How to treat dry lips during autumn
I’m not someone who usually struggles with dry lips, but lately, I’ve found myself reaching for lip balm in an attempt to keep cracked lips at bay.
It’s so bad that I can’t even wear my favourite matte bright red lipstick these days. We all know that to wear any lipstick, you need to have smooth moisturised lips.
By now we’ve all been affected by the dramatic temperature drops. One day we will be enjoying a sunny day and the next it’s full-on winter.
It’s these temperature changes that cause our skin to be drier than usual.
While it might be fairly easy to protect and keep our skin moisturised, our lips are always exposed.
The skin on our lips is very thin and exposure to the cold results in dry, chapped and cracked lips.
One of the first things many people start to do when their lips feel dry is to lick them in an attempt to hydrate them.
If you’re one of those people, then you need to stop doing so right now.
Licking your lips offers temporary relief but soon after you’ve licked your lips the saliva dries, and then you’re back to licking your lips again. Doing this repeatedly eventually leaves your lips even more dry and sensitive.
Here are more effective ways to keep your lips soft and moisturised.
Exfoliate your lips once a week using a sugar scrub. Simply add a drop of olive in a teaspoon of sugar and very gently rub it onto your lips. Then rinse and apply lip balm.
Stay hydrated. In summer the heat forces us to drink water but when the temperature drops we often forget to do so.
One of the most popular ways to protect your lips is using lip balm. When choosing one, look out for a balm with Vitamin E and sunscreen. Don’t forget to apply lip balm before you go to bed.
If you prefer to use natural products, then try honey or coconut oil.
Then there’s good old petroleum jelly. It helps to heal dry lips and as well as protecting your lips at the same time.
Swap matt lipsticks for moisturising lipstick or tinted lip balm. Not only does matt lipstick look terrible applied to cracked lips, but it dries out your lips even more.
Read the latest issue of IOL Fashion digital magazine here.