Must-Have Tips to Get Soft, Beautiful Lips

Who doesn't want a soft, luscious pout? But sometimes our health, dry weather, or just general neglect leaves our lips a dry, flakey mess. So we've got some great expert tips to revive your lips into the soft, kissable pillows they deserve to be.

Don't Lick Your Lips
Whether it's a bad habit, or you're trying to temporarily ameliorate the situation yourself, do not lick your lips. First, it just looks weird; second, it's actuallymaking your lips drier than they were to begin with due to the enzymes in your saliva.

Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day
Don't forget to stay hydrated. Shoot for about eight glasses of water a day (or more if you exercise or are in hot weather). Dry, chapped lips can be a sign of dehydration, so drinking lots of water will help prevent those dry, flaky lips before they happen.

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate
Before you reach for your worn down ChapStick, exfoliate that dead skin away. It's important that you shed the layer of dry, cracked skin on your lips before you treat them. Not only will this allow your lip treatment to work best, your lips will immediately feel softer.

We have two really simple, cheap lip exfoliant options:
Make Your Own Lip Scrub
- For a cheap and easy lip scrub, combine unbleached sugar with olive oil. Apply the mixture liberally to the lips and surrounding area.

The Toothbrush Trick
- If you're not in the mood to get messy, this is by far the easiest exfoliating method you can use. Simply take a dry toothbrush and gently massage your lips.This will remove those dead skin cells and get your lips prepped for your balm.

Use Day & Night Lip Treatments
Think of your treatment for dry lips as a normal part of your beauty regime. Just like with normal facial or body moisturizer, we recommend using a day treatment as well as a more intensive night treatment.

During the day, use a lip balm that contains the lip soothing ingredients Vitamin E or Rosehip. These will help replenish the delicate skin while locking in moisture. Our experts love Burt's Bees Natural Lip Balm, Bioelements Instant Emollient Lip Moisturizer and Neosporin Lip Health.

At night, apply a soothing lotion or balm to your lips. Keep Aquafor or a tub of Vaseline next to your bed so you can easily dab it on before falling asleep-no excuses.

In addition to exfoliating, wetting your lips with a damp cloth before applying your lip balm/treatment can help your balm's moisturizing ability (by locking in the water's moisture), but it's not required.

And don't be afraid to apply your normal moisturizer to your lips while you're treating the rest of your face-it will only provide added relief!

Expert sources: Jilliant Wright (Clinical Aesthetician & Spa Owner); Dr. Debra Jaliman, MD (Dermatologist)

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