Cold weather is brutal on the skin all across our body, but it’s even worse for our lips. Winter is therefore a time that requires extra care to avoid painfully chapped lips. Read on to learn the secrets to plump and pain-free lips all year round.
Because our lips dry out much quicker than the rest of our body, and are exposed to the cold for months on end, winter can be very uncomfortable time for our lips – particularly if we’re going between the cold of the outdoors and the warmth of the indoors frequently.
The skin on our lips is incredibly delicate and thin, so it doesn’t take much for it to peel, crack and chafe. With a little know-how and discipline, you’ll be able to breeze through the harsh temperatures of winter, and when spring finally arrives, your lips will look healthy and feel great! Let’s take a quick look at some of the steps you can take to make it through winter without your lips becoming chapped and painful.
Top Tips For Luscious Lips All Year Round
#1 – Stop Licking Your Lips!
As your lips dry out, it might be a subconscious reaction to moisten them by licking them. Unfortunately, in the long run, this is actually more damaging. By putting saliva on your lips and wetting them, when it dries again, it will make your lips even drier than they were in the first place!
Interestingly, what you may not know is that there are also enzymes in saliva designed to aid in digesting food that act as an irritant to your lips. Therefore, a lip balm or moisturiser is much better for the skin on your lips than constantly licking them. Of course it can be tricky to break habits like licking your lips, but if it means you can avoid getting chapped lips, it’s worth it.
#2 – Don’t Pick or Rub Peeling Lips
Just like licking your lips is a natural, subconscious move, so might rubbing or picking your lips when they start to peel. This is a definite habit to avoid if you want to keep your lips in good shape through winter.
Definitely don’t try and pick peeling the skin off your lips with your fingers or teeth because this just exposes the new skin underneath to the elements and will dry them out too. Again, what you should be doing is using a good quality balm or ointment to heal and soothe dry and cracked lips.
#3 – Avoid Lip Balms that Contain Menthol
While they provide a very soothing and pleasant sensation in the short term, any menthol, eucalyptus, mint or camphor ingredients that are added to your lip care products will actually accelerate the process of drying your lips out in the long run. Try not to get into the habit of using a menthol-based lip balm whenever your lips are feeling dry, as you’ll just be making the problem worse and creating something of a vicious cycle.
#4 – Use a Lip Balm Before Bed
If you want to avoid chapped winter lips, then you’ll need to get proactive about managing them – particularly in the winter months. This means using a plain, unscented lip balm before bed (and more frequently if you need to.)
Given that you might be sleeping with your mouth open or breathing through your mouth, air is continuously passing over your lips while you sleep for 8 hours. This is yet another way to dry out and crack your lips. Using a lip balm at bedtime is critical and this lip mask is a good option.
#5 – If Your Lips Crack, Treat Them Immediately
If your chapped winter lips do end up cracking or splitting, make sure you handle it right away. Using a medicated balm with disinfectant or antibacterial properties is important. Being sloppy on hygiene, or not treating cracked lips properly can lead to issues like cold sores or infections, which you definitely want to avoid if possible!
And, of course, don’t forget to take great care of your teeth too. Your smile looks much better if you have both luscious lips and pearly white teeth. To get started, you can visit this dentist who does crowns, implants, and dental bridges in Saratoga Springs.
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