The coldness of the winter season can definitely take a toll on your skin’s moisture levels, and while you might be lotioning up adequately after every shower, what are you doing for your lips? Your lips are just as prone to dehydration and cracking—especially during the winter months—so it’s important to know how to care for them. Here are some tips to keeping your lips moisturized, full, and healthy during winter.
Moisturize your lips.
Moisturizing your lips is, of course, a natural first step, and it’s an important preventative measure to practice on a daily basis if you hope to maintain well moisturized lips all winter. Aim to moisturize your lips with a strong moisturizer every night. Here are some of the most popular types of moisturizers people use on their lips at night:
- Petroleum jelly
- Rosebud salves
- Conditioning lip treatments
- Overnight lip balms
In addition to overnight moisturizing, you’ll want to carry around a stick or small tin of lip balm for adding a little moisture as needed throughout the day.
Exfoliate your lips a few times a week.
Your lips are delicate, so it is important to be sure that they are well moisturized before doing any sort of exfoliation. Use a special sugar scrub for lips a few times a week to eliminate any dry skin. Just be sure not to go overboard, as exfoliating too much can easily make your lips feel raw.
Drink plenty of water.
Beautiful, well moisturized skin starts on the inside, so it only makes sense that the same is true for lips. Keep a water bottle with you at work so that you’re drinking enough water throughout the day.
Use a humidifier.
If after trying all of these things you’re still seeing dry skin and lips, try using a humidifier in your room at night. This can help keep your skin and lips moisturized, especially if you live in a particularly dry climate.
Don’t lick your lips.
Licking your lips might seem to moisturize them in the short term, but it actually dries them out in the long term. Apply a good lip balm to your lips whenever you feel tempted to lick them.
Breathe through your nose.
Breathing through your mouth is another fast way to dry out your lips. Keep your nose clear so that you can breathe through your nose instead. (That’s another great reason to carry tissues with you all winter!)
