Just like fine lines and wrinkles make you look older, dry, chapped lips with deep lines in the mouth adds years to your face. To remedy:
1. Use a lip scrub weekly. Exfoliating removes dead skin revealing softer, smoother lips underneath. I like to scrub the skin around mouth and the corners of the mouth, too, which people often forget about! After exfoliating, rinse with cool water and gently pat dry
2. Moisturize your lips often. Nothing works better for me than good ol’ Vaseline.
Vaseline is an ointment base with protectant and occlusive properties, meaning that it soothes and creates a barrier to seal moisture in the lips.
The best way to use is to put it on when your lips are slightly damp – I like to apply right after brushing my teeth. Always moisture after exfoliating and put on just before bed. Vaseline is a refined product but if you’re worried about reports of cancer-causing components in petroleum jelly, beeswax and shea butter are other great options
3. Add some colour! It doesn’t just make your lips look more appealing, it adds to a youthfulness to your whole face. If you just don’t like the feel of lipstick or gloss, go more au natural with a tinted lip balm
p.s. While you’re at it, get into the habit of relaxing your lips. You’ll feel so much better having them pinched or in a frown.
RUBY'S EDIBLE DIY LIP SCRUBS
“Classic Swirl” – 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp honey, 1 tsp oil (olive, jojoba, or sunflower)
“Lemony Licks” – 1 tbsp caster sugar, ½ tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp lemon zest, 1 tsp oil (olive, jojoba, or sunflower)
“Mint That!” – Follow recipe for Lemony Licks and add 1 drop (food grade) peppermint oil
Tip: You can refrigerate the scrub but it may not be as fragrant the next week so use any extra as a cuticle or hand scrub