It is getting quite cold outside again and so it is important to take good care of your lips. Cracked and damaged lips are annoying and painful, but also not kissable. And of course we shouldn’t have that.
Kissable (winter) lips
The sun is shining and the sky is blue, it’s not that bad, is it? Wrong! Because as soon as you step outside the door, the temperature turns out to be approaching freezing point. And so we take that thick winter coat out of the closet, apply extra nourishing cream to our face and hands and cover our hair with a hat. But what about your lips? They also need care and that is often forgotten.
In winter the air is less humid, which makes your skin dry out more easily. In addition, the heating inside is often set nice and high, which also ensures dry air inside. Result: cracking, cracking and painful skin. You often notice this first on your lips, because the skin there is very thin and they hardly contain any sebaceous glands, so the skin does not remain very supple. So you need to be extra careful, because especially during the cold winter months, nothing is nicer than hanging out on the couch with your boyfriend and giving him an extra kiss every now and then.
Lubricate
The code word for good lip care is lubrication. Lubricate, lubricate, lubricate! So make sure you always have a good, nourishing lip balm at hand. At work, on the bike – carefully – or at home on the couch; you can always lubricate. A lip balm leaves a thin layer of grease on the lips and also ensures that your lips are not damaged further. So pay close attention to what you have with you, ladies, because a shiny lip gloss or beautiful red lipstick is not enough. A color or gloss on your lips and good protection is also possible. Nowadays there are quite a few lip balms that have the effect of a lipstick or lip gloss, but also offer the right protection.
UV filter
Another point to consider regarding the lip balm you choose is a UV filter. Even though it is quite cold outside, the sun can be bright. Especially when going on winter sports, it is very important to protect your lips from the sun. The snow reflects the UV radiation, making it even stronger. Many brands have a special lip balm for winter sports enthusiasts, but a regular lip balm with a UV filter also protects.
Do not lick
Try not to lick your lips too much. Saliva dries out your skin even more. As soon as you lick your lips, it may feel like you are making them more moist, but actually the opposite happens. Pay close attention, you probably do it unconsciously more often than you think.
Exfoliate
If you started applying it a little too late and your lips are already covered in cracks and skin, it is advisable to scrub gently. The emphasis here is on caution, because damage quickly worsens. There are special scrubbing products for the lips, but an old, soft toothbrush will also work fine. Gently move the toothbrush over the lips to remove loose skin and old skin cells. After scrubbing, it is important that you apply a good, greasy cream to the lips so that the skin can recover properly. Don’t scrub your lips more than once a week. Like I said, the skin on your lips is thin. Because dead skin cells are removed during scrubbing, it becomes even thinner and therefore needs time to recover. Exfoliating once a week is sufficient.
Continue to lubricate
And then one last tip, especially for the older ladies among us. The older we get, the thinner the skin on our lips is. This skin therefore needs even more attention. It is then advisable to continue applying the cream every now and then, even during a nice day at home. Prevention is better than cure!
How do you ensure that your lips remain kissable in winter?
