Banish Chapped Winter Lips Forever

So we are well and truly into the winter and festive season. The season of German markets, mulled wine and Christmas parties. Unfortunately, it is also the season of colds, runny noses and those dreaded chapped lips.

So what causes chapped lips? Unlike the rest of our skin, lips don't have sebacecous glands, the glands that make protective oils for our skin. Furthermore, the skin is thinner on our lips. This combination means that lips are susceptible to drying out, and dried lips crack and peel.

Here are our tips to banish chapped lips this festive season.

1. DONT LICK YOUR LIPS!!

This seems counterintuitive, but hear us out. As saliva evaporates, it causes moisture to be lost from the lips, making them even more dry. In addition, saliva contains strong enzymes that digest food, and those powerful enzymes can damage already chapped lips.

2. CHANGE THAT FAVOURITE MATTE LIPSTICK.

Matte and long wear lipsticks dry out lips. In fact all lipsticks containing wax cause moisture loss. To make matters worse, dragging old lipsticks across already cracked lips is irritating to the skin.

Instead replace that longwear stick with a creamy lip conditioner. Here the Arbonne range steps right up. They produce 16 shades of creamy sticks ideal for chapped lips. They all contain hyaluronic acid, a wonder product that draws moisture to form a protective barrier for the skin. The extra moisture increases voluminous appearance.

I like them because I can taste the sweet fruit extracts.

3. GIVE GUM A REST.

Chewing gums that contain mint, menthol or cinnamon are a no-go, as these substances are natural irritants to the delicate skin of the lip.

4. DON'T PICK YOUR LIPS.

There is a lot of common sense in this advice. Picking something never makes it better, and the same goes for lips. Picking flakes leads to bleeding or cold sores, worsening the cycle of chapped lips.

5. EXFOLIATE WITH THE SWEET STUFF.

Sugar is a natural humectant, meaning that while you exfoliate, it attracts moisture, getting you one step closer to smoother lips.

6.BUTTER UP ...... ON THE OUTSIDE.

Apply lip balms that are rich in Shea butter, or natural oils such as coconut oil. Use the balms at night to seal in the moisture that is lost when we mouth breathe at night. A secret trick is to apply balm to outside of the lip line, as it is often the skin on the lip border that looks most chapped and dry.

Arbonne comes to the rescue with its Tahitian Coconut Lip Therapy Set. This duo consists of a sugar based gentle exfoliant containing coconut and dragon fruit extract accompanied by a shea butter lip balm. Both of these products are completely edible, and the delicious taste makes you apply it over and over again.

7. GET YOURSELF A HUMIDIFIER

At night most people sleep with their mouths open, allowing moisture to be lost via the mouth. A humidifier will add moisture to the air, so that we lose less via evaporation. This is particularly important at winter time, when heaters can dry out the air.

8. DRINK WATER

Another simple and cheap solution. If moisture loss causes dry lips, make sure to keep yourself well hydrated.

So there you have it. Our top tips for keeping those lips ready for any mistletoe meetings. If your lips are calling out for any of the products mentioned Contact us at Cosmetic Beauty Secrets or check out Arbonne's full range of vegan, health and wellbeing products here.

#chappedlips #lips #lipbalm #lipstick #lipexfoliation #sheabutter