Saturday, March 6, 2010

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!

10 comments:

  1. Thanks for posting this. I'm happy I am online now. My top lip to the bottom of my nose is a desert. I really do need to go have a glass of water now :)

    http://hopechella.blogspot.com/

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  2. Woo, I love carmex :) I use it at night as well, but i'm pretty sure it all rubs off on my pillow and sheets when i'm rolling around in my sleep (eww, haha). And I love using sugar as an exfoliant for my lips... I just put carmex on and then dab some sugar on and scrub with my finger though instead of mixin' up an exfoliater. I'm lazy! haha

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  3. hey:) your blogs amazing:)
    i love carmex too, id never really been bothered to buy it but im happy i did eventually, lushs lipscrubs are pretty expensive for being essentially sugar in a jar with an amazing scent, although i'll probably get suckered in eventually, for now i'll probably just use ordinary everday sugar as well:)xx

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  4. i'm always apprehensive about using lip balm and stuff like that cause i'm always hearing how if you become too realiant on it your lips lose all their natural moisture! but i heard carmex is real good :)
    quite an informative post, merci beaucoup, oh and thanks for your comment on my blog too!
    x x x

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  5. im obsessed with chapstick.
    thanks for the review, i'll deff keep it all in mind.
    yourrr the besttt!<333

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  6. I get really chapped lips and they're always dry, but they get really bad in the cold weather. I've heard good things about the Burts Bees balm, I guess i HAVE to try it now. You've twisted my arm!

    Great idea to make your own lip exfoliator. DIY all the way :D

    xoxo

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  7. Hey ive tagged you for an award on my blog :)

    www.lauraalexandra90.blogspot.com

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  8. very handy tips! I got braces a while back and I know it probably sounds weird but I've found my lips to be far more dry n chapped cos of them! Nothing beats burts bees - the whole collection is just so adorable :)

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