Five Winter Lipcare Hacks To Deal With Dry And Chapped Lips

Winter is coming. Oh wait, it already has. Isn’t that the prophetic euphemism of warning and need for prudence and preparedness in Game of Thrones? Shockingly, it has its bearing not only on the fantasy world of Westeros, but on us too. Our body gets hit hardest by the winter --- common cold, sore throat, sedentary lifestyle and what not! Another issue with this season is dry lips. Here are five winter lip-care hacks to deal with cracked lips and have soft and supple lips year-round:

1. Drink water

It’s important to stay hydrated in winters. Dry skin and lips are a sign of dehydration as well, which is common in winters. The ‘elixir of life’ helps us maintain the moisture from within. Unfortunately, we tend not to drink much water in this season. Make sure that you drink enough water required by our body daily. Coconut water and electrolytes are great for this purpose too.

Also Read: Home Remedies For Hair Care In Winter

2. Don’t brush, lick and bite your lips

Most of us have the strong urge to bite, lick or peel our dry skin off. We try moistening our lips with saliva, which ends up doing more harm to our lips. The momentary moisture is overcompensated by making our lips even drier than before when saliva evaporates. Also, the enzymes in the saliva aren’t meant for the delicate skin, which have an adverse effect. Picking on the dry skin prevents healing of our lips as well. Avoid doing so to your lips.

3. Apply balm, lip moisturiser or petroleum jelly quite often a day and before going to bed

Maintaining the moisture of our lips is our daily challenge in winters. Make sure to apply a lip balm, moisturiser or petroleum jelly on your lips quite often a day. This prevents the lips from drying and also heals if they are dry. Apply whichever moisturiser is suitable for your lips.

4. Apply a balm with SPF 30 before going outdoors

Even in winters, it’s important to step outdoors after applying a balm to protect your lips from sun. Exposure to sun could damage your lips even more and trigger cold sores. Hence, it is important to apply a balm with SPF 30 or more. Preferably, use products with other ingredients like titanium oxide and/or zinc oxide.

5. Try natural remedies

There are many natural remedies for chapped lips. These remedies help you soothe and protect your lips using essentials easily found in our homes. Items like honey, aloe vera and coconut oil could be applied directly to the lips. These contain anti-oxidants, minerals and other properties which rehydrate and heal our lips. Moreover, these remedies also make your lips soft and naturally beautiful.

“Lips are a special type of skin that is very thin and delicate — which means they really do require some extra TLC,” Dr. Piliang says. “Our lips dry out 10 times faster than the rest of the skin on our face, so it’s really important to use extra protection,” Dr. Piliang says of the Cleveland Clinic. These five hacks will undoubtedly help you either prevent your lips from damage or heal if already damaged. So, make sure not to only brace yourself, but also to grace yourself for this winter.

Sugandha Bora is an intern with SheThePeople