5 ways to care for your lips and keep them healthy in the cold weather

As the temperatures drop, the dry and cold winter weather strips the moisture away from your lips leaving them cracked, flaky, and very sore. But thankfully with a proper routine and the use of moisturising lip products, you can save your lips and keep your pout picture-perfect.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your lips are protected from the cold, and no matter how dry, flaky or cracked they become, they can be nourished back to health with a little tender loving care and the right products.

The harsh winter winds and cold weather may be the reason your lips feel really tight and dry but here are my 5 top tips on how to keep your lips soft, hydrated, healthy and looking luscious

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1) Keep Hydrated

Your skin keeps hydrated from with in. Drinking plenty of water will keep your body hydrated and, in turn will combat dryness of your skin and lips.

Tip - Keep a refillable bottle of water in your bag all day so you can refill at one of the many free water refill stations. This will also save on single use plastic too. 

2) Avoid Licking 

Licking your lips often seems a good idea at the time - it appears the instant fix to hydrate them when they are feeling dry but it actually makes the dryness worse. Enzymes in our saliva can leave the skin irritated and make the lips crack and become sore. 

3) Don’t Peel or Pick 

Resist the urge to peel or pick at the flaky skin on your chapped lips. Peeling and cracked lips can result in scabs and blisters and can be very painful. 

It is important to treat your cracked and chapped lips the right way so it heals properly and doesn’t lead to infection.

4) Make a DIY Lip Scrub

Exfoliating your lips once a week is especially important in the winter to keep away the peeling skin & prevent cracking. Using a scrub on your lips with exfoliate away the peeling skin and leave them smoother and softer. 

Tip - Make a diy scrub using equal amounts of soft brown sugar, honey & olive oil. (sugar is a gentle exfoliant, honey moisturises your lips and is also naturally antibacterial, and olive oil will soften your lips and leave them hydrated)

5) Apply Lip Balm Regularly 

Applying a moisturising lip balm regularly will help keep lips nourished and hydrated & can prevent cracking & peeling. A good lip balm should contain a blend of hard butters and soft oils to produce a sumptuous lip balm with excellent hydrating properties, and the addition of a wax will give extra protection against dry and chapped lips. 

In my lip balm recipes I use soft oils like Hempseed oil (which is high in Omega 6 fatty acids and can repair skin and lock in moisture), Apricot Oil (containing Omega 9 to soften skin for kissably soft lips), and Coconut Oil (which offers UV protection and can prevent signs of ageing). I combine these with Cocoa butter and Shea Butter (known for their nourishing and moisturising properties), and add either Beeswax or Candelilla wax for a great hydrating lip balm.

Keep your balm handy in your bag and reapply on the go every time your lips feel parched!