Lip Care Routine: Know the Basics-

Before you start a lip care routine, get familiar with what healthy lips look and feel like. Everyone’s lips are different and can vary in tone, thickness, and moisture level. However, no matter what kind of lips you have, dryness, flakiness, bleeding, and/or cold sores are generally signs of poor lip health. On the other hand, lips that feel soft, smooth, and hydrated are likely on the healthy side.

If you’re having issues with your lips on a regular basis, talk to your doctor. They can help you determine the cause or causes of your lip issues and prescribe a course of treatment.

 


Five (5)- Step Lip Care Routine

It may sound difficult and time-consuming to start a lip care routine. But we’ve got some good news—it’s actually pretty easy! In fact, simplicity is key when it comes to lip care. Keeping your routine quick and manageable can help you stay consistent. Below, we list a few steps you can include in your lip care routine. Every person’s lips are different, and you may need to cater your routine to accommodate your specific needs. Here is a foundation to help you get started:

Step 1: Moisturize your lips in the morning right when you wake up. Many people sleep with their mouths open, which can dry out the lips. If the air is dry in your bedroom, be sure to apply a moisture-rich lip balm as soon as you wake up to treat your lips. You may also want to consider a humidifier for your bedroom, which can help keep your skin and lips hydrated.

Step 2: Apply SPF. Just like the rest of your skin, your lips need SPF every day. Many people combine Step 1 and Step 2. Simply choose a hydrating SPF lip balm you like, and put it on before you walk out the door. SPF lip balm can come off when you talk, eat, drink, and touch your face, so be sure to reapply it every 2 hours as you would with regular sunscreen if you’re spending time in the sun.

Step 3: Exfoliate your lips. Like the other skin on your face, lips can benefit from exfoliating scrubs as well. Exfoliation can make your lips smooth, soft, and shiny. For example, you could buy ChapStick’s lip scrub from the store, or get creative and make a DIY lip scrub at home. Be gentle when you exfoliate. If your lips feel raw or irritated, you might be exfoliating too hard. Once or twice a week is enough for lip scrubs. Do it in the morning or evening, whichever way best suits your schedule.

Step 4: Apply lip treatments as needed. If you have a specific lip condition, such as bleeding lips or cold sores, you may need to apply a treatment to the affected area. For cold sores, use Abreva Cold Sore Cream, which can heal cold sores in as few as 2 ½ days when used at the first sign.*

Step 5: Use a lip mask before you go to bed at night. Slightly thicker and more buttery than lip balm, lip masks can be worn overnight to help your lips recover from any environmental elements or stressors they faced during the day. If you’re wearing any lipstick or lip gloss, don’t forget to remove it before you apply your lip mask and hit the hay.

Thanks for reading our guide to lip care routines. We hope you’re ready to start your routine ASAP! Learn more about lip care from Abreva today.