Unmissable Kissability: 5 Ways to Combat Chapped Lips

Are your lips chronically chapped and dry? Here are 5 fixes and DIY methods to get yourself in lip-lock shape. We may associate chapped, flaky lips with winter time, but for many, cracked lips can be a year-round issue that makes for plenty a pre-first-date-panic. After all, who can think about your date’s sexy pout without thinking about how rough your own feel?

Below are 5 quick tips for dealing with chapped lips so they won’t stop your mouth from makin’ moves!

1. Give Your Lips a Spa Day: If your lips are dry and sore, try putting slices of cucumber on them as you would your eyes - just try not to eat them.

2. Make a DIY Scrub: Oh coconut oil, what can’t you do? To prepare, mix:

•  1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ½ Tablespoon Lukewarm Water

Then just rub on your lips gently in a circular motion, rinse off and voila!

3. Brush Up: No time to make a DIY mess in the kitchen? You can use your ISSA to gently exfoliate your lips as well! 

4. Avoid Matte Lipstick: Okay, given how on trend matte colors are this year, that might be a little unreasonable, but part of what makes for a matte effect of these lip shades is how drying they are -and they also tend to highlight every single crack and wrinkle. If you and your matte shade are a match made in heaven, use a lip conditioner - MAC has a great one.

5. A Little Less Tongue: We get it, you’re trying to look sexy by coyly biting and licking at your lips, but you know what isn’t sexy? The painful flaky lips you’ve just looked for advice on dealing with. And licking your lips, while temporarily soothing, will just make them dryer.

Preventing Chapped Lips Before They Happen

The best offense is a good defense, so while the above methods will help you when you need to fix your lips in five seconds, here are the best ways to stop chapped lips before they happen. 

1. Hydrate: Just like the rest of your body, dry flaky skin can be caused by dehydration, so drink up!

2. Re-assess Your Current Lip Balm Choices: You may have used the same brand of chapstick since middle school, but if you have chronically chapped lips, it might be the cause of it. Certain ingredients, like menthol, can initially soothe our lips, but dry out quickly and put you in an endless cycle of reapplying. 

3. Wear Sunscreen: There are plenty of balms and glosses that have SPF in them, which are necessary for days at the beach or on the ski hill to protect your lips from dryness short term, and keep them plump and luscious long term. If your lips are already cracked, wait for them to heal first, as SPF can irritate. 

4. Turn on a Humidifier at Night: While those of us with frizzy hair may be jealous of dryer climates, it does come with its own downside!