The winter season is creeping up on us. It’s time to swap our strappy tops with cosy layers and declutter our skincare arsenal to make space for winter essentials. While we stock up on rich emollients and nourishing serums to tackle the dryness, there’s one area we usually tend to ignore until it’s too late. Any guesses? Yes, we’re talking about the lips. Your lips usually bear the brunt of your ignorance and end up turning dry and flakey come winter. But not anymore. To save you the pain of having to deal with chapped lips, we’re listing down five simple tips you can follow to prevent chapped lips this winter. Check ‘em out…
- 01. Stay hydrated
- 02. Turn to milk cream for moisturisation
- 03. Exfoliate 2-3 times a week
- 04. Always keep a lip balm handy
01. Stay hydrated
Are you nestled in your blanket while reading this? Well, it’s time to bid adieu to your bed — just for a few seconds. Trace your steps to your kitchen. See that bottle of water right there? That’s the answer to your dry lip woes. Apart from hydrating your body, water replenishes the lost moisture from your lips. In other words, it shields them from the much-dreaded symptoms of winter-skin: chapping and bleeding. Pro-tip: Refrain from licking your lips; it dries them out quickly.
02. Turn to milk cream for moisturisation
You might have heard your mom and nani talk about using milk cream, aka malai to moisturise the lips, and guess what? It actually works. The vitamins and minerals in fresh cream helps moisturise the lips, while the lactic acid in it helps dissolve dead skin cells. Just dab some fresh cream on your lips and let it sit for a few minutes before washing it off with a cotton-ball dipped in lukewarm water. You can repeat this every day for soft, pink and healthy lips.
03. Exfoliate 2-3 times a week
Just like the rest of your face, you need to exfoliate your lips to get rid of dry and flakey skin, improves blood circulation to the lips and also makes them softer and smoother. If you don’t want to spend extra moolah on a lip scrub, you can whip your own up at home. Mix one teaspoon of honey with two teaspoons of sugar and gently rub this mixture on your lips for 30 seconds. Leave on for 5-10 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. Pro tip: Be gentle while exfoliating your lips and don’t do it more than once a week.
04. Always keep a lip balm handy
A lip balm will not only nourish and hydrate your lips, but will also create a protective shield over it, preventing external aggressors from wreaking havoc. Our go-to lip balm is the Vaseline Lip Therapy Tin - Aloe. It comes in a cutesy tin that is perfect to toss in your handbag and use on-the-go. Enriched with aloe extracts, this one locks in moisture, gives a glossy shine and leaves the lips looking healthy. We love it!
Written by Urvi Shah on Nov 08, 2021
A professional writer by day, and a poet by night, I'm a journalism graduate with experience in the news, travel, and food sectors. A frantic compiler of excerpts from books I've read, you can count on me to incorporate quotes and phrases into everyday conversations without a warning. On days I'm not working, I station myself in front of my laptop, and try to work my way through month-old drafts of my writings.