WHAT TO DO ABOUT DRY LIPS

We all suffer from dry lips from time to time. The lips are particularly susceptible to dryness and cracking because they have no oil glands. Dry, cracked lips are uncomfortable if not painful, and the vertical lines that appear as we age aren’t pretty (particularly for women who wear lipstick).

Here are some helpful hints for preventing and treating dry lips:

• First apply a lip antioxidant each morning after you wash your face (we recommend SkinCeuticals Antioxidant Lip Repair because it contains Silymarin and Vitamin E, two powerful antioxidants). What’s an antioxidant and why do your lips need one? Topical antioxidants protect the skin from damage by unstable molecules known as free radicals. UVA and UVB rays from the sun cause the vast majority of damage. Antioxidants penetrate deeper than sunscreens, correcting damaged collagen cells while at the same time preventing further damage.
• Next apply sunscreen to your face AND LIPS every day, whether you plan to be outside or not.
• Keep a tube of lip conditioner in your purse or pocket and apply several times a day (we recommend NeoStrata Lip Conditioner with SPF 15 or Exuviance Essential Multi-Protective Lip Balm with SPF 15).
• In cold, windy weather add an occlusive protective barrier (SkinCeuticals Hydra Balm) to lips and other areas of the body that become dry and scaly.