Looking after your lips is just as important as looking after your skin

If there is one thing that I've noticed since blogging about things related to beauty is that I seem to spend a lot on make up. Whether that's buying that new shade of lipstick that's just come out that everybody and their nan seems to be raving about or those cult makeup brushes that I should most definitely have and be using daily. This then means that I've accumulated quite a lot of products which I'm sure many people have done. It's gotten to the stage where I really don't need anything else because I have plenty of it yet I want it because of the packaging/smell/cult product/prettyness ot the product. One of these categories of which I've accumulated a lot of is lipbalms. Personally to me, I think a lip balm is just as important as skincare. Because lets face it, who fancies going out with fabulous skin but yet have dry, cracked lips?
 
I've recently asked on Twitter how many lipbalms people own and the majority have said between the 10 - 15 mark with some having over 20+ which is a lot! But out of their collections, they only use a few daily/weekly as they do different things i.e. for chapped lips or when their lips are feeling a tad dry. I believe that people should be using atleast six lipbalms weekly along with a lipscrub. Now, this may seem like a lot but take into account what we use for our skin - Cleansers, toners, moisturisers, exfoliating scrubs, serums, eye creams, spot treatments, face masks etc. So why cant it be the same for our lips?

       

Before you get a lip care routine in place, the first thing that you will need which is vital is a good lip scrub! Exfoliating your lips regularly with a lip scrub means that you're removing dead skin from the surface and thus exposing healthier skin underneath which is softer and more even-toned. Exfoliated lips help to retain moisture better which is helpful to lips! The benefits of exfoliated lips are endless - you'll have lips which are less prone to chapping, lipstick stays on better and you'll even have softer lips which is better for kissing your other half with. You can buy lipscrubs from all kind of places but I must admit, Lush do make some rather nice lip scrubs which will last you quite a while. Right now, they've got their limited edition Popcorn Lipscrub which would do rather nicely throughout December. Or if you don't fancy splashing out for one, you can always make your own. I've done a post all about how I made my one (which is the big tin above) here.

Whenever applying lipstick, always make sure you use a lipbalm as base! More so if you have cracked or dry lips. As lipstick is very drying which means it will dry your lips out even more so without a lipbalm underneath as base to moisturise your lips as the day goes on. Make sure you apply a very light coating of lipbalm underneath so that it has time to sink in before you apply your lipstick. I like to use Aldi's Lacura lip balm as I find that it's just the right consistency for applying lipstick over it. If you're going away on holiday, take a lipbalm with SPF in it! A lipbalm with SPF in it will help protect your lips from the harmful rays of the sun as well as keeping it moisturised. If you do the same for your body then why not for your lips as well? I preferably use Maybelline's Baby Lips in Quenched as it's got SPF 20 in it and I know that my lips will be safe whilst I sunbathe.

When I apply a body butter, I like to do the same for my lips and use a lip butter! The difference between a lip butter and a regular lip balm is that the lip butters are thicker in consistency meaning that it takes longer to sink into your lips thus leaving your lips more moisturised for longer. I love using my Wild Cherry by The Body Shop as it's one of my favourite scents ever and it's just perfect for when I feel my lips need a little TLC. 

We all have days when are lips aren't looking their best so why not invest in a lip treatment? I like to alternate between three in particular as they all do different things. At night time, try to use a lipbalm which has a thick and sticky consistency. Whilst you're sleeping, it's getting absorbed into your lips at a slow pace meaning in the morning your lips are really moisturised and you can still feel it on your lips. I like to use The Body Shop's Aloe Lip Care which is just perfect for night time use! I like to think of this as a dupe for Lanolips 101 Ointment as it's very similar, despite me not personally trying the Lanolips.

Throughout the day on those days when my lips aren't looking their best, I like using lip balms that are medicated to some sense. Medicated lip balms are good for your lips when they're cracked/dry as they help soothe them whilst providing moisture at the same time. My all time favourite medicated lip balm is Carmex purely because it's cheap as chips, does the job and has been in my life for 10+ years. If you're not a fan of the original smelling Carmex, then it's worth looking into their other flavours as they do strawberry, cherry, vanilla and lime. Lastly, when I feel my lips need a little extra TLC and nothing else is cutting it, I like to apply Motives Vitamin C Treatment*. This contains Vitamin C in it which we all know is good for the body so it will be good for the lips also as well as providing moisture to the lips where it's needed.

Swatches to show the different textures from L-R: The Body Shop Aloe Lip Care, Carmex, The Body Shop Wild Cherry Lip Butter, Lacura Lip Balm & Lip scrub made by self.

I hope I've highlighted just how important lip care is and hopefully you'll start caring for your lips just so much as you do for your skin. I would love to hear what you use to look after your lips!