How do you spend your Sunday’s?

I like to pamper myself 💅🏽

Self care is so crucial for happiness, confidence and peace of mind.

I usually do a lighter workout on Sunday’s and do a full body at-home exfoliation covering face, body and even my lips.

My lips have always been on the drier side but with my recent lifestyle changes, they’ve been extremely dry lately.

I’ve realized that since I’ve decided to become more healthier, my lips suffered the most. A natural response for me was to lick my lips while exercising. I’d probably lick them a minimum of 8-10 times while exercising. Because my lips were dry and dehydrated, I either licked more or applied A LOT of lip products because I just didn’t feel it working.

I formed darker marks around the corners of my mouth and the bottom of my lip. It was either a mixture of dead skin or the discoloration from licking my lips excessively. Plus, the bitter Chicago air only made it worse.

Not only were my lips dry but they began to accumulate hardened dead skin, skin tried to peel and my lip glosses looked horrible. Thankfully, I learned about lip care and since I’ve been following this method, my lips have lightened and feel so much healthier.

Are you battling dry lips? Many people don’t know why it happens so I decided to list some of the most common reasons behind dry lips to help you identify and prevent them.

Most Popular Reasons for Dry Lips:

1. Exposure – the skin on the lips is thinner than the rest of the face. Dry winter air and sun exposure sucks the moisture out of the skin with the lips taking the most damage.
2. Dehydration – many people do not drink enough water or eat enough fruits and veggies which contain high water content.
3. Licking – licking lips is a natural reaction when the lips feel dry; however, the moisture from the saliva is only temporary which causes you to lick your lips more frequently — drawing out moisture.
4. Medications/illness – some illnesses cause lips to either dry or discolor as well as the medications used to treat certain illnesses.
5. Irritating foods – citrus and other acidic foods, salty foods and spicy foods are known to be very drying.

How does exfoliating help get rid of dry lips?

The skin normally “turns over” or sheds once every 28 days or so. This means, as the days go on, unless you are properly exfoliating, the dead skin sits on top; therefore, preventing or lessening the absorption of the moisturizers you apply.

If your lip balm doesn’t appear to be working or you still suffer with chapped or dry lips, you want to make sure you exfoliate. Remember to be gentle!

Do not over-exfoliate. Only exfoliate once per week and at night. By removing the top layer of skin, your lips become more sensitive. Let them heal while you sleep.

Steps to get rid of dry lips:

Step 1: pick your exfoliator.

You can either make a lip exfoliator or purchase a premade exfoliator. I make an exfoliator using one parts sugar to one parts extra virgin olive oil. You can use regular olive oil if you have it available. I’ve also heard of others substituting the sugar for salt; however, I hardly use sugar and this gives me a reason to use the big bag I purchased. Plus, sugar is a natural exfoliator.

Add the ingredients in a bowl and stir until you create a paste.

Optional: add 1/2 – 1 raw honey to the mix.

Step 2: rub the exfoliator in gentle circles (may also use soft-bristle toothbrush). You do not want to over-exfoliate or rub the lips raw. Exfoliate for no more than 1 minute.

Step 3: wipe off with warm water using a towel, warm water directly from the faucet or a damp paper towel. Do not rub the lips. Simply pat off the scrub.

Step 4: apply hydrating lip balm. Soon after you finish removing the exfoliator, apply your lip balm of choice to lock in moisture and prevent further damage.

Step 5: apply a BOMB lip gloss (optional for you but non-negotiable for me). In this pic, I’m wearing the new Crave Lip Gloss in Strawberry Glaze. the new lip gloss is scented, tinted, infused with Vitamin E (which is great for lips) and it’s very long-lasting without being sticky!

If you are repairing your dry lips, apply the hydrating lip balm liberally. You may need to apply several times a day so apply as needed. Make sure you apply before heading outside to prevent further damage.

My favorite treatments for dry lips and chapped lips:

After exfoliating, I like to use Beyond Color Lip Conditioner. It has retinol and collagen to help your lips feel smooth, plumper and decrease dryness. Because it contains retinol, I only use at night (when I exfoliate) or if my lips feel dry at night, I’ll also apply. You can also use the lip conditioner underneath your lipstick which I’d highly suggest if the formula is very drying or matte finish.

During the day, I use Moisture Therapy Intensive Healing & Repair Moisturizing Lip Treatment Balm (this stuff is AMAZING). It only costs $2 but so worth it! It’s long lasting and contains Hydraboost Technology which mimics the skin’s natural defense to protect during the day and seal in water to prevent degression dehydration. It’s also suitable for sensitive skin — unscented and no flavor to irritate the skin. I use this every day and whenever I have the urge to lick.

Using the steps above, my lips are nice and smooth which makes my lipsticks and lip gloss look nearly perfect — no peeling skin, flaky, rough patches or uneven coverage!

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Additional reading:

How to Keep Your Skin Moisturized in the Winter