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At this point, winter seems like something of the very, very distant past. So, why do your lips still look it’s been snowing outside?
You understand why your lips—and the rest of your body—have a hard time absorbing moisture in those cold, dry months. But not now, when you’re spending half the time trying not to sweat your face off!
This summer, you’ll probably want to don a pouty red lip, but you can’t even apply a coat of lipstick if your lips are rough and flaky.
Women’s Health turned to editor-in-chief of Yahoo! Beauty, and founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown, to figure out why our lips get so dry—and how to keep that moisture locked in:
- Don’t Rely on ChapStick: According to Brown, skipping the waxy balm stick might be your best bet for smoother, softer lips. Most of these balms are only meant to protect the lips from dryness; they don’t actually get absorbed into the skin. In fact, if the balm is made with menthol or camphor, it might actually dry out your lips further! When picking out a lip moisturizer, Brown says always choose an ointment that contains a mix of humectants (like hyaluronic acid) and occlusives (like shea butter).
- Drink More Water: Your lips are so thin and delicate that they’ll tell you when you’re dehydrated before the rest of your face does. Before you try anything else to treat those dry lips, drink more water. While the desirable daily intake is different for everyone, if your urine is pale yellow, then you’re doing a pretty good job.
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- Exfoliate: Just like your face, your lips have dead skin flakes that need to be taken care of. Try taking just a tiny bit of brown sugar and olive oil, and gently massage onto your dry lips. The DIY scrub should instantly take care of any annoying flakes. Do this once a week to keep your pout smooth and soft.
Do you have any tricks for keep your lips soft? If so, tell us in the comments!
Photo Copyright © 2010 Helga Weber/Flickr
