion gently on your lips. For extra exfoliation, combine this method with the toothbrush method, using the toothbrush to massage the mixture on the lips instead of fingers. Rinse with water, gently pat dry, and moisturize (below).

After exfoliating comes the crucial step of moisturizing. Many people resort to petroleum jelly as a moisturizer, but it's not! Petroleum jelly acts as an effective barrier on the skin to keep water contained in the skin from evaporating. It does not moisturized chapped lips/skin, but if you're lips are already well moisturized, then it will act as an excellent shield to keep them so. For amazing moisture, I prefer natural lip products, as the others usually contain petroleum jelly or similar waxes to provide protection rather than moisture to the lips.

For super chapped, extremely dry, cracked lips: CocoCare Cocoa Butter Lip Balm ($0.99 at Walgreens) -- this is a life savior! In harsh winter months, this is the only product that keeps my lips soft and smooth. It is super smooth in consistency, applies like butter, and has a shine to it almost like a light gloss. At $0.99, it wouldn't hurt to give it a go. There is also a version with SPF 15, but it's quite difficult to find in my local drugstores.

For naturally smooth lips and constant daily care: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick ($2.99 at Walgreens, CVS, Rite-Aid, and Drugstore.com) -- I know, I know, you're thinking that relatively speaking this one's a bit more expensive than the great one above, but it's also a lot bigger than traditional lip balm sticks! It's actually about the size of a glue stick, and even looks like one. I love this one for year-round usage. It's not as balmy and thick as the CocoCare one, so it doesn't provide as much moisture, but it is perfect! When you want smooth and soft lips without the heavy feel and shine of a balm, this is the one to pick, especially in the hot summer months when thicker formulas tend to melt off your lips and onto your face (yuck!). It's light in application and is quickly absorbed by the skin. This product is not specifically for lips, it's for all areas of dry skin, so pack a couple of these babies for lips, elbows, and feet.

Once your lips are properly prepped, rest assured that anything you apply will look a million times better. If you're into lip plumpers and such, their performance will improve dramatically once dry skin is out of the way. But of course you can skip all the extra work and simply enjoy showing off your deliciously soft, natural lips!