In both the summer and winter months, dry lips can be a problem. Nothing is worse than having dry, cracked or flaking lips. Today I am going to share about the benefits of lip balms and how it can help you with this common annoyance.
Just as the rest of your skin needs hydration, so does the skin of your lips! As the weather changes, you may find that your skincare routine needs to also. Cold temperatures and sun damage can leave your lips feeling less than stellar and be a reminder that you need to take care of your lips (something I personally forget to do). Below I share the perfect lip balm recipe to help sooth your sun burnt, wind burnt, or just plain dry lips that provides long-lasting hydration.
why do your lips get chapped?
Your lip do not have sebaceous (sweat and oil) glands like your skin does. This makes them more prone to dryness or cracking.
Environmental factors, such as wind, sun exposure, living where there is dry air, and cold weather, can all make you realize that benefits of a good lip balm!
External factors, such as burns, irritations, or an allergic reaction, can also leave your lips feeling less than stellar.
Another big factor is vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Fat soluble vitamins tend to be something many unknowingly avoid considering they come from fats such as butter, lard, and tallow. Missing these can cause your skin (and lips) to be dry.
lip balm benefits
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Lip balm protects your lips.
- Just like your skin needs protection from time to time, so do your lips. Environmental factors such as wind, sun exposure, living where there is dry air, or cold weather can all make you realize that benefits of a good lip balm! Natural lip balms not only moisturize your lips, but the beeswax creates a thin layer that protects lips too.
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If you do not like lipstick, tinted lip balm can give your lips some color.
- Buying a tinted lip balm allows you to give your lips a hint of color without worrying about rough tips and uneven lip stick. And on that note..
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Lip balm acts as a lipstick primer.
- When matte lipstick does not go on smooth, it is usually due to dry or cracked lips. Using a lip balm before can help you achieve a smoother look by moisturizing your lips.
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You can have soft and supple lips!
- Whether you are kissing the man in your life or your kids, you want soft lips! Daily use of a moisturizing lip balm is a great way to beat signs of dryness.
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Lip balm helps to brighten your lips.
- If you use lip balm daily, it can help to brighten your lips. Like other areas of the skin, when lip skin gets dry it also becomes dull. The good news is, you can combat this by using a lip balm each day to protect and moisturize them!
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When opting for natural ingredients, it may help heal chapped lips.
- For some people, dry chapped lips can mean they are flaking and sore. When you use a lip balm with deeply nourishing ingredients, such as tallow, shea butter, or cocoa butter, you are helping to heal your lips too.
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Lip balms tend to be everywhere and affordable.
- Even if you are opting for natural or organic lip balms, you tend to only be out a few bucks. Unlike lip stick or lip gloss, you do not have to spend a ton to get good quality lip balms. Most everyone can find them whether at a farmer’s market, local shop, or regular grocery store.
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Lip balm can help protect your lips from the harmful rays of the sun.
- If you are going to be outside between 10a-2pm, you probably already know the sun’s rays are stronger. I am NOT one who avoids the sun or lathers up with sunscreen each time we go out, but if we go out around noon in the summer, we do tend to wear skin protection. Natural ingredients can provide a small amount of protection from the sun. You can also look for natural lip balms with non-nano zinc for spf protection.
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It can help to reduce wrinkles around your lips.
- Yes, the health of your lips reduces wrinkles! Keeping your lips hydrated and protected also helps to reduce wrinkles around your lips.
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Healthy lips have a plumper look!
- In order to have plump lips, they must be hydrated. This is just another benefits of using a good lip balm!
benefits of using a nourishing lip balm
Opting for natural ingredients not only protects your lips, but it helps to heal them. When choosing lip care products, opt for those without synthetic ingredients and harsh chemicals. Common ingredients found in commercial lip balms, such as mineral oil and petroleum jelly, may appear to work, but they can have containments and can clog the pores around your mouth. If you are trying to ditch toxins and find the right lip balm, look for some of the following ingredients:
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Tallow
- Tallow is made from rendered beef fat, which is a natural lip emollient (meaning it has a softening and soothing effect). It is known for its health benefits and is packed full of fat soluble vitamins which help to repair damage from harmful UV rays that can cause fine lines and wrinkles.
- Fat soluble vitamins help to hydrate and plump your lips. It also helps to promote healthy skin cells, protect lips from free radicals, and soothe irritations to promote overall lip health.
- The essential fatty acids in tallow have anti-inflammatory properties, meaning it can help soothe your skin from redness and irritation from environmental damage.
- Tallow is also similar to our lip oils, also called sebum. Sebum is the oily, wax-like substance that helps to moisturize and protect our skin.
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Shea butter
- Shea butter is a plant based butter made from nuts of a shea tree.
- Most know that shea butter is a popular skin care ingredient because it is deeply nourishing and hydrating.
- It is also rich in fatty acids and vitamin E, which help to hydrate lips.
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Natural oils
- These include coconut oil, castor seed oil, sweet almond oil, and olive oil. Each of these liquid oils has its own benefits in itself, but they tend to also be packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
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Beeswax
- Beeswax is another ingredient that is popular in lip and skincare products. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to keep your products from going bad.
- It also provides a protective barrier and helps to prevent the skin from losing moisture. This locks moisture into your lips!
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Essential oils
- You can use essential oils for their benefits or because you simple enjoy the smell of them. There are all sorts of different flavors you can make with essential oils!
There are a variety of lip balms out there. Each person will have a different opinion on what the perfect product is. Finding the best lip moisturizer for you is what is important!
If you are interested in making your own lip balm, I have 2 how tos to create your own natural lip blam on my blog! You can find them here:
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