Your lips need to be exfoliated regularly, just like the rest of your epidermis. Lips have unique skin....thin and vulnerable to sun and moisture. If you've ever had your lipstick "peel" off of your flaking lips, you understand this need to exfoliate.
MAKE YOUR OWN SCRUB: Over the counter lip scrubs are plentiful (many lines carry them). You can, however, easily create an at-home version by mixing some white-granulated or fine brown sugar with olive oil or honey....mix the two ingredients in a small container, until you achieve a pasty consistency. Pucker your lips, and buff the scrub into wet lips for about 30 seconds, using circular motions. Rinse lips and pat dry, then apply a lip balm such as Rosebud Salve (see photo below). If you'd like, add lemon-oil extract for flavor. You really don't even have to wash this scrub off...it's edible! Your pout will feel smooth and revitalized with a pretty pink flush. I recommend doing this twice per week or as needed.
SUNSCREEN FOR LIPS: Always always ALWAYS use a lip balm, lipgloss or lipstick with an SPF (during the day). As mentioned earlier, lips are extremely vulnerable to the sun and elements. What I like to do is to prep my lips with CC cream containing SPF 30. You'll find that many cosmetic companies have added SPF to their lip cosmetics. SPF 15 is fine (it's better than nothing), but a higher SPF is encouraged.
USE A TOOTHBRUSH or WASHCLOTH: Another quick way to exfoliate your lips is to brush your wet lips in circular motions, with your toothbrush, after you've brushed your teeth. I prefer using a lip scrub, but a toothbrush (or even a moist terry wash cloth) is better than nothing. After all, teeth get brushed and faces get washed on a daily basis, therefore, this method is convenient for those who aren't fussy with their regime.
NATURAL EXTRACTS: You may notice lip colors on the market with the words "lip plumper" or "peppermint" on the label. Natural additives such as mint, ginger, cinnamon or cayenne pepper make effective, natural (and affordable) lip plumpers. These ingredients create a chemical reaction, causing the blood to rise to the lip surface, creating tingly heat. This affect creates a temporary swelling of the lips by dilating the blood vessels of the lips, hence the plumping affect. If you're looking for a more permanent lip plumper, I would recommend you consult with a cosmetic medical professional, as there are several injectables on the market used simulate a permanent or semi-permanent bee-stung pout. But unless you have non-existent lips, I would encourage you to work with what you've got.
MAKE YOUR OWN:
1. Salt & Cinnamon Lip Plumper and Scrub: Add 1 tsp. Cinnamon, 1TBSP Olive Oil and 1 TBSP of Fine Sea Salt. Mix ingredients well. Apply to dry lips in a circular motion for 10 seconds. Leave on lips for 2-5 minutes and you'll have kissably smooth AND plumped-up lips!
2. Ginger, Mint & Pepper Plumper:
2 tsp of Coconut Oil, 1/2 tsp of Powdered Ginger, 1/2 tsp of Cayenne Pepper and a drop or two of
Peppemint Oil.
Coconut oil is solidified right out of the container (I prefer the "refined from mature coconuts" version, because it is fragrance free).
Allow the solid to sit at room temperature overnight, or heat on the stove top for just a few minutes to "melt". This oil has a very low melting point, so it doesn't take much for it to soften (use low heat. I prefer not to liquefy it, but rather, to create a softened, cloudy-white cream). Add the other ingredients to the oil and mix with a wooden stick. Place in an airtight container and apply your plumper using a lip brush or a cotton swab, as the ingredients may irritate your finger tips. Moreover, since these ingredients are irritating by nature, I recommend testing products like these on inconspicuous areas of your skin and, of course, avoid eye contact. The juxtaposition between the heat of the pepper/ginger versus the coolness of the peppermint makes for a pleasant experience, I think. As I mentioned, coconut oil has a low melting point, therefore if you wish to toss your home-made plumber into your purse, I would recommend adding a bit of beeswax to the mixture. This will help solidify the end product rather than melt-away in your purse.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I eluded to the skin on your lips being unique....it is. It is very important to note that when using any lip plumper (store bought or homemade) that you apply these products carefully and keep them within your vermillion line (the outter line that defines your lip). Lip-skin differs from epidermal skin and you never know how it's going to react to irritating products. A haphazard
lip-plumper application can lead to
hyper-pigmentation on the upper and/or lower lip skin. So, stay within the vermillion line!!
Additional Ingredients:
Experimenting with natural ingredients is particularly great for those who have allergies to cosmetics. Try using petroleum jelly as a base, mixed with beeswax to solidify (1 part jelly to 2 parts wax). Adding some natural cocoa butter works well too. Add any of the aforementioned plumping additives and sweeten with honey if desired. Add Alkanet Root powder to create a tint.....now you've created a plumping tinted lipgloss! Alkanet Root is plant-based, so it's a great natural color-additive. It will leave your balm with a pink, red or burgundy tint, depending on the amount added. I recommend adding 2 TBSP for every 2 TBSP of oil (such as coconut).
Happy lip smacking!
--Ciao for now :)
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