Having healthy lips in winter, maybe a dream come true for many. The skin on your lips is very thin and has no oil glands to prevent it from chapping. So it is completely your potential to keep them healthy. Even the most expensive lipstick will not cure the dryness of your lips. Protecting your lips from dryness is not just important for appearance, but also for health. You may end up with bacterial infections, cold sores and other problems if they are chappy. They will also effect your smile and damage your self esteem..
Causes For Chapped Lips:
There are different reasons for chapped lips, but here are a few that are extremely common:
1. Weather change – heat or cold
2. Aging plays a very important role in causing dry lips
3. Biting your lips will result in bleeding and cracked lips
4. Licking your lips is the worst habit!
5. Touching lips with fingers will transfer the bacteria on your hands to your lips and cause infections ( also aggravate chapped lips)
6. Dehydration
7. Usage of excessive chemicals (Lipsticks)
8. Any form of alcohol can provoke skin irritation
9. Any product with chemical preservatives
10. Leaving the lipstick on, while going to sleep
11. Using lip balms with alcohol, retinol and menthol
Women who like to chew on their lips wearing lipstick, will consume about 4 to 9 pounds of lipstick in their life time! All these may seem common but they affect your health, severely. They make the skin on the lips dry, rough and sensitive.
Protecting Your Lips:
For a long lasting moisture on the lips, you need to treat them from outside as well as from the inside. It is extremely important to consume plenty of water everyday. This will keep your lips moisturized from within, as it nourishes and protects the skin. If your diet has low levels of vitamin B, you are more prone to chapped lips. Including red meat, fortified cereals, skim milk, Swiss cheese, eggs and silken tofu to your diet will bring about a great change in your lips. The most important points to protect your lips are:
1. Quit smoking! It will completely spoil your lips and it may become too late to regain the color and texture of your lips.
2. Always keep your lips moisturized by applying a natural lip balm.
3. Apply lip balm before going to bed.
4. Licking your lips is a bad habit. Yes, it may look like it is keeping your skin moisturized for a moment, but it worsens the situation! The wind will dry your lips in a minute and you have to keep licking them. This process is unending and will become a major condition, by spreading away from the lips. So it is better to keep them moisturized with a lip balm.
5. For the winter season, you need to choose lip balms with extra moisturizing agents. The lip balms you choose should have a long lasting effect. They will keep your lips moisturized for a longer period of time. It is an added advantage if the lip balm contains SPF in it. The lip balms which contain the following are the best for your lips.
Shea Butter: Shea butter acts as a natural sun block and it has allantoin, which is a healing agent. This is the best ingredient to have in a lip balm. It gives a soothing effect to the lips.
Aloe Vera: As we all know, Aloe Vera consists of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents which protect the skin from any kind of infections. Aloe Vera is also very soothing and moisturizing, when applied on the lips.
Glycerin: Glycerin is a natural skin softer and it holds agents that bind moisture and skin together.
Jojoba Oil: It is one of the best nourishing oils for the skin. It softens and lubricates the skin, when it is applied.
Vitamin E: It is a powerful antioxidant and moisturizing agent. It protects the lips from the sun.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil relieves dry and itchy skin. It also softens and moisturizes the lips.
Beeswax: It is a non allergic skin softener, that moisturizes and nourishes the skin. It consists of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents that guard and protect the skin.
Vitamin A and D: These are pro-active vitamin complexes that are skin friendly. They contain fatty acids that are easily absorbed into the skin. They help to soothe and heal the skin effectively.
6. If you are in a habit of using lipstick everyday, choose the ones with moisturizing ingredients. It is better to avoid lipstick, especially in winter. Instead, you can use a moisturizing lip balm, with a tint of lip color.
Home Remedies To Treat Chapped Lips:
The golden secrets of gaining fresh, soft and luscious lips are by using home remedies. They are cheap, surely available and accessible at any time. If you use these secret tips, your lips will look moisturized and healthy, even without using lipsticks or lip balms. So try these simple remedies to cure your lips and enjoy an ever lasting moisture.
Honey:
Using honey to moisturize your lips is the best. You need to apply this in the night, before going to bed. It is the best way to clean your lips. It will also cure dark lips, caused due to sun exposure.
Ghee:
Ghee has the same effect on the lips as honey. You need to apply a few drops of ghee on your lips, before going to sleep. It will give you smooth and soft lips, within no time.
Green Tea Bags:
The oldest home remedy followed by many is green tea bags. Press one used green tea bag, against your lips for at least 4 minutes. You need to do this everyday to increase the moisture of your lips. This is the best natural remedy used to cure chapped lips.
Lemon Juice:
This remedy will help to prevent aging of the skin. It nourishes the sensitive skin on your lips, leaving them smoother and softer than before. Take a small bowl and mix one teaspoon of cream (milk) with 3 drops of lemon juice. Place the bowl in the fridge for an hour. Remove the mixture and apply it on and around the lips, before going to sleep. If you repeat this procedure for three days, you will notice best results. You can also continue it everyday to prevent the lips from aging.
Rose Water and Glycerin:
Rose water and glycerin is a great combination. It provides glowing and amazing skin, with regular use. You need to take a tablespoon of glycerin and rose water. The measurement may vary according to the need of each person. You need to take equal quantities of both the ingredients. Mix it together and apply this mixture to your lips, as well as your whole face, before going to sleep. You will see mind blowing results in 5 days time!
Glycerin and Honey:
Honey and glycerin will help to prevent wrinkles and dry skin. You need to take a teaspoon of honey and add very few drops of glycerin to it. Apply this mixture on the lips and leave it on for 15 minutes. Wash it off with normal water. Apply a few drops of glycerin again and leave it over night. This tip is extremely useful and prevents the lips from wrinkling.
Jojoba Oil:
This remedy gives a natural instant relief from severely chapped lips. All you need to do is take a few drops of jojoba oil and apply it on the affected area. You need to leave it on for about 15 minutes. Jojoba oil helps in a speedy recovery of your lips. It will get the moisture back into your lips, by nurturing the skin cells in the lips. It helps in building new skin cells which will repair the skin immediately.
Cucumber:
Cucumber is a vegetable with all the goodness in the world. You need to take a peeled cucumber and crush it. Extract the juice and apply this onto your lips. Leave it on for 20 minutes and wash off with normal water. You will see a major difference if you use this remedy regularly.
Sugar Scrub:
You can exfoliate your lips by using a good scrub. Even a small brush will do to remove the dead cells on your lips. But the best scrub for lips is sugar. It is easily accessible from your kitchen. You can take 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and add 2 drops of olive oil to it. Scrub your lips gently with this mixture. After 3 to 5 minutes of scrubbing, you can wash it off with normal water. Apply a good lip balm after wiping your lips with a cloth. This remedy will make you lips shiny and softer than before.