Lips Beauty Tips

Natural Lip Balm for Chapped Lips

Dry, cracked lips are uncomfortable and not pretty to look at. Unfortunately, most of us suffer from this condition at least on occasion, and the first thing we reach for is lip balm. Commercial lip balms can have additives and preservatives that can irritate the lips more than they soothe them, so a safe, natural alternative is to make your own at home.

Coconut Oil and Beeswax Lip Balm

Method

• Melt two teaspoons beeswax in a double boiler or microwave, and add in 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Cool slightly, then add 5 drops of essential oil if desired. Some nice choices are peppermint, for a cool tingly feeling, or any sort of fruit or berry. Store in little pots, or pour into an empty lip balm tube.

Why It Works

Coconut oil is a rich emollient, able to penetrate the lips to improve hydration and texture. Beeswax seals in the hydration.

Precautions

Be sure to carefully read the label on your essential oil to make sure it is safe to use near the mouth, or on the skin. Check with your doctor if you are unsure of the cause of your dry lips, to rule out vitamin deficiencies, side effects of medications, or skin disorders.

Petroleum Jelly for Chapped Lips

Petroleum jelly was discovered in the mid-1800’s when workers found that rubbing the strange wax found on their oil rigs onto cuts and burns seemed to help them heal faster. Later, the wax was distilled into the clear jelly we know and marketed as a cure-all for burns, blisters, and any other skin condition. We now know its uses are a little more limited, but it is still recognized as a skin conditioner and softener.

Petroleum Jelly to Soothe the Lips

Method

• Pure petroleum jelly is inexpensive and readily available at any drugstore or mass retailer. It may be smoothed onto the lips by itself, or it can be flavored with small amounts of honey or vanilla. Heat in the microwave to mix in the flavor, but make sure you cool it before applying to the lips.

Why It Works

Petroleum jelly is a lubricant, so it soothes the lips. It also sits on top of the skin and seals in moisture while sealing out irritants. It does not, however, heal the skin as previously thought.

Precautions

Again, if you heat petroleum jelly in the microwave, be sure to let it cool before putting it on your lips. It can cause serious burns while hot. Otherwise, this is an extremely safe product.

Shea Butter for Chapped Lips

Shea butter is the pure fat extracted from the nut of the shea tree, which is grown exclusively in several countries in the center of the African continent. Shea butter may be eaten and used as cooking oil, and is widely used in lotions, cosmetics, and soaps because of its moisturizing properties and natural UV protection.

Shea Butter to Heal Cracked Lips

Method

• Pure shea butter may be applied to the lips several times daily. Alternatively, you can blend in a little melted beeswax (about half as much beeswax as shea butter) and a few drops of essential oil, if desired. Be sure and let the balm cool before applying to the lips.

Why It Works

Shea butter is a rich emollient, able to penetrate the lips quickly and moisturize deeply. It contains high levels of Vitamins A, E and F, which hydrate and protect the lips. If beeswax is added, it forms a barrier to help seal in moisture, and also helps preserve the lip balm and keep it from melting as quickly.

Precautions

In rare cases shea butter may cause an allergic reaction, particularly in those with nut allergies. Check with your doctor if you are unsure of the cause of your dry lips, to rule out vitamin deficiencies, side effects of medications, or skin disorders.

How to Cure Dry Chapped Lips through Home Remedies

Chapped lips are a very common skin problem. They become very painful when extremely dry. They become red and chapped when dry. Situation is bad when the weather is dry. This problem cannot be cured with just moisturizer. One needs to apply something else like petroleum jelly on the lips.

Lack of water in the body makes the lips dry. Some medicines do have side effects on the skin, which causes cracks in the lips. Lack of vitamins and nutrition in the diet also affects the softness of the lips. At times cold dry air makes the skin dry and cracked. Giving some more attention to the lips, regularly apply some petroleum jelly and lip balm on the lips to avoid dryness.

Apply certain remedies to get rid of chapped lips:

• Keep the body hydrate by drinking lots of water. People who do not drink sufficient water are more prone to get dry lips and dry skin. Water or fluids keep the body moist which keeps the skin soft and supple.
• Apply lip balm or petroleum jelly on the lips to keep them smooth.
• Many people keep wetting their lips with their tongue, which makes the lips dark, and color and lose the moister. Stop wetting lips with tongue rather apply moisturizer.
• Excessive use of lipsticks on the lips too makes them dark and dry. At times let them breathe without putting anything on them. Before applying lip color apply some lip balm or moisturizer on your lips to keep them moist.
• Always put petroleum jelly or lip balm on the lips while going to the bed.
• One old remedy of healing dry cracked lips is applying butter or pure ghee into the naval. Oldies say that it makes the lips smooth and heal the cracks faster.
• Soak rose petals in raw milk for few hours. Then make it a paste and apply on the lips to keep them pink and smooth. This helps the lips to retain their lost color.
• Milk cream can be applied many times on the lips to remove the dry dead skin and to make them smooth.
• Never peel the dead dry skin from the lips. Keep on applying petroleum jelly, lip balm or milk cream on them and the dry skin will go automatically.
• Apply moisturizer-based lipstick on the lips then the dry ones.
• Applying glycerin on the lips with a little honey to it too is quite helpful in healing the cracks of the lips and to make them soft and smooth.
• Applying castor oil on badly dried lips helps them to retain their smoothness.
• Always go in the sun wearing sunscreen on your lips. Otherwise lips get dry, dark and patchy.
• Crushing rose petals in glycerin helps them to retain the color and lost moister.