Pucker Up! (Or: There Is No Excuse For Chapped Lips. None.)

A few weeks ago, as I paced around my cold, half-empty apartment, waiting the movers to return for the second load, I grew increasingly annoyed with the state of my face. My eyes were watery, thanks to the dust I'd disturbed when packing last minute items, such as floor mats, tools and whatever had been under the kitchen sink. My nose was runny and the back of my throat tingled, thanks to a super well-timed cold. What made me start and then roll my eyes, however, was the realization that my lips were burning. They were frigging chapped for the first time in many years and, as my title declares, there is no excuse for this.

In addition to the fact that I think having cracked, sore lips really sucks, I've always prided myself on having incredibly soft lips. Whether you're trying to avoid the former or achieve the latter, this is for you.

1. DO NOT LICK YOUR LIPS. If this is a habit of yours, nervous or otherwise, apply petroleum jelly to your lips until you learn to stop.

2. Exfoliate

You can use a product designed to do this, such as philosophy's kiss me exfoliating lip scrub.

You can run warm water on the bristles of a soft toothbrush and then rub the side of the head on your lips. I've also read that you can use petroleum jelly and a toothbrush but I have not tried this.

Sugar is fantastic for exfoliating. You can add a bit of olive oil to some sugar and apply it to your lips with your fingers or a wash cloth, doing so in circular motions. This also works really well on your skin and I use this method in the shower at least twice a month although I tend to add fresh lemon juice to the mix. You can also add a bit of sugar to some honey and apply in the same fashion.

3. DO NOT LICK YOUR LIPS

4. Condition

Not everyone bothers with conditioning but, as Simon at The Bay's MAC counter in downtown Montreal will tell you, protecting your lips is a good thing but in order to keep your lips moisturized, you need to condition them I recommend MAC lip conditioner or the one Claudalie makes.

5. Protect

You need to protect your lips from the elements. There are a billion types of lip balms out there. Look for ones that contain sunblock and/or, a few times a week, put a thin coat of petroleum jelly on your lips. I actually really like the effect of red lipstick applied on top of a petroleum jelly base for really cold days or to top of a nice, sun-kissed beach look.

6. DO NOT LICK YOUR LIPS

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1st image courtesy of beautyficient.com
3rd image courtesy of beautybanter.com

Posted in: beauty tips,exfoliation,lip care,lip conditioner,lip scrub,lips,mac,natural scrubs,philosophy,skincare,skincare advice,winter lip care