The main cause of chapped lips is loss of moisture. Moisture may be lost from our lips due to various factors. Extreme weather like winter, wind, and heat can dry lips. A variety of personal habits can also dry lips out. The following tips will help to prevent chapped lips. After all, prevention is the best cure.
Use Lip Balms
Ensure that you moisturize your lips with a lip balm, both during the day and at night. Just as our faces and bodies need moisturizing, lips also need to stay hydrated. For day time lip moisturizers, choose a good oil-based brand with at least a SPF 15 to protect your lips from UVB and UBA damage. Lip balms that contain cocoa butter and Shea butter are good lip moisturizers as they are easily absorbed by the skin. At night, good old Vaseline will keep your lips hydrated as it locks in moisture throughout the night. Keep away from flavored lip balms, as they encourage licking of lips.
Choosing the Right Cosmetic Products
Lips sticks and lip glosses are meant to give your lips a fuller and glossy look. Unfortunately, some lip sticks and glosses will harm your lips, because they contain harsh ingredients. Some may cause chapped lips, and some will cause clogged pores. Choose your lip products wisely and always check the ingredients. Products with alcohol should be totally avoided. Go for lip products that have high quantities of moisturizers and natural oils. Look for products that not only make your lips look beautiful on the outside, but also healthy from the inside.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking lots of water and fluids is essential for healthy skin and lips. This will keep the body hydrated, and prevent lips from drying and eventually chapping. If you get dehydrated your lips will be one of the first organs to be affected, because they are so sensitive.
Protection from Harsh Weather
Extreme weather has a way of ridding our surroundings of moisture. During winter, you may consider humidifying your home or office to add moisture to cold and dry air. Your humidifier should be cleaned regularly to ensure that it is working at its best. If you are outdoors on extremely windy days or during winter, use a scarf to cover your mouth.
Stop Bad Habits
Kill the temptation to bite, pick, and lick your lips. These awful habits remove the protective layer of oil on your lips’ skin, making them vulnerable to drying. Licking of lips is especially misleading as you only get temporary relief. As soon as the saliva dries, your lips are more dehydrated than before. The digestive enzymes found in saliva will also attempt to digest your lips. Stopping this habits will result in healthier lips.
Exfoliate Your Lips
Just as the rest of your body needs exfoliating, your lips need to be exfoliated to remove dead skin. An accumulation of dead skin on your lips may make them prone to drying and flaking. You can use a soft cloth or a very soft toothbrush to exfoliate your lips once a week. The process of exfoliating your lips increases blood flow and gives way to newer, smoother skin.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Nutritional deficiencies may also cause chapped lips. Ensure that your diet is rich in iron and foods containing Vitamin B. Also take multivitamins to supplement your diet. You should also try to make some healthy lifestyle changes. Stop smoking, avoid alcohol, and avoid coffee. These three dehydrate the skin at a very high rate. Replace cigarettes, alcohol, and coffee with fluids like water and fresh juices.
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