Nobody wants dry, chapped lips. Do yourself and your partner a favour and take care of them
By Cheryl Chia
One of the more neglected parts of your face is definitely the lips. Dry and cracked lips are not fun. They are painful, annoying and downright unattractive.
The skin on our lips tends to be drier as there are no sebaceous glands to keep them moisturised. To help you along, here are a few quick tips on how to keep them soft, plump and healthy.
Drink more water
As with every single part of your body, hydrate your lips from the inside by drinking up to eight glasses of water a day. Hydration not only ensures your body’s optimum condition, it also prevents your lips from drying out.
Invest in a good lip balm
Lip balms are essentially moisturisers for your lips. It can be found in pot, stick or tube form and usually contains ingredients like shea butter or petroleum jelly to help shield the lips from the elements. Most of these are colourless so, men, you have no excuse not to use them. There are stores that cater specifically to the cosmetic needs of men, so don’t worry about looking like a girl.
Do not lick your lips
This common reflex action to moisturise your lips does you more harm than good. Saliva contains digestive enzymes, which “digest” the dried out skin on your lips. It also evaporates quickly, taking whatever moisture that is left on your lips. So, stop it!
Exfoliate your lips
I find this very effective for me. Slather on a layer of lip balm then use a toothbrush to gently brush your lips. This removes the dried out layer, exposing the soft new skin beneath. I usually do this once or twice a week. Don’t do it too hard or you’ll end up with sore lips!
The lips help frame the face whether you are talking, smiling or doing the duck-face in a self-portrait, so take care of them well. Soon enough, you’ll be lip gloss model-worthy.
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