HOW TO HEAL DRY FLAKY LIPS

There is nothing worse than sore, dry , cracked lips and it doesn't have to be the middle of Winter to suffer from dry lips. Lipsticks and lipliners don't seem to glide on as effortlessly when the lips are dry and flaky, limiting your make up choices somewhat to the boring ol fashioned lip balms.  

Here are 8 tips on how to heal dry, cracked and flaking lips.  

#1 Way to Heal Dry Flaky Lips

Use a product that is designed to lock in moisture and prevent water from escaping. These emollient style lip balms will not only prevent moisture loss they will also protect the lip from wind and other drying elements such as heating and air conditioning.  

#2 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Stop licking your lips! Licking your lips will leave your lips dry, cracked and flaky. When saliva dries on the lips it leaves the lips drier.  

#3 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Check your ingredient deck on your lip balm, does it contain alcohol or menthol? These are drying on the skin (pending the % in the product). Does it contain SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) - this ingredient is drying on the skin and much more.

#4 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Look for hydrating ingredients such as glycerin, coconut oil and shea butter. PCA Skin has a lovely Peptide Lip Therapy that is popular in the combat against dry lips. Aspect Skin Care also has a very popular lip balm that I have used and actually really enjoy using. It contains beeswax which I find allows the balm to last longer between applications.  

#5 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Apply a Lip Balm like the ones recommended above before your lip liner, lipstick or lip crayon to treat the lips first then apply another protective coloured coat. More the merrier I say!

#6 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Say goodbye to the flakes. Remove them. Its time to go flakes! A soft and gentle approach would be a lip exfoliator such as the Jane Iredale Sugar and Butter. I love this product. Don't use it if you are hungry though as it literally tastes so good you could eat the whole thing. Lip exfoliator on one end and a lip hydrator/plumper on the other end.  

#7 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Protect your lips from UV damage and the drying effects of the sun. We often forget to protect our lips, but they are just as prone to skin cancers as the rest of the body, especially as they are in the elements all the time. Try the Jane Iredale LipDrink which has a spf of 15 and a translucent and 2 coloured shades. Another great spf lip balm is the ASAP Hydrating Lip Balm which has an spf of 15 as well and is translucent.  

#8 Way to Heal Dry and Flaky Lips

Try a natural remedy treatment at home. First start with the Jane Iredale Sugar and Butter and exfoliate the lips. Apply either castor oil or coconut oil and then apply one of the lip balms recommended above. This is an intensive lip treatment that will get you through the flakiest of flaky lips. Then for the following days until healed, reapply your balm as needed so the lips have a chance to rehydrate and return to a flake free zone.