Lip Care – Causes, Treatments and DIY Scrubs

While there are umpteen suggestions for what you should do to benefit the health of your skin, lip care is a domain that is often overlooked.

As we mindlessly smother our lips with balms and chapsticks, do you ever wonder what triggers your lips to become dry and chapped?

What are the causes of dry lips?

The skin on the lips is not the same as the skin on other parts of our face and body. While it can be said that the structure is the same, the skin is much thinner and more sensitive.

Absence Of Oil Glands:

Unlike other parts of our body, lips do not have any oil glands. The function of these glands is to soften and moisturize the lips, but their absence results in dryness. Additionally, our lips are exposed to all sorts of weather, pollutants, changes, and the like that tend to have a drying and damaging effect. This is also why a lip care routine is of utmost importance to keep your lips from being damaged.

Lack Of Moisture:

We all know the importance of moisturizing, the lack of which always results in dehydrated, dry, and dull skin. The same rules apply to your lips. Lack of moisture is one of the most common reasons for dryness on the lips, in addition to extreme humidity and excessive exposure to sunlight.

Licking Of Lips:

You might have noticed yourself succumb to licking of lips the moment they feel dry and uncomfortable. While the saliva momentarily makes your lips moist, it eventually dries them out even further by stripping the skin of its existing moisture.

Medication:

The risk of developing dry, chapped lips also lies within taking certain medicines like retinoids, Vitamin A, drugs from chemotherapy, etc.

Dehydration:

The root cause of most skin-related problems, your lips start getting dry and stiff if your body is dehydrated. Disregarding these signs could aggravate the dryness on your lips and cause more damage.

Deficiencies:

Chapped and dry lips can be associated with a lot of underlying medical conditions. While some of them can be severe, there are certain deficiencies that trigger the dry, uncomfortable feeling on your lips. Thyroid, vitamin, zinc, or iron deficiencies are some that are known to be one of the most common triggers.

How can you treat dry lips?

Simply wearing a lip balm is not a long-term solution for your problem of dryness. Your lips require a proper lip care routine so they can be at their most healthy, plump, and soft state perpetually. Here are a few lip care tips that you can refer to, for achieving the perfect, hydrated, and beautiful lips without any makeup!

Exfoliate:

A good skincare routine always includes the step of exfoliation. One of the most overlooked and underestimated steps in skincare, exfoliation can target the possible root cause of your problem – dryness. Many know that dryness is caused when a layer of stubborn dead skin cells is accumulated on the skin. This layer can easily be removed by gently scrubbing or exfoliating your lips. Lip scrubbing can help in sloughing away the dead skin cells, giving way to renewed skin, improving blood circulation, and reducing lip discoloration. Not only does this improve the texture of your lips, making them soft, plump, and healthy, it also makes the application of your lipsticks easier and smoother. All in all, exfoliation is a step you shouldn’t omit from your lip care routine if you want smoother, plumper, and healthier lips.

Hydrate:

It’s no secret that hydration can do wonders for your health not only externally, but also internally. Dehydration causes a lack of moisture which results in dry and uncomfortable skin, the first signs of which show on your lips when they become chapped and cracked. Drinking at least 1-2 litres of water, daily, keeps the blood circulation going and your skin glowing.

Moisturize:

While lip balms are considered to be a necessity only during dry winter weather, it is imperative to incorporate nourishing and skin-replenishing lip care products like natural lip balms in your lip care routine for all seasons. The go-to product to heal dry and chapped lips, lip balms are a layer of protection that defends your skin against harmful environmental stressors and hydrates them with its moisture-boosting properties. While there is a variety of lip care products in the market that promise to target dryness, many are infused with ingredients that would brighten the lips for a “quick fix” but damage them in the long run.

It is always recommended to use lip care products that are infused with natural ingredients that not only provide deep hydration but also heal and soothe the skin in the long run for soft, supple, and plump lips. The Forest Essentials Luscious Lip balms are uniquely prepared with natural ingredients like Kokum Butter, Organic Beeswax, Vitamin E, Honey, and other moisture-boosting herbs and oils that help to replenish and soften dry, chapped lips by sealing in the moisture. These natural lip balms leave the lips soothed, soft and glossy.

Protect:

We already know the importance of protecting our skin against the harmful rays of the sun. But we often forget that the skin on our lips is as much prone to sun damage as any other part of our face or body. Hence, it is vital that we highlight one of the more underrated yet essential lip care tips – using SPF-infused lip care products. Sun exposure can cause damage by snatching away the moisture of your lips and can result in discoloration and pigmentation. Just like you apply sunscreen on your face, it’s time to incorporate lip care products that have an SPF to shield yourself from sun damage and help your lips remain protected and healthy.

Always prep before makeup:

Excessive application of lipsticks can cause dryness as makeup products contain certain ingredients that might have detrimental effects on the delicate and thin skin on your lips. Prepping your lips before the application of lipsticks can help avoid dryness. A lip care tip to treat, heal, and maintain soft lips is to always scrub and moisturize before the application of lipsticks. Not only will this help in keeping your lips supple and hydrated, but it will also help the lipstick glide smoothly and eliminate the appearance of lip lines.

Many replace lipsticks with balms when they have dry, chapped lips to moisturize. Forest Essentials brings to you, natural lip care products that would not only delicately color and scent your lips, but also replenish and deeply condition them to leave a glorious sheen. Infused with natural botanicals and emollient healing butters like Cow’s Ghee, Shea Butter, and Moringa Oil, the natural lip care makeup range of Madhu Rasa Tinted Lip Serums drenches the lips in moisture and stains them with beautiful buildable shades.

DIY scrubs for natural lip care

Coconut & Honey Lip Scrub

Coconut oil is renowned for its antioxidant-rich and nourishing properties whereas Honey is known for its moisturizing benefits. This scrub helps exfoliate and moisturize your lips.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 tbsp Honey (preferably organic)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tbsp lukewarm water

Steps:

• Step 1 – Mix Coconut oil and honey into a bowl.
• Step 2 – Add brown sugar and lukewarm water to this mixture.
• Step 3 – Massage your lips with this scrub in a circular motion for two to three minutes. Wash with lukewarm water.

Rose & Milk Paste

Rose is known for its cooling, healing, and moisturizing properties. Milk, on the other hand, deeply cleanses the pores for a smooth and clear texture. This nourishing paste naturally lightens, brightens, and reduces the discoloration of your lips.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh Rose Petals
• 4 tbsp Milk 

Steps:

• Step 1 – Mash 7-8 Rose petals with milk to create a paste-like consistency.
• Step 2 – Rub the paste on your lips like a regular lip scrub.
• Step 3 – Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Step 4 – Follow with a nourishing lip balm.

Cinnamon Lip Scrub

An ingredient that is known to temporarily make the lips appear larger, Cinnamon acts like a natural exfoliator that smoothens and softens the lips. This lip scrub is your go-to for a plump and moisture-rich pout. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• A dash of Cinnamon

Steps:

• Step 1 – Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
• Step 2 – Gently scrub your lips for 2-3 minutes.
• Step 3 – Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Step 4 – Finish the lip care routine by applying a moisturizing lip balm.

If you’re not a fan of all things DIY, we have the perfect solution for you. The nourishing lip care routine by Forest Essentials is infused with the richness of excellent ingredients like Cane Sugar, Shea Butter, Pomegranate, and floral oils and helps to promote softer plumper, and healthier lips. This ritual includes a lip-loving Shea Butter & Pomegranate Lip Cream and a gentle Cane Sugar Lip Scrub that make for the ideal team to combat dryness on the lips.

The ideal way to use the products:

• Step 1 – Begin by cleaning your lips with the Forest Essentials Floral Makeup Remover Oil.
• Step 2 – Follow by gentle exfoliation of your lips with the Lip Scrub. Massage the product on and around the lip area for about 30 to 40 seconds and wipe off with warm water using cotton pads.
• Step 3 – Gently massage the Shea Butter & Pomegranate Lip Cream in a circular motion on your lip for a minute. Apply the cream daily, for best results.

FAQs

What is the best care for lips?

Your lips are one of the most delicate parts of your face. The best way to care for your lips lies in using gentle, nourishing products which help in bettering the health of your skin. The ultimate way to achieve a softer and healthier pout is to use natural lip care products, follow a skin-replenishing lip care routine and avoid using makeup on a regular basis.

How do I take care of my lip routine?

Consistency is key! If you already perform a lip care ritual and wonder why you can’t see the results, maybe you’re not consistent. Consistency plays a major role in skincare and incorporating cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing into your daily routine with natural lip care products is the perfect way to get healthier and softer lips.

How can I make my lips naturally pink?

The moment your lips start looking naturally pink is when you know you’re doing something right. The health of your skin not only depends on external factors but is also dependent on how healthy your body is from within. Keeping yourself hydrated is the most important for any part of your body to function in its best way. Drinking 1-2 liters of water regularly can help you achieve pink lips naturally. While this might take some time, a quicker way to improve the color of your lips is to gently scrub them with an exfoliator that is infused with Roses. The Forest Essentials Tinted Lip Serum Madhu Rasa in Gulaab Jal and the Luscious Lip Balm Sugared Rose Petal are two natural lip care products that can help you achieve pink lips naturally!

How can I take care of my lips naturally?

The best way to take care of your lips naturally is to drink at least 1-2 liters of water every day, along with using natural and nutrient-rich ingredients in your lip care routine and avoiding excessive exposure to the sun.

Visit www.forestessentialsindia.com to know more about how you can take care of your lips using natural ingredients and lip care products for the perfect petal-soft lips.