PAMPERED LIPS: 4 WAYS TO GET THEM
/Who hasn’t been there? Being a member of the human race means we have skin on our lips. And if you are like me with the dry skin gene, how to cope with dry skin is never far off your mind. So, it won’t surprise anyone if sporting a well moisturized lips skipped your mind once in a while.
ONCE IN A WHILE. Ladies and gents, it is not cool or sexy to ALWAYS walk around with dry, chapped, scaly lips. So below are 4 tips to keep your lips in good shape this winter:
- Don’t lick them: Sounds like a contradiction because you would think saliva as a bodily fluid, it should make your lips moist. Well, I don’t know why but, something about the enzymes in saliva makes they drier. Not to mention, saliva evaporates leaving the lips of your skin thirsty for more moisturization.
- Diet: What you eat can impact how your skin looks. And since your lips have skin, what is good for goose is beneficial for the gander ;-). Most dermatologists agree that diets high in fatty acids like Omega 3 or 6 will replenish the enzymes in the cells of your skin making them more hydrated. I agree with them on this one. Markerel, Salmon, Avocado, Flaxseed are all good sources of these vitamins. Water is your friend. It removes toxins from your body which helps your cells absorb these nutrients. If you are like me and you enjoy coffee or caffeine teas, you are getting less water than you think as these hot beverages are diuretics that will dehydrate the body further. Juice and carbonated sugary drinks are actually not as effective hydration fluids as we once believed. Best to stick to water. Dr. Sajay Gupta has some amazing health segments on hydration. Look it up.
- Get lip balm: Pssst, fellas, it’s ok to use lip balm too. Dry lips on dudes are not cool. Seriously, minty lip balms sooth and moisturize lips if they are already prone to chapping and scaling. When it comes to this issue, “I must confess my destiny is manifest” in this jar of Vaseline. I should invest in Uniliver brand for the amount of Vaseline I use on my lips. Anyway, I digress. Get it, use it as often as you can. It works.
- Exfoliate: That’s right. You can scrub them like you would your feet. This is a like a pedicure only it’s for your lips. There a couple of ways I have done this. Only one works best. One is to gently bite the scaly scab of your dry lips until you feel a gentle bloody pinch…ouch. Or you can just wet a clean, sanitized face towel with warm water and scrub. The procedure is simple: get into a relax pucker like a super model…for real. And tenderly wipe in circular motion and repeat once. I recommend using a proper face towel with fairly firm towel fibers. Don’t wipe too hard. Another exfoliating alternative is to buy Fabulips by Bliss. But why spendd the money when a warm wet towel does the exact thing. Follow up with that cool mint lip balm. Ahhhhh. Feel the soothing comfort of you brand new lips. None of the previous tips work as well if it doesn’t include an occasional exfoliation of your lips. So, I’d do this once a month. If I don’t, the scales forming on my puckers will remind me.
Ladies and gents, if your dry lips persist and remain bothersome, I am not a doctor, but may I suggest you go talk to a specialist. It’s all part of the plan to pamper your lips and spread “true talk”.
Source: University of Maryland Medical Center: “Omega-3 Fatty Acids.” Health Guidance: “Treat Acne With Essential Fatty Acids.” Cleveland Clinic Heart & Vascular Institute: Dictionary. WebMD Feature: “The ABCs of a Healthy Skin Diet,
