If you’re fed up with your lips going dry and chapped all the time and aren’t able to flaunt your favorite new lipstick or lip gloss the way you want, then you’ve landed at the correct place. Dealing with chronic chapped lips throughout the year isn’t just annoying, but quite painful at times. Constant licking of your lips or applying a lip balm might not be enough to alleviate your suffering. Exfoliating your lips regularly and adopting some DIY recipes are easy and effective ways to get rid of chapped lips. Read ahead to learn all about lip exfoliation and ways to keep them oh so kissable and smooth all the time. 

Table Of Contents

• Benefits Of Lip Exfoliation
• DIY Recipes For Lip Scrubs

Benefits Of Lip Exfoliation

Our lips do not contain the sebum releasing oil glands, which are essential to keep your skin moisturized and smooth. Thus, it's quite common for skin on our lips to crack and get chapped during extreme weather conditions. Though your saliva might renew the moisture level temporarily, it does more harm in the long run. Even lip balms often do not work. 

That’s why it’s extremely important to exfoliate your lips to maintain their health. Some prime benefits of exfoliating your lips are:

• Removes dead skin cells: The skin of your lips is quite sensitive and prone to damage. Even lip balm, or any other product meant to benefit your skin won’t be able to do so unless the upper dry and dead surface is removed. Exfoliating your lips helps with the removal of this surface to reveal a fresh layer of healthy-looking lip skin. 
• Keeps your lips smooth: We’ve all experienced how annoying and infuriating flaky lips can be. Constant exfoliation helps in preparing your lips well and ensuring that the surface remains smooth. 
• Enhances hydration: Exfoliation works by removing the dead skin cells from your lips. Once the chapped and rough skin is removed, it leaves a way for fresh, smooth, and hydrated skin, ready for a lip balm or a thin layer of petroleum jelly aka vaseline.
• Scrubs discoloration: Getting rid of those pesky dark spots and rough lines around your lips can be quite difficult at times. To scrub off dead skin and discolored spots, exfoliate your lips. 
• Makes your lips plump: Exfoliation makes your lips appear more toned and plump. Also, it’s more satisfying and appealing to apply your favorite lipsticks on lips that are smooth and free from cracks. 

DIY Recipes For Lip Scrubs

Making a simple DIY lip scrub at home isn’t that complicated of a task. In fact, there are some quite simple recipes that can be worked out with items already present in your pantry. Here are a few of the easiest and most effective DIY lip scrubs.

• Castor oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter: Cocoa butter, known for its intense hydrating properties, works really well for dry skin and it can be used as a lip balm. Also, according to a study, coconut oil can protect your lips by enhancing your skin's barrier function. 

Castor oil has also been observed to significantly reduce pain and inflammation when applied topically. These three powerful ingredients, when mixed together, rehydrate your lips and make them ultra-smooth and soft. 

As a scrubbing agent – for this recipe, and for all the recipes below, you can use granulating sugar. 

• Honey, sugar, and lemon essential oil: While sugar can be an excellent ingredient to exfoliate your lips and effectively remove all dead skin cells, honey on the other hand keeps your lips moisturized and plump. Mixing lemon essential oil with the combination of honey and sugar will wonderfully cleanse your lips and brighten their dull look. It will also give an amazing scent to this DIY lip scrub. Just make sure to dilute the essential oil properly and do not go out in the sun after applying this lip mask for at least 12 hours, as lemon oil can cause photosensitivity. 

• Cucumber, rose water, and orange essential oil: Cucumber and rose water are two cooling and calming agents that work like magic on your chapped and cracked lips, keeping them well hydrated and soft all the time. Adding orange essential oil to this mix can enhance its effectiveness, as this oil is both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory in nature. 

• Aloe vera and lavender essential oil: Both aloe vera and lavender essential oil are infused with healing properties that are exactly what you need to take care of dry, cracked, and undernourished lips. The powerful combination, when applied topically, will work wonders on your dry and damaged lips, making them super smooth and rosy within a few applications. 
• Jojoba oil and peppermint essential oil: The cooling peppermint essential oil, with its pain-relieving properties and minty aroma, makes for an apt ingredient for a lip mask or scrub. Mixing it with jojoba oil works well on all skin types and the blend is extremely soothing. 

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Why is there so much dead skin around my lips?

Extreme weather conditions, dehydration, allergies, and irritation due to chemical products are a few reasons for dead skin accumulating around the lips.  

2. Should you peel the dead skin off lips?

Never peel the dead skin off your lips as it may cause bleeding and pain, and even lead to infections.

3. Is vaseline good for your lips?

Yes, petroleum jelly can be quite soothing after a lip scrub, and it can boost lip hydration. Petroleum jelly can also be helpful in healing your itchy, dry, and chapped lips. 

Conclusion

Implement a proper lip care routine and make a habit of adding any of these DIY lip scrub recipes to your regimen. Get rid of this pesky lip problem and get soft, smooth, and plumped-up lips!