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Expert advice: Smart ways to take care of your lips this winter
From moisturising to exfoliating, lips need extra care just like your skin. Here are experts tips to help you bag supple and healthy lips this winter.
Winter has arrived, and our lips — one of the most ignored parts — are the first to face the brunt of the chilly weather. With the dropping mercury, lips tend to lose moisture, turning dry and chapped. Overexposure to sun also causes lip pigmentation. So, we need to give some extra care through regular moisturising and exfoliation. Here are some homemade remedies that would help keep your lips supple and glowing this season.
Ways to moisturise them
Petroleum jelly or aloe vera gel are great for moisturising your lips. You can even apply lukewarm butter or desi ghee, but make sure you leave it on overnight. Mix organic coconut oil, aloe vera gel, and two drops of essential mint oil. Use this natural lip balm to moisturise your lips. Another natural remedy is applying malai mixed with lemon drops, and leaving it overnight. Apply vitamin E to soothe chapped lips and reduce flaking. Lip balms containing natural moisturising ingredients such as coconut and sunflower oils, beeswax, honey, and shea butter are very nourishing for lips. Protect your lips from UV rays that cause harm to your skin and lips by using a lip balm with sunscreen.
Exfoliation is important
Scrubbing is an effective way to remove dead skin layers, and with dry and cracked lips synonymous with winters, it gains greater significance in this season. Prepare a lip scrub made with oats flakes and cream, and gently rub it on your lips. Don’t forget to moisturise after exfoliation. A honey and sugar scrub is also effective. You may add almond oil to the mixture to give it a nourishment boost. A soft toothbrush can be used to gently buff your lips, removing the deposit of dead cells that would otherwise cause more flaking. Follow this with a hydrating lip balm. This is best done at night to allow your lips to soak in the moisture.
What to avoid
People tend to lick their lips more often in winters because of dryness. Resist doing this as it tends to dry them out more. Glosses and long-wear lip colours which may have an alcohol base will add to the dryness. You can go for creamy lipsticks or use lip balm before applying lipstick. Shades like deep red, oxblood, deep browns, and even black are quite popular on lips this winter. As matte lipsticks do more harm in cold weather, go for lipsticks with vitamin E or with other moisturising ingredients.
With inputs by skin experts Dr Seema Malik and Mallika Gambhir
