During winters, your lips possibly take the brunt of the elements, both inside and out. Centrally heated homes and offices can be extremely dry, and cold winter winds can take their toll. Even the ultraviolet rays from the sun are still damaging in winter.
The function of your lips, like other surface tissues on your body, is to provide protection from the outside environment. When your lips are chapped, they’re painful and uncomfortable.
These six basic winter tips can help your lips weather the season:
1. Don’t lick your lips. Every time you do it, it strips away the natural oils that keep moisture in your skin. In turn, that moisture evaporates, leaving it feeling dry and cracked with nothing to protect it.
2. Dehydration can occur if you spend too much time in a dry environment (the heating system is the main culprit here), if you breathe through your mouth at night, or if you do not drink enough water each day. To combat winter dehydration, drink plenty of fluids – particularly water and apply lip balm often throughout the day and night.
3. As the most delicate part of the face, lips have few oil glands, so to keep them soft and healthy, they often need external moisture, such as that available in medicated lip balms. Use products with a broad-spectrum SPF of 15 or higher — not just on sunny days, but every day. To seal in moisture, use a time-tested formula, such as Carmex Lip Balm, which contains a medicated formula, and comes in a jar, tube, or click stick.
4.UV rays are present even in the winter months. Try a three-layer approach to give your lips added protection: apply a lip balm with SPF, followed by a tinted lipstick, then finish with a gloss.
5. Cover your face, particularly on windy days. Make sure you have a scarf or hat with a mask that covers your lips.
6. Use a humidifier in dry environments to help moisturize your skin and lips.
Other seasonal lip tips can be found at MyCarmex.
For a more snug winter season, do not neglect to protect your lips.
Article Source: Statepoint
