Tips for healthy, luscious lips

Get soft, smooth, healthy lips with these quick and easy home remedies.

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate
Exfoliating regularly is key to dealing with dry, flaky lips. It sloughs off the dead skin, revealing the soft skin underneath. Exfoliation also helps combat discolouration. Don’t use a body scrub on your lips as that might be a bit too harsh. Instead apply some petroleum jelly on your lips and let is sit for a bit. Then take a soft toothbrush and gently rub it all over your lips in a circular motion. Alternatively you can make your own lip scrub with some sugar and olive oil or honey. A honey and oats lip scrub also works well.
Photograph: Melissa Segal/Flickr

Moisturise regularly
To keep your lips in the pink of health show them some love every night. Apply some shea butter, olive oil, almond oil, jojoba oil or petroleum jelly every night before you go to bed. This will nourish your lips and keep them hydrated. Do this even when your lips don’t feel dry. Remember, the skin on your lips is thinner than on the rest of your body, so it needs a bit of extra love.
Photograph: Silviarita/Pixabay.com

Stay hydrated
When you’re hydrated your lips will look plump and pink. The effects of dehydration on the other hand are chapped lips. So keep an eye on your water consumption. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.
Photograph: jcomp /Freepik.com

Use a lip serum to get rid of pigmentation
Women often struggle with pigmented lips. They can be the result of too much tea/coffee, chlorinated water, exposure to the sun or lack of proper skin care. Apart from using lip scrubs you can also use natural lip serums to lighten the pigmentation. A popular one uses honey and lemon juice. Mix the two ingredients in equal proportions and coat your lips with this serum. Leave it on for 15-30 minutes and then wipe off with a damp cloth.
Photograph: Freepik.com

Roses to the rescue
Another natural remedy that will give you soft, pink lips in no time is a rose petal mask. This home remedy involves soaking a handful of rose petals in milk for an hour. Then grind the mix into a paste and add half a teaspoon of honey. Apply the mask onto your lips and rub it in. Keep it on for 10-15 minutes and when wash off with lukewarm water. The honey and milk will help moisturise and lighten the lips while the rose petals will give them a pinkish tint.
Photograph: Freepik.com

Prep with a lip balm
This is especially important if you’re applying a matte or longwearing lipstick, as these tend to make your lips look dry and accentuate the crevices in your lips. So first prep your lips by moisturising them with a lip balm/petroleum jelly. Let it rest on your lips while you do the rest of your makeup. Then gently wipe it off and layer on your lipstick.
Photograph: StockSnap/Pixabay.com