Everything You Need To Know About Lip Care

We dress them up with glosses, paint them with every colour of the rainbow and use them to talk, kiss, laugh, eat and communicate every day – it’s safe to say that we are obsessed with lips. 

They’re also one of the few body parts to achieve icon status – think Taylor Swift’s 1989, Sade’s Diamond Life. Kylie Jenner’s Instagram-fuelled lip kit craze of the mid-2010s, Mick Jagger’s signature tongue-out immortalised for The Rolling Stones’ logo, Angelina Jolie’s instantly recognisable pout on countless red carpets.

We love them, we’re desperate to emulate the ones we see on celebrities and spend enough on them to give the lip care industry a $2 billion market share – but how should we look after them? Today on The Dose, we’re diving into the luscious world of lip care.

Read my lips: the basics of lip care

When we talk about skin, lips are very much included in the conversation, but there are a few things to keep in mind when looking after them. 

The skin on your lips is much thinner than anywhere else on your body, and that thinness gives them their darker colour, as the blood vessels are more visible. It’s also why, if impacted, they’re more likely to bruise and burst open. 

They don’t have sebaceous glands either – the skin feature that produces oil – so even someone with the oiliest skin type can still get dry lips. If having healthy, plump lips is high up on your list of skincare priorities, giving them their own routine, separate to the rest of your skincare, is a must. 

How to heal chapped lips

Everyone knows the feeling of dry lips on a cold day – rough, painful and cracked lips are not ideal, but there are plenty of tips and tricks for when those initial signs start to appear. 

“The main causes of dry lips are external environmental factors. The sun and cold weather are the most common causes.” Dr Ben Esdaile, Consultant Dermatologist at Skin + Me explains. 

“The key to treating stubbornly dry lips is to try and restore the skin barrier of the lip surface. Lip balms contain combinations of waxes and oils can help protect the lips. The greasier the better as ingredients such as liquid paraffin and petroleum jelly can help trap moisture.”

So, use a hydrating lip cream or moisturiser to rehydrate the skin on your lips and follow up with a lip balm or ointment to seal in the moisture. Repeat this every few hours, or overnight, until your lips are back to normal.  

Contrary to what you might think, licking your lips doesn’t help. We instinctively lick our lips to keep them moist, but saliva can actually make your skin drier – instead, keep lip balm on hand for regular touch-ups. 

Why am I breaking out on my lip line?

One word – occlusives. These ingredients are great for keeping moisture in and air out, but are not so great for spot-prone skin. 

If you’re slathering on the vaseline regularly, you might notice whiteheads and blackheads appearing on your lip line. This is caused by the vaseline (or any other occlusive lip balm) forming a barrier on top of the skin, trapping oil and sebum in your pores. 

But, as your lips meet the rest of your skin, the lip line can also be affected by your usual breakout causes – clogged pores and hair follicles, overproduction of oil, sebum and acne-causing bacteria, as well as hormonal changes, stress, and other skincare products. 

To prevent this, follow your usual acne-targeting routine – thorough cleansing to remove makeup and sunscreen, targeted treatments and sunscreen. When you apply your favourite lip balm, avoid the skin around your lips, and stick to lip creams with humectants, rather than balms and ointments with occlusives (more on this below).

Do lip scrubs and masks actually work?

The demand for luxury lip care has surged in recent years, with everyone wanting smooth-to-the-touch lips for lipstick and gloss to glide over, but are they worth the hype? 

Head of Medical at Skin + Me, Dr Jason Thomson, reminds us to avoid products that mechanically exfoliate the skin. “Scrub cleansers can irritate the skin, damage the skin barrier and lead to inflammation.” Stick to ultra-hydrating lip balms and creams instead.

Lip masks, similarly, dress up the concept of an occlusive formulation to keep moisture in. A quick look at any lip mask INCI list will have the one or more of the ingredients listed below, regardless of the price point, packaging or brand. So, find one you love and works well for you, and stick with it. 

Winter vs. summer

Extreme temperatures are one of the central contributing factors to dry, chapped lips, so keep your routine consistent regardless of the weather. 

For day-to-day, apply a lip balm with sun protection, Dr Jason explains. “People often don’t think about their lips but they get a lot of sun exposure, particularly your bottom lip where we frequently see skin cancers develop, so it’s important to wear a sunscreen lip balm,” he says.

For extra protection in winter, lay on the thicker lip ointments to shield against cold winds and extreme chill. “It’s really important to protect your lips to fight against chapping” Dr Ben advises. “Remember, licking sore lips only makes it worse. Use a greasy ointment to your lips like Cicaplast Balm or Aquaphor Ointment to try and prevent this.”

Ingredients to look out for 

• Hyaluronic acid, allantoin and glycerin – Superstar humectants that attract and retain moisture
• Vitamin E – A great barrier-repairing ingredient with antioxidant properties
• Coconut, jojoba, almond or avocado oil – Oils prevent dehydration and can help to repair your skin barrier
• Shea butter and petroleum jelly – Common occlusives to seal in moisture
• Beeswax, lanolin, honey – Honey is a natural humectant, while beeswax and lanolin are occlusive, soothing ingredients (though not suitable for vegans)

So, whether you are constantly adding to your collection of lip balms (yes, EOS and Baby Lips fans, we’re looking at you) or simply opting for the classic vaseline tin, a consistent lip care routine is essential for a happy, healthy pout – if in doubt, try not to lick them!