Everyday Lip Care

The function of all surface tissues on the body, including the lips, is to protect the body from the outside environment. Such protection can only be accomplished if the lips are healthy. Healthy lips let us smile, whistle and kiss without discomfort, while protecting us from the harmful effects of the sun and wind.

So how do you get healthy lips? As the most delicate part of the face, lips have no oil glands of their own, so sometimes they need external moisture to keep them soft and healthy. That’s where Carmex^® comes in.

Classic Lip Balm | Natural Lip Balm | Sun-Protecting Lip Balm

It’s the problem that plagues just about everybody: tender, dry lips that start cracking and rapidly get worse. The most common chapped lip causes are excessive lip licking, dehydration and damage from the sun.

Every time you lick your lips, it removes natural oils that keep moisture in your skin. In turn, that moisture evaporates, leaving behind dried-out, cracked lips with nothing to protect them.

Dehydration can happen when you spend too much time in dry environments (air conditioning and heating systems are culprits here), if you breathe through your mouth at night, and if you’re not drinking that all-important daily amount of water. In all cases, lip moisturizer can mean the difference between miserable lips and a huge smile.

Try Carmex^® Classic Lip Balm for dry, chapped lips. 

Sun damage can lead to skin losing some of its elasticity, and unprotected lips are no exception. If you do not protect your lips from the sun you are increasing the risk of skin cancer or other undesirable skin conditions. However, you can protect your lips from sun damage by using a Carmex^® lip balm with sunscreen designed specifically for the lips. Try and avoid glossy lip balms and lip sticks, which can actually magnify the sun’s rays.

Use your lip balm every day, even when it is cloudy because the sun’s rays can get through a cloudy sky. It is recommended to keep an SPF 15 or higher lip balm on hand and reapply it every two hours, including after eating or drinking. 

To keep your lips looking and feeling healthy, keep lips moisturized. When outdoors, use SPF 15 lip balm and avoid excessive exposure to the sun. Since sun damage happens over time, it’s never too late to start a good habit of making sure your lips are protected from the sun.

For sun-protecting lip balm, try Carmex Daily Care™.

Many people have a daily skin care routine for their face, but forget about caring for their lips. The skin on our lips is softer, more sensitive and prone to damage when exposed to external elements. Since lips do not produce oil, they need extra care to stay hydrated.

During the summer, we tend to spend more time outdoors, exposing our lips to dryness, sunburn and sun damage due to heat and UV rays. During the winter, lip care can be even harder to maintain, as lips often bear the brunt of the elements, both indoors and out. Centrally heated homes and offices (which can be particularly dry) and whipping winter winds can take a toll on lips. UV rays can still do damage, even in the cold of winter.

So how can you help your lips weather the seasons? Here are 7 basic summer and winter lip care tips that can be applied year-round:

1. Do not lick your lips! Saliva draws moisture out of the lips as it evaporates and only makes the problem worse.
2. Drink plenty of fluids—especially water—and stay hydrated.
3. Use moisturizing lip balms that will seal in moisture and stay on your lips to help keep your lips hydrated. If you are not allergic to sunscreen, use a product with SPF 15 or higher—not just on sunny days, but every day.
4. Lipsticks that are shiny or contain high gloss with little-to-no color can be potentially harmful to lips because they can attract UV rays. Try a triple-layer approach for added protection: apply a lip balm with SPF, followed by a colored lipstick, then finish it off with some shine.
5. Use equal parts brown sugar, water, salt and honey to exfoliate your lips and remove any chapped skin.
6. Cover your face. In the winter, especially on windy days, make sure you have a scarf or hat with a mask that covers your lips.
7. Use a humidifier in dry environments to help moisturize your skin and lips.

Try Classic Lip Balm in the winter and Sun-Protecting Lip Balm in the summer.

Lipstick should show off your lips—NOT highlight dryness, cracking or chapping. Here are 4 quick beauty tips for your lips so you can get the most flattering and long-lasting look from your favorite lipstick:

1. Exfoliate lips once or twice a week to keep them soft and supple.
   This step removes all of the dead skin from your lips, leaving new skin cells to grow in their place. This can easily be done by combining equal parts brown sugar, water, salt and honey, and then gently scrubbing the mixture on your lips.
2. Apply a moisture-locking lip balm before any other lip product to keep lips smooth and hydrated.
   Lipstick can accentuate every flake and crack if lips are dry and chapped. As added protection against dryness, it’s a good idea to also apply medicated lip balm to lips before bed each night to keep lips moisturized.
3. Apply lip liner.
   Begin at the dip of the upper lip and trace the outer part of your lips. Once the lips are lined, use the same liner pencil to fill them in. Simply turn the liner onto its side and color in the rest of the lip. This step is important, as it will provide a foundation for the lipstick you apply on top.
4. Apply lipstick.
   Now it’s time to apply lipstick. One of the things that will help your lipstick look its best is to apply it with a lip brush, instead of directly from the tube, to allow the color to get into the lip and stay longer. Dip the brush onto the lipstick, and pack the color onto the lips to get a sort of stained effect. Next, take a tissue and blot the lips a couple of times to press the color into your lips. Then, use the lipstick tube to apply the second coat of color.