My Dry & Chapped Lip Musts!

I got a question about what i use to heal dry & chapped lips on one of my previous posts and i thought it was a fantastic idea for a post!

I would say i'm lucky to not have extremely dry & flaky lips, but Winter weather and cosmetic products on them can really do some damage.  When i was little i used to have extremely chapped lips but now that i take care of them more, i don't have so much of a problem *knock on wood* :)

One of the most essential things of course is a lip balm or chapstick:

Carmex

Carmex is a pretty popular brand here in the US (i'm not sure about other countries.  I use this product at night after i'm done with my routine - washing my face, brushing & flossing my teeth, and putting my retainer in & such (haha..retainer :).  It's really thick & goes on very smoothly, but i find that it takes a looong time to sink in - which is why i only use it at night.  Sometimes i'll even wake with it still on the surface of my lips, which kinda grosses me out a bit..not sure why!

I would also say it's not amazingly moisturizing, but it does a adequate job :)

Burt's Bees

Burt's Bees is another really common brand in the US, with good reason!  Burt's Bees chapstick is really moisturizing, goes on smoothly, absorbs fairly quickly, & if you get the original flavor, it makes your lips feel really refreshed (it contains menthol).  The flavor i have contains pomegranate oil & has a bit of a tint to it (which is pretty sheer), hence different color cap.  I have to say i prefer the original kind to the one pictured just because of the scent/flavor, i don't like the scent of the pomegranate one at all & it's not as refreshing.

I carry my Burt's Bees in my bag (note the beat-up label :) and apply it before i apply lipstick in the morning & throughout the day as i feel necessary.

Along with moisturizing lip balms & chapsticks, an lip exfoliator is an essential.  Just like you exfoliate the skin on your face or body, it's important exfoliate your lips.  I saw that Lush came out with lip scrubs, but i'm really disappointed that they aren't sold in the US :/

I didn't want to spend money on an exfoliator, so i do as anyone would do..i Googled it!  I ended up finding an amazing DIY recipe for a sugar lip scrub by Elle, Allthatglitters on YouTube, (link to that video HERE).  The only two ingredients are olive oil & sugar, which everyone has in their kitchen!  It really works, it's inexpensive, & i love it :)

I do this once or twice a week.  It's especially great if you wear lipstick because exfoliating will get rid of all the flaky skin, letting the product apply smoothly & look better.

Extra tips

♥ drink plenty of water - you've most likely heard 100s of times how important to drink water & stay hydrated it is, but it truly is & water really does wonders for the skin

♥ keep a chapstick or lip balm handy!  i feel completely lost without one in my bag :)

♥ during the Summer, find a lip balm with an SPF in it, the sun can burn lips too!

♥ don't lick your lips!  it may feel moisturizing, but it actually drys them!

♥