Our lips are a focus of our face, especially when we’re communicating.
They work hard for us, whether it’s talking, eating, kissing or smiling, but we sometimes don’t care for them they way we should. Sure we’ll dress them up in lipstick or gloss, but how often do we treat them with the care we often lavish on our face, with our skincare routines?
Given the skin on our lips is thinner and more delicate than elsewhere, we really should be paying them more attention.
There’s good news on two fronts: It doesn’t take a lot of effort to care for them, and there are lots of new products with advanced ingredients aimed not only to help them feel soft and plump now, but help prevent future damage from aging.
If you’re finding you’re repetitively applying lip balm however, it might be considering if there are other factors at play.
How to get softer, smoother lips
Gently exfoliate
Like the rest of us, dead skin cells can build up on our lips and cause dryness and flakes. To encourage healthy skin cell turnover, it’s useful to gently exfoliate lips.
The key words is gently, however. Acid-based exfoliants are too harsh for lips. Instead, try using a soft wash cloth to massage them in the shower.
Or, you could use a dedicated lip scrub. A DIY lip scrub is easy to make at home, or try one from your favourite brand. They often come with natural oils and sugar and can be applied with your ring finger and gently massaged across your bottom lip, and then the top. With the residue, press and rub your lips together before removing with a face cloth.
The best peptide-based lip products: Byoma Liptide Lip Mask; U Beauty The Plasma Lip Compound; Paula’s Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Gloss Balm; Ole Henriksen Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment; Dr. Dennis Gross DermInfusions Plump + Repair Lip Treatment; Allies of Skin Peptide & Ceramide Repair Lip Balm
Try a peptide treatment
A new development in the world of skincare, peptide lip treatments are hot property right now.
Peptides are made up of amino acids, sometimes referred to as the ‘building blocks’ of certain naturally-occurring proteins needed by healthy skin, such as collagen and elastin.
When applied topically, it’s understood that specific peptides work as tiny, molecular-level messengers, signaling to skin to build more collagen and elastin, improving firmness, elasticity and texture.
So applied directly to lips, a peptide treatment aims to help smooth your pout and improve the signs of ageing, like lip creases.
Hailey Bieber helped popularise the approach for lips with her brand Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment, but the category has grown. There are now a host of similar products out there with beneficial, peptide-packed formulas for your lips, combined with hydrating ingredients and a glossy texture that makes lips look smooth and plump.
To help prevent crease-lines and lip-lines (sometimes called smoker’s lines) just outside your lips, make sure you’re taking your skincare serums all the way to the lip border and keep skin well hydrated.
Use SPF
In terms of needing specific care, lips are particularly susceptible to irritation and dryness because of their delicate nature, when compared with other areas of the face. It can also leave them more at risk of sun damage, particularly because many people don’t apply SPF on their lips.
To prevent dryness and UV damage leading to wrinkles and even potentially skin cancer, use a dedicated SPF lip balm all throughout the year when you’re outdoors, not just in summer.
Hydrate and moisturise
Dryness and dehydration shows up as flaky skin and exacerbates lip lines and creases. To help keep lips looking great, ensure you keep up with good hydration by drinking adequate water.
Then, it’s about finding the right lip balm for you, one that will add hydration with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, as well as help skin hold on to that moisture, with ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, or beeswax.
The occasional use of an overnight lip mask or treatment can be a good option too, especially in the cooler months. Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Masks in the colourful pots are popular, but we also like Dermal Therapy’s Overnight Lip Repair, Lanolips 12 Hour Overnight Lip Mask and Kester Black’s Peach Dreams Lip Mask. For a simple option you can try applying a thick layer of Vaseline before bed.
Eating lots of foods rich in omegas and natural water content also helps with general skin health.
