Winter can be a difficult time for your skin and lips, and that does not come as a surprise as the chilling and dry wind outside, along with dry and heated air inside the home, can all cause dryness of skin and lips. Also, to add to this, lips are not the same skin type as the rest of your face and body, as they are thin and delicate. This means they need extra care; hence, we have come up with a few tips that will help you with the same.
1. Do Not Lick Your Lips:
When your lips get dry, it is natural for you to want to lick them, to moisturize them. But actually, when you lick your lips, you are doing the opposite of moisturizing them. Your saliva actually will dry out the lips faster as the enzymes in saliva are meant to digest food and can be harsh on your lips.
2. Don't Rub Flaky Lips:
You may feel the need to get rid of flaky lips by rubbing or peeling the flakes. This will further make you feel uncomfortable and can be painful. Also, it can make the cracks worst and can make them infected. Instead, use lip balm to heal your cracked lips.
3. Use Lip Masks:
You must be using face masks to make your skincare routine more effective. Similarly, you should also consider using lip masks for winter, which will moisturize lips for days, not hours. Lip masks are also smooth and condition both lips and smile region; hence, this will help in maintaining healthy lips.
4. Look for a Healing Lip Balm:
Do not plainly use a petroleum gelly, but go for a lip balm containing healing ointment such as essential oils. Another critical ingredient that it should contain is sunscreen. The sun can be harder during winter and can do more damage as your skin is delicate, hence use a healing lip balm that can also protect you from the sun.
5. Do not Wait to Use Lip Balms Only After Your Lip Cracks:
Do not wait for your lips to get cracked to use lip balm. Lip balm can be used to prevent lip cracks too. In fact, you should use lip balm year-round to moisturize your lips just like you use a moisturizer on your face every day.
6. Treat Peeling Right Away:
Not bothering about peeling right away is going to make the condition worst. Why wait till it becomes painful? If it is left as it is, it may get infected as well, attacking your immune system. This is why it is essential to start the treatment when the condition has not turned worst.
7. Apply Lip Balm Before You go to Bed:
Many people have the habit of sleeping with their mouths open. After eight hours of sleeping, that way, breathing through your mouth can seriously dry your lips. This is why it is essential to apply lip balm before you sleep to ensure they do not crack due to dryness.
The Bottom Line:
You may not find a suitable balm the very first time, hence buy tester balms initially till you are sure about any lip balm. Apply lip balm morning, noon, and night. Also, remember to purchase ointment balms to carry in your purse to ensure your lips are always protected.