Lip skin care in summer: step-by-step scheme from scrub to balm with SPF

Banal causes of cracked lips

If the lips burst, it causes quite unpleasant sensations - pain, irritation, burning. You want to lick them, but this usually makes the problem worse. For most people, the skin around the lips becomes dry in spring and autumn, as well as in winter. It is not surprising, since the main cause of violations is temperature changes.

When a person goes outside from the heat, the sebaceous glands cannot “rebuild” and begin to secrete more secretion.

Reduced production of a substance that makes the skin elastic, moisturized and regulates moisture evaporation leads to excessive dryness. If urgent measures are not taken, lips:

• hurt;

• crack;
• bleed;
• are burning.

Without rapid healing, there is a risk of infection getting into the wounds and developing an inflammatory process. Therefore, it is impossible to rip off the peeling skin from the lips. There are other reasons for dry lips in men and women that are related to lifestyle:

1. Dehydration
   . The face and lips become dry due to low water consumption. Heating in winter is also not conducive to skin hydration - it becomes very dry.
2. Smoking, alcohol abuse
   . This cause of cracked lips especially often affects men - alcohol causes the skin of the face and body to dry out, and smoking outside contributes to peeling and dry lips.

3. Taking antibiotics
   . This causes dysbacteriosis, and one of the symptoms of this disease is dry lips and oral mucosa.

If you are exposed to cold or strong drafts for a long time, the mucous membrane of the lips (the area around the mouth) of a child and an adult can become chapped or frostbitten literally in one go.

Causes of dry lips

First of all, pay attention to your diet . A lack of healthy fats, a deficiency of vitamins and microelements in the diet can cause cracks in the corners of the lips and cause dry skin. Add nuts, avocado, red fish and butter to your diet - these foods are rich in healthy fats. To compensate for the deficiency of vitamins and microelements, take a course of multivitamins.

It’s not just dietary deficiencies that cause dry lips. Proper drinking regimen is also important , as well as what kind of water you drink. Peeling of the delicate skin of the lips can occur if you overuse soft drinks or drink little water. In this case, just drink enough and preferably warm water. A glass of warm water with honey and lemon is a great start to the day. Start with this ritual every morning and you will quickly notice an improvement.

If your diet and drinking regime are in order, analyze the microclimate in the rooms where you spend the most time (at work and at home, for example). The air in the rooms should not be too dry. If humidity is low, use humidifiers to bring it back to normal. Sufficiently humidified air not only has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, but also protects the mucous membranes from viruses.

Finally, dry lips can cause a tendency to constantly lick your lips. This habit is especially disturbing in cold weather in autumn and winter. Because of it, peeling first occurs, and then dry crusts may appear, which in no case should be peeled off or touched with your hands.

Vitamin deficiency and allergies

If the sponges constantly burst, so-called “jams” form in the corners, the cause may be a deficiency of vitamins A, E, D, group B. Usually such phenomena are characteristic of the second half of winter and spring, and most often this is how a person manifests a lack of alpha-tocopherol and carotene.

The vitamins your skin needs are listed below:

Why do women's lips dry out? Often the cause is the use of lipstick, which causes a type of contact dermatitis (allergic reaction). You can notice that your lips become very dry even if you regularly use lipsticks without a moisturizing function (“matte”), which should not be used in cold weather. Allergies can appear on the upper or lower lip after brushing your teeth; the culprit is unsuitable toothpaste with allergic ingredients. In summer, excessive sun exposure can cause excessive dryness of the lips.

Skin diseases

Why do lips itch, become crusty, and sometimes there are unpleasant-looking blisters on the tip of the lip? All of these signs are classic symptoms of herpes. It develops after infection with a virus and will then regularly worsen as immunity decreases. The clinical picture of herpes is as follows:

• the appearance of itching near the lip, on the corners, on the red border;
• skin redness, tingling and burning;
• the formation of small bubbles - from one or two to dozens;
• filling bubbles with liquid;
• drying of bubbles, appearance of crusts;
• The crusts fall off after 7-10 days.

Fungal infections of the skin of the lips are uncommon, but are possible in individuals with severely weakened immune systems. If there is a whitish coating on the inside of the lower lip, mucosal candidiasis is likely to occur. Sometimes this happens during pregnancy, after a long course of hormones or antibiotics.

The skin around the mouth may be itchy and dry due to cheilitis, an inflammation of the red border.

Most often, the cause of this skin disease is the use of allergenic or low-quality cosmetics, and the main symptoms are pain, redness, burning, and severe dryness.

Other reasons

A common prerequisite for peeling and dry lips is ARVI, flu, colds, sinusitis. All these infectious diseases cause nasal congestion, so a person is forced to breathe through the mouth. This causes drying of the mucous membrane and the appearance of an extremely unpleasant sensation. In addition, a person is constantly thirsty, and at night the lips become so dry that in the morning bloody cracks are visible on them. In children, persistently chapped lips may be a sign of adenoids.

Cracks and dryness that are difficult to treat can be a symptom of a number of serious diseases:

1. Diabetes
   . Impaired glucose metabolism often causes sticking in the corners of the mouth and severe peeling of the skin of the lips.

2. Diseases of the digestive tract, liver, pancreas
   . Against the backdrop of failure to absorb nutrients and digest food, skin problems are not uncommon.

3. Anemia
   . Constant problems with the lips are sometimes the result of a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood.

4. Kidney diseases
   . At an advanced stage, they provoke chronic cracks in the oral mucosa.

Also, the cause of cracks and dryness is sometimes poor dental hygiene and improper bite - you should consult a dentist.

What to do to treat lip skin?

If the problem is caused by systemic pathologies, it will not be possible to cope with dryness and cracks without taking them under control. After undergoing examination by a gastroenterologist or endocrinologist, the patient will receive an appointment and begin therapy. Dermatological diseases are treated under the supervision of a dermatologist.

An integrated approach must necessarily include a diet with increased amounts of vitamins.

You need to give up food that irritates the sponge - salty, spicy, sour, with chemical additives. Citrus fruits, alcohol, chewing gum, and soda should also be removed. More fruits and vegetables, sour cream and cottage cheese, lean meat, cereals - this is the basis of the diet.

Regular lip massage helps to cope with the problem very quickly. It is done using a soft toothbrush, after applying a nourishing cream. Massage in a circular motion for 2 minutes, which will speed up cell recovery. There are also a number of pharmaceutical ointments that will heal the skin quickly and without a trace:

• Calendula
  - has anti-inflammatory and regenerating effects;
• Sintomycin
  - indicated for seizures, is a local antiseptic;

• D-Panthenol
  — contains dexpanthenol, which heals the skin;

• Methyluracil
  - helps regenerate skin with large cracks;

• Radevit
  - includes vitamins D, A, E, without which it is impossible to establish blood microcirculation in skin cells.

For herpes, you should use Acyclovir, Panavir for a course of 5-7 days, these ointments will relieve dryness and burning.

How to “cure” dry lips at home?

If your lips become dry and cracked, then first of all you need to find the reason why this happened:

Classic lipstick, gloss, balm or multifunctional tint - we’ll figure out which one you should choose.

Take the test

• You often lick your lips. For some girls this becomes a habit. Saliva seems to “absorb” moisture and a protective fatty film, making the skin of the lips susceptible to external factors: wind, cold, dryness, and infections. Read about how to protect your lip skin in winter here.

• You drink too much coffee, and caffeine dehydrates your lips.

• You do not cover your face with a scarf when you are outside in cold and windy weather.

• You are using a low-quality lip balm that contains alcohol, carbolic acid and/or menthol (you can find a list of proven lip balms here).

• You brush your teeth with a toothpaste that contains sodium lauryl sulfate (look for the name Sodium Lauryl Sulfate on the packaging).

• You are allergic to metals, such as cobalt or nickel.

If you see your lips starting to dry out and crack, start treating them right away. And you can do this quickly and at home using one of the following means:

1

Castor oil and Vaseline

Apply castor oil to your lips using a cotton swab and spread a thin layer of Vaseline on top. Your lips will begin to heal, and in a maximum of a week the problem will disappear altogether.

2

Honey

Using a finger moistened with water (so that the honey does not stick), apply a little honey to your lips. It has antibacterial properties and also moisturizes and nourishes sensitive skin.

3

Glycerol

Glycerin helps increase the percentage of moisture in the skin of the lips and is considered one of the best natural moisturizers. It will relieve you of dry lips by restoring damaged tissue and speeding up the healing process. Glycerin also protects lips from unsuitable climatic conditions - stuffiness, cold, wind. Just apply a couple of drops to your lips before bed.

4

Lip balm

Lip balm is a product that can be found in almost every woman's bag. It is very convenient to carry with you, so your lips will always be protected. It can also be used as a base for lipstick. Take a closer look at the lip balms that we wrote about in this material.

5

Aloe vera

This herbaceous plant is known for its medicinal properties that help heal dry and sunburned skin. You can apply aloe vera gel to your lips or apply a fresh leaf to them.

6

Unsalted butter

Butter is an excellent natural moisturizer for lips. Rub your lips with a piece of oil twice a day, but make sure that the composition does not contain salts: they can further harm the skin.

7

Water

Dry, chapped lips can be caused by dehydration throughout the body. This means that you are not drinking enough clean water. Remember that soda drinks, soda, juices, coffee and tea are not substitutes for it, and sometimes even cause dehydration. Drink at least a liter of water a day to quickly rehydrate. Place a glass bottle next to your computer and take a few sips periodically.

8

Sunscreen

Avoid direct sunlight, and if you go to a hot country or to the mountains where it can be very sunny, take SPF with you: make it a habit to apply it to your lips every day.

9

Humidifier

A humidifier is one of the most needed items for the home these days. Clean and humidified air in the house is what will save you from dry lips.

10

Dietary supplements and vitamins containing iron

If you have tried everything but nothing helps, consult a doctor. You may be anemic or your body may not have enough iron. This often happens to vegetarians and vegans, since meat is the main source of iron. Headache, fatigue, severely chapped and dry lips are a few symptoms of this problem. You need to take dietary supplements (dietary supplements) and vitamins to compensate for the lack of iron.

How do you take care of your lips? Tell us in the comments.

Traditional treatment

You can also smear flaky lips with homemade products. You should take into account these recipes:

:

1. Mix 2 tablespoons of natural honey and any internal fat (if you don’t have it, then take butter), apply carefully, use as an ointment up to 5 times a day.
2. Combine equal amounts of peach oil, olive oil, and sea buckthorn oil, use as a nourishing mask - apply for 30 minutes daily.
3. Take fresh cottage cheese and mix with the same amount of sour cream. Make a mask on your lips and leave it on for 20 minutes. Repeat 4 times/week.
4. Melt cocoa butter (a spoon) and wax (the same amount) in a water bath. Pour into a jar and use as a hygienic lipstick before going outside.

Traditional methods will help with many causes of dryness and flaking, but if there is no improvement within a week, attention should be paid to conservative measures.

What lip products are needed in summer and how to use them correctly

The path to ideal lip condition during the hot season consists of four main steps:

• Peeling
  .
• Hydration
  .
• Recovery
  .
• Protection
  .

To do this you will need the following tools:

Lip scrub

Body scrubs should not be used in such a sensitive area. Only products with the smallest exfoliating particles are suitable here, which will not injure delicate skin. These can be sugar, castor granules, raspberry seeds, etc. They delicately cleanse the surface of keratinized particles, allowing the active substances from care products to be better absorbed. After such a renewing peeling, the skin of the lips becomes smoother, softer, and more elastic.

Berry lip scrub, Spivak

115 ₽

Dietary supplement NOT A MEDICINE

Natural lip scrubs additionally include base and essential oils (almond, jojoba, coconut and others), as well as extracts of medicinal plants. They give the product nourishing, moisturizing, healing, and anti-inflammatory properties. But you shouldn’t get carried away with peeling. It is enough to scrub your lips once a week for a few minutes.

Lip patches

This is a multifunctional product for quick and effective restoration of lip skin. Hydrogel lip patches contain moisturizing components, such as hyaluronic acid or collagen, as well as organic oils, extracts of fruits, berries, aloe and other medicinal plants. Depending on the active substances, such express masks perform various functions:

• level the terrain;
• nourish and soften;
• heal cracks;
• rejuvenate;
• eliminate dryness and flaking;
• add volume.

Apply them to dry lips for 15–20 minutes. The maximum effect can be achieved by using patches immediately after peeling.

Choosy lip patch “Strawberry chocolate”, 1 piece, SUNSMILE

224 ₽

Dietary supplement NOT A MEDICINE

Chapstick

Its task is to protect the skin from adverse environmental influences and moisture loss. Beeswax, honey or cocoa butter, which are the basis of such products, act as a barrier. Cotton, coconut, castor and other oils, as well as vitamins E and F, additionally care, nourish, smooth and soften the skin, heal cracks, and add elasticity.

Hygienic lipstick is applied as a base for makeup or as a stand-alone product before any outing.

Natural lip balm

Compared to hygienic lipstick, which works superficially, this product acts on the deeper layers of the skin and activates metabolic processes. Depending on the composition, lip balms are:

• restorative (with vitamins B12, C);
• anti-inflammatory (jojoba oil, azulene);
• nutritious (apricot oil, vitamin A);
• moisturizing (aloe vera, chamomile);
• anti-aging (vitamin E).

Some balms with an enhanced anti-age formula based on hyaluronic acid, with constant use, act as natural fillers for the lips, visually creating volume and making the contour clearer.

Such products are available in different formats. There are solid ones in jars or sticks and liquid ones in tubes with applicators. The balm should be used daily after morning beauty treatments or at night.

Lip balm SPF 15, SUNNY, 10 ml, Levrana

200 ₽

Dietary supplement NOT A MEDICINE

Products with SPF for lips

Most often, these are the same balms or hygienic lipsticks, but with additional components - sun filters that protect the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. Filters can be chemical or physical. Chemicals are silicones, salicylates, cinnamates. Of the natural components, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide have shielding properties.

Lipstick or lip balm with SPF must be used before going outside on a sunny day and always taken with you on vacation, the beach or a walk.