For some reason, the lips don’t get the attention they deserve when it comes to hydrating the skin. With countless routines for foreheads, elbows, and even cuticles, why is it that we still believe the only way how to keep lips soft is to wipe them with a sticky finger of petroleum? Unless hiding behind a mask all day, chapped lips can’t be concealed. Lipstick makes matters worse and can end up gathered around the flakes of skin, a rather unflattering look. Not to mention they are also irritating, painful, and an all-round nuisance. There are a number of factors that can cause dry lips including cold weather, spicy foods, and sun damage. However, there are also a number of ways how to keep the lips soft, all year round.

Exfoliate Your Lips

We want to start afresh, so the first step is to exfoliate your lips. Removing any build-up of dead skin will give you a smooth base to work with. However, please note that if you’re wondering how to exfoliate your lips, it’s with an entirely different method to the one used to scrub your elbows and ankles. Harsh scrubbing can result in cracks in the skin which may cause more dryness. There is a specific way how to exfoliate your lips.

How to exfoliate lips

As the skin is so delicate, to keep the lips soft it’s best to be gentle with them. Although we want to remove those irritating flakes, there’s better ways of doing so without the use of harsh lip scrubs and toothbrushes. Our Intensive Lip Treatment acts as a 2-in-1 exfoliator and moisturizer so not only does it remove unwanted skin and improve texture, it zaps moisture back into the lips whilst doing so. Simply massage it into your lips before bed and let it work its magic overnight.

Woman applying Ameliorate Intensive Lip Therapy

Use an Intensive Lip Treatment

Now that the rough, dry skin has been removed, we want to improve the moisture barrier on the lips. This can be done by simply reapplying the same intensive lip treatment you used to exfoliate the following morning! You may have already heard of our unique, LaH6 complex. If not, it is a formula specifically designed to draw water into the skin and lock it into place. Along with Shea Butter to help renew the skin cells you have just exfoliated, the blend of ingredients found in the Intensive Lip Treatment will re-plump the lips with hydration. If you’re wondering how to keep the lips soft all day, you can use it throughout the day as a lip balm or under lipstick for a smooth base.

Stay Hydrated

We’ve established that certain conditions can dry out our lips, that’s why chapped lips are so common in the winter months. However, why exactly are cold temperatures so detrimental? It is because the cold air outside has less humidity and is therefore extremely dry. This combined with the blasts of heating inside makes for extremely difficult conditions for our lips, face, and scalp to stay hydrated. We agree, sipping on water throughout the day is easier said than done and americanos technically should count. However, you should make a conscious effort to stay hydrated when you find yourself in these moisture-zapping conditions. Dehydration should always be the first culprit that comes to mind if you feel your lips heading to the drier side. On those chilly days- whether your out in the cold or sat in a heated office, remember to keep sipping, thirsty or not.

woman carrying laptop and water bottle

Avoid Irritating Ingredients

If you’re constantly reapplying lip-balm to no avail, or perhaps to a worsening situation, look at the ingredients. Salicylic acid is one in particular that you want to avoid. It’s often added into lip-balms with the purpose of being an exfoliator. However, it simply causes irritation and can remove the protective outer layers of the skin. Other irritating ingredients to watch out for are menthol, which gives that initial cooling sensation, and phenol, used for a mild numbing effect to sooth itchiness.

Many lip-balms on the market today contain these ingredients, some even bragging about them on their packaging (a minty fresh flavour is a red flag.) Don’t fall for it. Instead, if you want to know how to keep your lips soft and calm all day long, look out for naturally hydrating ingredients such as lanolin, a natural wax that locks in moisture and one of the main ingredients in our intensive lip treatment.

finger dipped in lip balm

Avoid Licking Lips

Lastly, as tempting as it may be, try to avoid licking your lips. Naturally, if your lips feel slightly dry, you might think there’s no harm in a quick moisture top-up. However, licking the lips is arguably the worst think you can do for your lips to stay hydrated. Your saliva contains digestive enzymes that wear down the skin on your lips, drying them out. So, as soon as the saliva has left your lips, they’re left drier than before. It’s an easy habit to get into and a nasty one to kick but having an intensive lip treatment at hand is a good start. What’s more, the more hydrated your lips, the lesser the urge to lick them. The less you lick them, the more hydrated they’ll stay. It’s a win-win.

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If your lips aren’t the only area being affected by the cold weather, discover The Perfect Body Lotion For Winter here.

Josie Wilkins

Writer and expert

Josie is an Online Beauty Editor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Her passions involve all things skincare and beauty and in her free time she likes to travel, read and get her beauty sleep.

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