Our lips lay exposed to external aggressors, pollution, and dust on the reg, yet many of us neglect their care. That’s right. The pucker deserves some tender loving in the form of a satiating lip balm. If your skincare routine is missing this lip essential, don’t fret. This article helps you handpick the perfect formulation to keep your pout happy and healthy. But before we get to the ingredient checklist for the perfect brew, a refresher on the functionality of a lip balm couldn’t hurt. So, keep scrolling through.
- Why Should You Add a Lip Balm to Your Rotation
- The tissues on your pucker are more brittle and sensitive compared to the rest of your skin. Needless to say, they are more prone to damage – often resulting in extreme flakiness and dryness. Moreover, the lips are devoid of sebaceous glands, demanding you introduce a product to replenish their moisture content for a soft, supple look. Enter a lip balm – this beauty formulation boasts a conjunction of hydration and emollient that seals water into the lips for their optimal health.
- A lip balm also promotes healing, filling in the creases and dwindling the appearance of spots to create a smooth canvas for your lipstick application.
- As discussed earlier, a potent balm has a wax-like consistency and forms a protective barrier on the surface of the lips. This helps in expediting the cell regeneration or turnover process in the PM to help wake up to a beautiful smile.
- How to Choose A Lip Balm for Your Lips
Now that you are well-versed in the functionality of a lip balm, it’s time to pick one for your vanity. Below is a checklist that you might want to consider to help narrow your search.
- For Excess Dryness: If your lips are super parched and brittle-try a humectant-infused lip balm. For the uninitiated, a humectant binds water molecules to the skin (or pout in this case), resulting in its soft and supple appearance. Moreover, this moisture bank plays a pivotal role in upholding the barrier health and administering repair functions at nighttime. Ingredients like honey, shea butter, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, and glycerine are some infallible humectants.
- For a Twinge of Colour: If you like a natural-esque pop of colour on the lips, look for a tinted lip balm. It helps create a soft-focussed lip moment, making you look very polished and put together with just one swipe – the perfect alternative for those who wish to steer clear of heavier lipstick formulations.
- For Formidable Sun Protection: The lips also bear the brunt of harmful UV radiations, so why skimp on their sun protection? Look for balms with SPF which shield the brittle lip tissues from inevitable damage and ageing induced by the sun. Reapply every few hours to elevate your lip health.
- To Curb Irritation: Extreme weather conditions can lead to irritation and redness on the lips. To steer clear of these episodes, try looking for alleviating agents like honey, centella, oat milk, cocoa butter and more.
- To Optimise Lip Health: A meticulous balm (imbued with humectants and ceramides) also doubles as an overnight treatment – ensuring deep hydration and nourishment to the pout. This helps shed dead skin and regenerate healthy cells for an impeccably smooth surface.
- How to Make The Best of Your Lip Balm
- Wear a Thin Layer Before Lipstick: Wear a thin layer of lip balm before going full throttle with your lip stain or colour. The moisturising properties of the balm create a smooth, even surface, which makes for an easy, friction-free process of lipstick application.
- Wear it With Your Lip Liner: For a minimal yet snatched look, wear your favourite tinted balm with a liner. For those who are new to lip liners, overlining the pout with a pencil creates an illusion of plump, cushiony lips!
- Wear it Raw: For a glistening pout (one with or without a hint of colour), apply a generous coat of your favourite lip balm. Not only does it create a clean, headline-grabbing moment but also furthers the cause of optimal lip health.
- Other Uses of Lip Balm
You can leverage the goodness of your lip balm, in ways more than one! Scroll further for some beauty hacks that you can try with your jar or tube of lip balm.
- As a Cuticle Oil: Have your cuticles been looking dry? Try applying a dollop of your favourite balm on the concern areas for instantly younger-looking hands.
- Use It for Your Elbows and Knees: The knees and elbows tend to look drier than the rest of your skin, especially when exposed to frigid temperatures. A great hack to counter this problem is applying a twinge of your hydrating and moisturizing products and buy lip balm for the concerned areas.
