How to best pamper our lips?
Dry and chapped lips are common during the winter season, but this problem can be prevented. A slight effort will go a long way and help preserve comfort and softness.
Let us guide and help you find the best routine. Your pretty mouth will be admired!
Warning: Lips and Commissures are fragile!
Our whole face is exposed to external aggressions, and our lips are particularly fragile. While we usually remember to protect our cute face from the sun, the wind, the air pollution or even temperature changes, we sometimes forget about our lips although they really need our attention!
Deprived of sebaceous and sweat glands, the skin of our mouth is thinner than the rest of our face. That is why our mouth is particularly sensitive, and that includes the folds on each side that we call commissures. It will tend to get chapped and damaged in a quicker way.
Fortunately, we have tips hidden in our purse to keep you out of trouble!
Pampering one’s lips starts with good hydration
To take care of our lips properly, we most importantly need to protect them from external aggressions. One unique way: hydration!
When applying a nourishing balm or a hydrating stick, we envelop our lips with a protective film that will keep them in good health. This might sound obvious, but good hydration also requires drinking water regularly and sufficiently during your day. A well hydrated body is essential to a healthy skin.
To protect your beautiful smile, apply a lip balm in the morning after washing your teeth, after lunch, and before going to bed. The skin being even more receptive to active ingredients during the night, this last step is probably the most important one.
Also, as make-up often has a drying effect, it can be a good idea to hydrate your lips before applying colored lipstick. It will actually give your lips an additional glowing effect!
Finding the best fitting lip balm
A multitude of choices exist on the market, and it is sometimes difficult to make up your mind on one more than another. Here is a quick list of essential ingredients that will help you in the decision. A lip balm should always include the following:
- Waxes, to prevent dehydration
- Lipids -vegetal oils or butters-, to repair and deeply nourish the skin
We love the melting and delicious texture of Nutricia Baume Lèvres Cocoon. Its composition has everything you need: vegetal oils, shea butter, beeswax. This nourishing and comforting balm will repair the most dehydrated lips. Take it with you everywhere you go, and your lips will shine all winter!
Follow the ‘clean beauty’ trend
The risk of swallowing some of the balm is clearly high. This is the reason why you should be even more cautious when choosing your product. The composition should be simple, ‘clean’ and really natural.
For an optimal tolerance, avoid mineral oils, silicones, or other endocrine disruptors, and prefer formulas with no perfume or color additives.
Our favorite is our brand new Crème n°2 Stick Lèvres. Recently launched, this new lip product hydrates for 8 hours and reduces pulling sensations during your day.
We followed apothecary traditions to formulate this lipstick with 99% of natural ingredients. The choice of a waterless solid formula, more respectful of the environment, offers a texture naturally nourishing that gently melts on your lips when applying it.
Try a light scrub once a week
Usually underrated, a gentle scrub will remove all dead cells and make your lips look gorgeous!
Once a week, you can massage your lips delicately with a very gentle scrub and rinse thoroughly afterwards.
You can also find simple homemade recipes with vegetal oils and sugar for example.
Do not forget the crucial step of hydrating your lips after this light scrub!
Ideally, you should proceed in the evening and apply a thick layer of balm that will have time to penetrate, hydrate and nourish during the night. You will wake up with baby lips!
Actions to avoid
To maintain your lips in good shape, try to avoid these:
- When our lips feel dry, we tend to humidify them with our tongue. It provides relief temporarily, but it is a bad habit as it will dry your lips even more on the long run. Always carry a balm with you and apply at least 3 times a day.
- When we feel dried skin on our lips, we sometimes try to get rid of it with our teeth. What a bad reflex! It will make things worse. Go for a little scrub instead and again, a good nourishing balm.
- Try not to touch your lips with your fingers. If not properly washed, they can damage the fragile skin.
- Smoking dries out the lips and can discolor them, another reason to try and avoid it.