Like skin elsewhere on your body, your lips can be prone to dryness and cracking. This can be due to cold temperatures and dry air throughout the winter, as well as the extreme outdoor heat during the summer.
The skin on your lips is much thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face. Which makes this area more prone to damage and general deterioration. Luckily, there are a variety of ways you can keep your lips in perfect condition no matter what time of year it may be.
We’ve worked out the perfect lip care routine you can use all year round to keep your lips looking and feeling their best.
Maintain Hydration
Your lips will normally need a bit more TLC when it comes to skincare than the rest of your face. That is because your lips, unlike the rest of your facial skin, do not have sebaceous glands or sweat glands. These glands are responsible for producing a natural moisture barrier on the skin, and are commonly found on all areas of the body where hair grows.
Since lips don’t have hair follicles they also lack this natural moisture producing gland. This lack of protection makes our lips much more prone to UV damage and other environmental stressors than the rest of our face. So it’s important that we help provide and maintain hydration on our lips throughout the year.
One of the easiest ways to provide a splash of hydration to your lips no matter where you are is with our ORMEDIC lip enhancement complex. It contains a mix of ultra-hydrating polypeptides as well as avocado oil to replenish lost moisture and help maintain it throughout the day.
Simply apply a thin but liberal amount of the complex over your lips in the morning and repeat as necessary throughout the day. For very dry lips, we recommend re-applying two to four times or as needed. This is a great lip balm for anyone that spends a lot of time in an air conditioned office where the moisture level in the air is greatly reduced.
If you plan on spending most of your day outside where the sun and wind can play a part in your lip health, consider using our IMAGE MD restoring lip enhancer SPF 15 instead. Not only will you get the incredible hydrating benefits of a balanced peptide complex, avocado oil, and marine collagen, but you will also get SPF 15 UV protection as well.
Consider Exfoliation
While not always the targeted skin for exfoliation, lips that are prone to dryness and flaking can benefit from gentle exfoliation. When performed as part of your weekly routine, exfoliation on your lips can remove the buildup of dry and flaking skin, while also helping to smooth out rough spots and restore the soft and smooth pout you love.
Not all exfoliators will be suitable for use on your skin. For a gentle exfoliating approach, we recommend trying our AGELESS total facial cleanser. It is free from parabens, mineral oils, and phthalates. It also contains no synthetic dyes, nor artificial fragrances.
When exfoliating your lips, apply a small amount of the facial cleanser with your fingers to your wetted lips. Gently rub the cleanser in a circular motion for up to 30 seconds before rinsing it off with lukewarm water and patting your lips dry with a soft cloth.
After exfoliation, apply a protective lip enhancement complex to lock in moisture and provide a soothing feel after the abrasive exfoliation.
We also recommend exfoliating your lips no more than twice a week with a gentle exfoliator, and don’t rub the cleanser onto your lips too briskly either. Be gentle in your exfoliation, keeping in mind that the skin on your lips is much thinner and more delicate than the skin on the rest of your face.
Avoid Irritation
While certain irritants in the environment around you can cause dry and cracking skin on your lips, such as extremely hot or very cold wind and low ambient humidity, there are also a number of ingredients in food, drinks, and other facial skin care products that can cause irritation as well.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, there are a variety of lip care routine ingredients you should avoid if your lips are prone to dryness and chapping. These ingredients include:
- Salicylic acid
- Lanolin
- Oxybenzone
- Phenol or Phenyl
- Octinoxate
- And artificial fragrances
In addition, other potentially irritating ingredients you should avoid include:
- Menthol
- Cinnamon
- Peppermint Oil
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Camphor
Not only can these ingredients have the reverse effect on your lips and make them drier than they were previously, they can also potentially cause an allergic reaction in some individuals or cause intense burning and stinging sensations when used on cracked lips.
