As I’m sure you know girls, the colder weather wreaks havoc with our skin, and while many of us go to a lot of trouble to ensure our faces and bodies are well moisturised, we tend to forget that our lips need special attention too. Here are 7 steps to get your pout into tip top condition …
Dryness is the number one problem we experience with our lips. Skin tends to accumulate and become flaky, and that, ladies, is not attractive. Buy yourself an ordinary soft bristled tooth brush and give your lips a gentle brush every morning. This removes dry skin, stimulates circulation and will have your kisser looking great in no time. Remember to apply a nourishing balm when you’re done.
As with so many other beauty problems, dry skin around the mouth is often linked with dehydration. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep your lips looking lush.
As with ordinary dry skin, your lips will benefit from an increase in the correct vitamins and minerals. Omega 3 is a great option and Vitamin A, taken in carefully regulated doses will also help – be sure to ask your pharmacist about this one ladies, as too much will really dry your skin out.
A lot of the time we confuse lip balm with lip gloss and the effects of this can be quite damaging. A balm is designed to nourish and heal lips, keeping the soft and supple, but a gloss is purely cosmetic and will often cause skin to tighten and become uncomfortably dry over time. Glosses tend to be simply oil based, while balms have a silkier texture and often include added Vitamins.
Lipstick looks terrible applied over dry skin so if your lips are chapped, avoid it. However, if you are a fan of the sultry made-up pout, find yourself a lipstick that doubles as a balm. There’s a tone of products like this on the market at the moment and they’ll help to keep your lips in shape and looking fab at the same time.
If you feel your lips are perpetually dry, you might want to look to your diet for the cause. Eating sulphur-rich foods, like eggs, garlic and asparagus will help the lips’ skin to rejuvenate, and dishes rich in Vitamins A, B and C are also a good call. Stock up on berries, carrots, leafy greens and plain yoghurt to get you back on track.
If no matter what you do, your lips remain dry, it’s probably a good idea to visit a doctor. Perpetually chapped skin around the mouth can point to illnesses such as anaemia, or could equally be a sign of complex infection.
What do you ladies do to keep those lips looking luscious? Share your beauty tips; I’d love to hear them!
Top Photo Credit: orangeacid