Winter can be extremely rough on our lips. Keep them smooth and hydrated, especially if you’d like to wear lipstick.
Repair the damage with some of my top tips for winter-ready lips.
Note: For severe and chronically dry or cracked lips, a visit to your dermatologist might be warranted to diagnose and treat any underlying medical cause.
For everyone else, here goes:
Step 1: *EXFOLIATE*
Removing dead skin cells reveals fresh smooth skin, helps treatment products penetrate better, and creates a smoother canvas for lip color!
One option I like is MAC Lip Scrumptious, or you can simply go with Vaseline / Aquaphor / Lanolin (Yes, same stuff as for breastfeeding woes!)
Let the product sit for a few minutes and then gently scrub in circular motions with a soft toothbrush. Make sure to immediately re-hydrate and be super gentle! You don’t want to irritate or break the delicate skin!
Step 2: *HYDRATE*
There are loads of really good emollient lip products out there! I personally love the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask [mentioned previously here] but you can also go with Vaseline / Aquaphor / Lanolin (Yes, the same items you used to exfoliate.)
Put on a generous amount before bedtime and anytime you aren’t wearing lip color. Just remember to wipe off before lipstick etc.
Step 3: *BODY HYDRATION*
Make sure to drink/hydrate your body properly, use moist air/humidifier and limit environmental dry heat as much as possible. Use an emollient lip product nightly before bed. Wear a scarf around your face to protect from wind/extreme weather, etc.
Step 4: *PREP*
Before a simcha, Shabbos, or sitting in my makeup chair, load up on the emollients and avoid the drying stuff for DAYS before! Remember that emollient products limit lip color wear-time, so wipe off before using any lip color!
Step 5: *SWITCH FROM A LIPSTICK TO A BALM*
When all else fails, simply use a tinted lip balm/gloss for some gentle emollient color!
Laneige Lip Glowy Balm is my personal favorite for everyday wear – alone or as a lipstick topper! Some more balm/gloss picks I like include Makeup By Mario Lip Serum and Dior Addict Lip Glow at the higher end, and ChapStick, Labello, Burt’s Bees, and Honest Beauty at the lower end.
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