Introduction

Brrrr!! Winter has come! along with its own share of vices. As winter approaches us, the natural moisture balance of your lips is compromised. The frigid air, biting winds and cruel-cold temperatures vandalises the natural barrier of your lips and makes it susceptible to relentless chapping, discomfort and dreadful dryness. Perhaps, it is imperative that you bestow upon your lips the tender caress of emollient balms and adequate nourishment to keep them healthy as the skin on our lips is thinner and more delicate compared to the other parts of the face. Come, and delve into the world of embracing your lips with utmost splendour and care that they deserve amidst the misty winters and cold temperatures. Close the gap between luscious and lacklustre lips by incorporating these lip care basics in your daily skincare routine.

The Basics of Lip Care

What is the definition of healthy lips? A well-rounded cupid's bow, smooth texture, rosy-pink pigment, supple finish and plumped surface are the elements that encapsulate the definition for well-nourished lips. These aesthetic qualities hold the mantle for defining the allure of your overall facial appearance, which in turn boosts one’s self-esteem and confidence.

Dry, chapped and pale lips exemplify your careless, reckless and sluggish attitude towards the maintenance of your lips. Apart from indolent behaviour, the health of your lips is also determined by various factors including your internal health, exposure to the sun, unhealthy habits (smoking, etc.) and more. Taking care of your lips is important because above the mere aesthetics, lips also play a pivotal role in the realm of verbal and nonverbal communication.

Common Lip Problems

Lips account for the thinnest layer of skin and make it more susceptible to various external stressors like sun damage, overlicking, cold weather and other bacteria. They also lack oil glands to help them maintain moisture levels. Below are some of the most common lip problems caused by various factors.

• Chapping: Chapping is one of most common lip problems to exist. It occurs due to low humidity, excessive urge to lick your lips, cold weather and dehydration. Chapped lips are also considered as unpleasant and awful. But beyond mere aesthetics, it also lowers your self-confidence.
• Cold sores: Cold sores are more problematic than other lip problems. They are caused by viral infection, herpes virus, and other bacteria. People with weak immune systems are more likely to get cold sores.
• Cracked Lips: Peeling, swelling and cracks between your lips are an indication of dehydration. Dehydration is a consequence of poor lifestyle patterns, loss of electrolytes, and wivering temperatures. It is important to moisturise your lips and give them adequate hydration by drinking plenty of water, consuming water-rich foods and advocating an effective lip care routine in place.

Essential Lip Care Practices

Moisturization: Lips lack oil glands that provide lubrication and are unable to produce their own moisture. You require external moisturisation to maintain its hydration levels and keep them moist, supple and plumped. Saliva helps in keeping your lips soft and hydrated but an excess of that can also result in dryness. Other humectants like lip balms, lip masks, oils and water are used to moisturise lips.

Exfoliation: While some skin cells can shed off on their own, there are some dead skin cells that require external abrasion. It is important to scrub off dead skin cells, dry patches and cracked skin off your lips to reveal fresh, smooth and softer lips. Sugar acts as a common and natural exfoliating agent that helps in scrubbing off all the skin cells and dryness. There are a lot of DIY lip scrub recipes available online that help in the smooth and easy process of exfoliation.

Sun Protection: Just like your skin, your lips also require protection from the harmful effects of the UVA and UVB rays. They are the most sensitive and susceptible part of the face that can be easily damaged by the sun rays and result in dry and chapped lips.

Choosing the Right Lip Care Products

Your lips are the most sensitive part of your face and need some extra love and protection. They undergo various phases of drying, peeling and cracking that entices us to heal every lip concern with a targeted application. Below are the different types of lip balm with their specific benefits, functions and application techniques.

• Tinted lip balms: The perfect substitute for a bold, deep coat lipstick gives you an adequate amount of moisture and protection with a wash of subtle allure and tinted colour. Apply it directly on your lips for optimum coverage.
• Flavoured lip balms: These lip balms are infused with delicious flavours and scented fragrances assembled particularly for users who like fruity and scented flavours. Flavoured lip balms hold the ability to savour the taste buds, soothe the senses and hydrate the lips with their nourishing and aromatic properties.

• Organic Lip Balms: Users with sensitivity issues and high susceptibility to allergic reactions opt for lip balms made with 100% natural ingredients. Organic lip balms are made with ingredients like jojoba oil, vitamin E, avocado oil, cocoa butter, shea butter and other essential oils that give your lips ultimate hydration without harming the skin with any allergic reaction or irritation.

Lip Scrubs

Our lips are always grinding under the pressure of varying temperatures, pollution, excessive licking, hustling between daily actions like talking, smiling, eating, etc. Due to excessive exposure to external stressors, our lips become dry, chapped and flaky. An exfoliant, composed of a sugar scrub that acts as an exfoliating agent and a rich moisturising agent, helps in smoothing out the flaky skin and scrubbing off the dead skin cells to reveal healthy, supple, smooth and soft lips. DIY lip scrubs are classified as these simple, easy and effective lip care routines that will help you achieve pucker-perfect lips!

Lip Sunscreens

Lip balms with SPF! A true novelty in the universe of lip care. Did you know that unprotected lips exposed to the harmful sun rays can lead to severe mutation resulting in dark, dry and cracked appearance? Lip sunscreens are made of ingredients that protect your lips from the harmful effects of the sun, making it less vulnerable to further damage

DIY Lip Care

Unveil those luscious Insta-pout lips and get pucker-ready with these home-made, easy-to make lip scrubs and say au revoir to dull and scaly lips forever! Below are a few efficacious and organic DIY lip scrub recipes that will help you reveal kissable, plumped and soft lips.

• Cocoa Powder and Almond Oil: Savour your lips with a delicious treat! Cocoa powder acts as a great exfoliator that scrubs off all the dead skin cells and dryness. Enriched with vitamin E, Almond Oil holds the mantle for moisturising the lips and keeping them soft.

Recipe:

1 tablespoon of Cocoa powder

1 tablespoon of Almond Oil.

The Process:

Mix the two ingredients in a bowl and scrub your lips for 5 minutes to experience the rich results.

• Honey And Sugar Scrub: An Age-Old Cure to Chapped Lips! Honey and sugar are the two most common disposable ingredients found in every kitchen. Honey is enriched with rich moisturising properties which helps in softening the skin and sugar granules act as the exfoliant. This exfoliating combination is a true candyland for dry lips.

Recipe:

1 tablespoon of Honey

1 teaspoon of Sugar

The Process:

Mix the two ingredients in a bowl and scrub it on the lips for 2 minutes. Rinse your lips with warm water post exfoliation, to reveal softer lips.

Daily Lip Care Routine

Just like your skin, your lips also need some extra TLC. Below is an easy 4-step lip care routine that will help you achieve smooth, healthy, plumped and supple lips. Get Pout-Ready with this easy & effective lip care routine!

• Post shower or face cleanse, moisturise your lips with a hydrating lip balm to subdue the dryness.
• Strengthen your lip care arsenal with SPF: Protect your lips from the harmful effects of UVA rays, with an SPF infused lip balm before you leave your house.
• Exfoliate your lips, twice a week, to get rid of all the accumulated dead skin cells, flakes and cracks to ensure smooth and soft lips. Use an DIY scrub to exfoliate your lips.
• Seal your lips before you snooze Off: Apply a lip mask, a buttery cream-like balm, slightly thicker than a regular lip salve, to layer your lips and allow the them to restore the lost moisture sabotaged due to external stressors like UVA and UVB rays, pollution, dust, over-licking and changing temperatures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our lips exemplify the definition of unsung champions of human interaction that execute the most important bodily functions, always found in motion. They are an embodiment of sensual allure, personal hygiene and expressive dynamics. Protect your lips with a luxurious embrace of consistent care, emollient balms, nourishing ingredients, and give it a big kiss of love amidst the chilling onset of winters!