As the seasons change, our skincare needs transform and the same goes for lip care. The feeling of your lips cracking as the winter air freezes you is the worst. I have had my own share of awkward moments where I had to talk to a professor or classmate but kept folding my lips over to avoid them seeing how dry they were. It’s an uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, feeling to have dry and chapped lips. And if you think just licking your lips will fix the problem, think again. While it might give your lips a little bit of moisture for a quick second, your saliva can also be a contributor to your chapped lips. So don’t lick ’em. We’ve all done it in a weak moment where it felt crucial to make sure your lips are semi-hydrated.
And as a fellow victim of dry skin and dry lips, here are the products and techniques that I found really do help keep things smooth and soft all year long.
- A good lip scrub
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Anyone into skincare will tell you that you have to exfoliate your skin. Did you know that also applied to your lips? Our lips end up with a lot of dead skin, especially during the winter months, which is why they crack and peel. Having a lip scrub allows you to loosen the dead skin and reveal the renewed, soft layer of lips we all love.
My favorite lip scrub is from Lush ($11). It’s a castor sugar scrub with jojoba oil which helps to hydrate your lips. This is the Mint Julips flavor that tastes like mint chocolate, but they have three other delicious flavors. And yes, you can technically lick this off your lips once you’re done, but I prefer to rinse. You do you.
- One reliable lip balm
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Everyone on this planet should have at least one lip balm on them at all times, and fifty more hiding around their homes for every time they have just disappeared out of nowhere. The standard balms in the checkout line at Target are definitely crowd favorites, but if you’ve read my previous articles, you’ll know that Korean cosmetics are my go-to’s for almost everything. This SKINRx MadeCera Lip Balm ($12) is pricey for a lip balm, but is my all-time favorite.
These lip balms are made with Madecassoside which is a skincare ingredient that soothes irritated lips and keeps your lips hydrated and moisturized. These lip balms come in multiple flavors and tints, making this almost a two-in-one type of product where you get your hydrated lips and a little color just to revitalize them.
- One thick lip mask
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Surprise! Another Korean product. Just like the lip scrub, while you need to be exfoliating your lips, you should also be masking them for intense and long-lasting hydration. Drinking lots of water to keep your lips healthy is one thing. But since none of us really are drinking as much as we should, we always need a little extra help. That’s where this guy comes in.
The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($20) is a little fancy, but this product was my lifesaver all year. It’s a smooth and thick lip softening balm that is formulated with vitamin C, berry extracts, and even hyaluronic acid to keep the moisture in your lips and prevent any dry flakiness when you wake up. Use just before you go to bed and wake up to bouncy lips.
- A solid lip primer
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As the last product, I’m adding this little guy in here because chances are, your lips could be dry all the time from constant lipstick use. With matte formulas and those that are supposed to be long-lasting, those formulas can really stick to your lips and damage them over time with how much force you have to use just to get it off. And if you’re not taking it off all the way every night, you’re really not doing yourself any favors.
That’s why before you put on your lipstick, a lip primer like this from MAC ($19) will help keep your lips hydrated while you have your lipstick on. Avoid choosing lipsticks that are formulated to be super matte or twenty-four-hour wear to prevent dryness from their formulas. At the very least, just wear them in moderation and take it all off later.
We all know dry, chapped lips can be really annoying. And when plain balm isn’t enough, you can start to feel a little hopeless. Luckily, cosmetics companies are a little more aware of them and taking into consideration that while good skin is one thing, good lips is another. Don’t neglect your lips. Take just as much care of them as you would for your skin. Now, you can walk into your freezing classroom and focus up without thinking about your dry lips, because they’re already moisturized from your mask the night before.