If you have chapped lips, wearing lipstick isn’t fun. Some people have absolutely beautiful lips that never chapped even for once, and there’s you, always the chappy queen! We feel your pain! Speaking of pain, do you know excessive dryness can cause pain and discomfort to your lips? Our lips get more dry and chapped in the winter because of the crisp weather. So, what can you do to remedy the situation and condition of your lips? You need to exfoliate your lips.

What Is Lip Exfoliation?

Lip exfoliation means removing dead skin cell layers onto the lips. It’s similar to facial exfoliation. You can buy a lip exfoliator or make one at home. A lip exfoliator is a sugar scrub in an emollient base. The sugar removes the dead skin while the emollient keep the lips moisturized and soft. If you want a DIY sugar lip scrub without wasting a single penny, you can opt for sugar-honey scrub. The honey will be the perfect emollient as it has moisturizing properties. If you don’t want to add honey, you can use oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oils with sugar –  those work as well and can give extra nutrients to your lips. Another simple way is to use vaseline as emollient with sugar; this option is cheap but extremely useful. If sugar scrubs are too harsh for you, using a toothbrush to scrub your lips can do wonders.

How to Exfoliate Lips?

The technic is very simple. Apply the scrub on your lips and gently rub in a circular motion like you would do for your face scrub. However, don’t exfoliate for more than 10-15 seconds. Your lips are soft and delicate than your face, so be light-handed. Do massage aggressively or overly as this can cause a tear to the skin. If you have excessively dry lips, massaging aggressively might make your lips bleed. It is a good idea not to scrub your lips at all if they are dehydrated. What you can do is apply lip oil or vaseline till the dryness subsides.

Why Is It Important to Exfoliate Your Lips?

As I mentioned earlier, the skin of your lips is very thin and are prone to damage. If dead cells build up on your lips, products can’t penetrate the skin. But most importantly you need to know how to exfoliate skin or lips. Exfoliation removes the scaly dead scales and reveals a healthy layer. Getting rid of dry skin helps your lips to be hydrated, making it smooth and supple. If you want to wear a great lipstick, exfoliating will help your lips prep and prime and make them plump and juicy. People say that exfoliating before applying lipstick makes it long-lasting and durable. Another benefit of exfoliation is that it neutralizes lip discoloration. When you exfoliate, the darker dead cells get scrubbed off with dead skin as well. This helps the newer skin to come forth.

Now that you know how to exfoliate lips, you should start doing it if you haven’t already. As the lips have thinner skin, it is recommended to exfoliate them once a week. If you have dermal problems, such as sores, eczema, etc., it would be best to consult a dermatologist.