Those Lips - Preserve Your Beautiful Lips
Kissing Season Is Almost Here!
It’s almost the season of kissing under the mistletoe and locking lips to ring in the new year. Unfortunately, it’s also the season of arctic cold fronts and dry indoor heat, which can cause chapped lips!
Quick Tips to Keep Your Lips Kissably Soft
But you don’t have to let dry cracked lips spoil all the fun. Here are 4 quick tips to keep your lips kissably soft all winter long!
1. Don’t lick your lips: Unlike the rest of your skin, your lips don’t have any glands to keep them moisturized.¹ It can be tempting to lick them but when the saliva dries out, it dehydrates the lips even more.² There are also acids in your saliva that can further irritate your dry lips.² So don’t do it. Also, resist the urge to tear off the peeling skin.² This can cause further damage and actually slow the healing process.²
2. Wear lip balm: An oil-based lubricating cream or lip balm seals your skin from the cold weather and indoor heating.³ It also helps to lock in moisture and protect cracks and splits from further damage.² If you’re going to be outdoors for a long period of time, make sure you reapply often.³ And remember to use a lip balm that has SPF protection to shield your lips from the harmful effects of the sun.³
3. Stay hydrated: Make sure you’re drinking enough liquids (non-alcoholic),³ which benefits your skin, lips included. You can also keep the air in your home from drying out with a humidifier.³
4. Breathe through your nose: Did you know that breathing through your mouth can cause dryness in your lips?³ Hopefully, you’re breathing through your nose the majority of the time, including at night when you’re sleeping. Following these 4 quick tips can help you enjoy smoochable soft lips through all the cold winter months. It kind of warms you up just thinking about it. If you have more tips on chapped lip prevention, please share them below!
1. Whitmore E. How are lips different from other skin areas? https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/lip-care/health/lips-different…. Accessed November 27, 2012.
2. Goins L. Why your lips are chapped. WebMD Web site. https://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/why-your-lips-are-chapped. Accessed November 21, 2012.
3. Gibson LE. Chapped lips: what’s the best remedy? Mayo Clinic Web site. https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chapped-lips/AN01440. Accessed November 21, 2012