It's Winter, Bring on the Chapped Lips

With the winter season rapidly approaching, lots of us are going to end up with chapped lips. It seems inevitable this time of year. Dry, chapped lips are uncomfortable and unsightly. My grandmother actually taught me a trick to help keep my lips moisturized and soft all year long, here's how:

Each night before bed, exfoliate your lips. This can be done by running a dry wash cloth gently across your lips. The texture and roughness of the washcloth will not be damaging to your lips, but will help to remove any dead skin cells. I prefer using an old toothbrush to the wash cloth, but you can do whatever works best for you. If you prefer, you can also make a mixture of baking soda, a little sugar, and water. Apply the past to your lips, rub in with you finger and let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing it off. The baking soda and sugar will do the same as the washcloth or toothbrush, by rubbing off dead skin cells. Once you have rinsed your lips with cold water, apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly, or something similar to protect and moisturize your lips while you sleep. I actually use Carmex. In a few days time, you should begin to notice softer, healthier lips...not to mention, plumper lips due to the exfoliation.

Since chapped lips are common, especially during the fall and winter, it is wise to take steps to prevent them from chapping in the first place.

One of the most common causes of chapped lips is due to exposure to the cold and wind. Be sure to get into the habit of applying a moisturizing lip balm before you head outdoors, especially during these upcoming winter months. There are also many brands of lip balm that offer SPF protection, to keep your lips from being dried out due to too much sun exposure.

Apply a thin coating of lip balm, chap stick or petroleum jelly several times throughout your day to keep your lips moisturized.

If you are prone to chapped lips, consider keeping a humidifier in your home. The dry air inside our homes tends to dry out our lips. A humidifier circulates moisture through the air thus providing moisture for your skin and lips.

During your makeup routine, apply a thin layer of moisturizing chap stick to your lips before you apply your lipstick. Some lipsticks have harsh ingredients that tend to dry our lips out, so providing that protective barrier of lip balm will help to keep your lips soft and beautiful.

Be sure to keep your body hydrated during the day. When you body is dehydrated it will pull moisture from anywhere it can to help. Drink lots of water through out the day to keep up the moisture level in your lips.

Smoking dries out the skin around your mouth, increasing your chance for chapped lips. If you smoke, be sure to direct extra amounts of attention and care to your lips.

Do not forget about your diet, that too can affect your lips. Often times dry lips can be a result of a diet low in B2 (Riboflavin). You can help treat your dry lips by taking a B2 supplement, or by eating food such as dairy products, red meats, and breads.

During the winter months, twice a week I do a "lip therapy" treatment on my lips to keep them soft, plump and crack free. Mix a fair amount of sugar with one squirt of lemon juice, and stir in some water to form a paste. Rub the paste on your lips with your finger (or a toothbrush for severely chapped lips) for about 30 seconds. Let it sit for another 30 seconds and rinse with cool water to close the pores. Pat dry and apply cocoa butter (this can be petroleum jelly, carmex, anything thick). Once the cocoa butter dries I apply a moisturizing chap stick (Burt's Bees) and head to bed. This helps to keep my lips moisturized and beautiful all winter long.