Dry lips cause a lot of trouble and most of the people try to keep it moisturized by licking them frequently. But this makes them even drier. So avoid this habit and keep a lip balm always with you. This will keep your lips well moisturized. Your lips tend to get dry mostly in winter times. Given below is a list of beauty tips that will help you to keep your lips moisturized and beautiful throughout the year.
Beauty Tips for Sore and Dry Lips
Avoid all possible irritants that and allergens that can cause lip damage:
Some of the ingredients present in tooth paste may cause irritation on your lips when they are dry. So you must be extra careful and make sure that no trace of the tooth paste is left on your lips after you brush your teeth. Children are more prone to such irritations as they cannot brush without the tooth paste dripping on their lips and the chin.
Avoid open mouth breathing:
Just as in the case of licking your lips, breathing through the mouth also makes your lips get drier. When you breathe through your mouth, the lips tend to dry fast because of the presence of too much of moisture on the lips. So, always breathe through your nose. This will avoid dry lips and also prevent any impurities fro getting in to your lungs.
Choose the right lip balm:
When you choose a lip balm, get one that suits you. Also make sure that they are of a good brand and contain natural oils. These will keep your lips well hydrated for a longer period of time. Lip balms enriched with peppermint is good for treating chapped lips. Lip balms that contain too much of chemicals will only cause damage to the skin of your lips.
Drink ample amounts of water:
Water is essential for a healthy body and to flush out all toxins from the body. So drink at least 8 to 10 glasses f water daily to keep your body hydrated. If you have a well hydrated body, your lips will also regain the lost moisture and stay soft and luscious. So, one of the easy ways to avoid dry lips is to drink lots of water.
Lip balms – Soothe & Heal dry lips:
A thin coat of lip balm on your lips will protect your lips from the harmful actions of the sun and also prevent them from getting dry and chapped. So, never forget to apply lip balm. You may apply it at regular intervals and keep them moisturized throughout the day.
Lip exfoliation destroys the impurities:
Exfoliation of lips helps in keeping your lips soft and supple by removing the dead cells from the lips. There are various ways to exfoliate your lips. You can either use oils, honey etc or a good home made scrub for exfoliating the lips. Sugar and honey is a good scrub and removes all dead cells, making your lips soft and supple. You can even use a baby brush and brush your lips gently with it to remove dead cells.
Stop licking your lips:
Most of us have the habit of licking our lips when they get dry. We think that this will keep them moisturized. But this is not a good habit and it will never prevent dry lips. After you lick your lips, it gets dry and then you again lick your lips. This will go on and will only help in making your lips get drier. Biting your lips is also not good for your lips. It will make the lips get dry and even cut your lips so that they may start to bleed.
Stay indoors or in shade:
When you go out, you are exposed to various elements of the environment like the hot sun, dry wind, pollution, dust and so on. All these make your lips drier. It may be hard not to go out and confine yourself indoors. But try to reduce going out.
Take a multi-vitamins if required:
If your body lacks some of the vitamins and minerals, you may suffer from various problems, including dry lips. So it is important that you take in the required vitamins. This is a remedy for all problems of the skin and the body. You can get it by consuming foods rich in these vitamins or by taking vitamin supplements.
Visit a doctor if nothing works for you:
If, after following the above mentioned tips, you still have dry lips, then you will have to consult your doctor and follow his advice. You may be suffering from some infection and need medical attention.
Additional Tips for Treating Dry Lips:
Castor oil:
Castor oil is also an excellent remedy for dry lips. Apply castor oil on your lips and leave it overnight. This will make your lips soft and supple. You can also mix castor oil with a few drops of glycerin and lemon juice and then apply on your lips.
Glycerin:
Glycerin is very beneficial for treating dry lips. Before you go to bed at night, take two drops of glycerin and apply on your lips. When you wake up the next morning you will see that all dryness has gone from your lips.
Mustard oil:
Mustard oil is easy to get in any Indian kitchen, especially in West Bengal. It is great for treating dry and cracked lips that are painful. Just take some mustard oil on your finger tips and apply on your lips. In the beginning you may have a burning sensation, but it will go of soon. It is very effective for cracked lips.
Milk cream:
Milk cream is a rich source of fat and therefore moisturizes your lips naturally. Apply milk cream on your lips and leave it for a few minutes. Then wipe off with cotton that is dipped in lukewarm water.