Winter and your lips.

DarlingDaughter

:DEvery year my lips become chapped and/or sore, upon a recent shopping escapade, I thought I'd look at the cosmetic side of the shop. When I've come accross, after the endless amounts of lipsticks etc, the vasaline type product. I've tried vast amounts of different ones, which I still maintain my opinion of today, all to either no anvil or to a negative experience.

My ever knowledgable Mum, informed me why. Due to most of them containing mineral oil, which is found in crude oil (Just for those who aren't aware most types of crude oil are made up deceased animal remainings, normally found formed on the sea bed) What the product then does, in a nut shell, "sits" on your lips. Not adding nor taking away moisture. So are they being wrongly marketed to us? Upon a close inspection I've noticed that by a clever use of wording on packages, they can market it the product however they see fit.

Due to our ever increasingly cold weather, the tradition of chapped/dry lips continued to this year. While apply my moisturiser, being absent minded as most of us are in the mornings, I've managed to get some on my lips. By the "waste not want not" saying, and the not really caring at this time attitude, I've rubbed it in. A few minutes later the redness had subsided and they looked mostly normal again. The moisture is absorbed leaving nothing behind but lovely feeling lips.

However my moisturiser is for a younger generation of skin, I've no idea how any other moisturiser would work, used in such a way.

I just thought I'd post this for anybody with a similar issue, and to also show that certain "lip remidies" are NOT cost effective, in my experience.

My other tip for lips, addmitedly seen on TV, is to use an unused tooth brush to gentle exfoliate them. Works a treat!

poppyolivia

I swear by nivea lip balm (the blue one)..and poundland sells it..I buy in bulk!lol..its getting to the point now though that I panic if I'm running low!..I use it everyday Jan-Dec..and I never have any problems with my lips.

geri1965_2

I like the Nivea blue one as well, I also like Akamuti Honey & Chamomile lip balm, although it's a little pricy as I can't find any shops that sell it so I have to order it online and pay postage.

http://www.akamuti.co.uk/products/new/organic-honey-and-chamomile-lip-balm-15ml/

hot.chick

I love Molton Brown vitamin lip saver - amazing!!

sexki11en

Your mom is a wise lady. Any lip balm/treatment containing parraffin (as most do) will actually dry your skin out. I cringe when I see someone taking out those tins of vaseline so called lip therapy to rub in :eek:

Lip balms made of beeswax are what you're looking for. The body shop and Lush both make these.

SK x

The_One_Who

I've never understood the appeal of Vaseline on your lips. I tend to use Nivea Soothe & Protect. My lips are awful in winter and that really helps them.

lostinrates

I used to get very severely chapped lips. I'm outside a lot and even though I drink a lot of water (first defence gainst chapping) and avoid licking lips when dry I always have to be careful, not least because I sometimes struggle with taking in enough vit C because of an intolerance to many vit c fruits and tablets. The single best thing I have found for use on lips is very viscous Vitamin E oil. It softens and repairs in next to no time. Holland and Barratt now produce one but I find the JASON brand better for some reason. Vitamin E in a high viscosity is now one of my miracle products that I hate to be without.

adelight

I love natural lip balms (akoma skincare or lush, beeswax and shea butter mmm), but even rubbing a block of raw cocoa butter on my lips before i leave the house does the job.

pollypenny

Burt's Bees also have a lovely lip balm, as well as lovely everything else.

Bit expensive in the UK compared to the USA, though, so I stock up there.

RealButter

I used to have constantly dry, chapped, flaky lips and would use lip balm all year round to "help". One day I decided that seeing as my lips were still so dry I'd stop using it all, and my lips have never been better! They do sometimes still get a little dry but I simply leave them alone and they get better on their own. I wouldn't recommend lip balm / vaseline to anyone for dry lips.

Fuzzy_Duck

Thanks for posting this, some excellent advice here! I too have really dry sore lips in winter and have recently run out of Carmex, which had kept my lips relatively soft but did sting a bit (and on checking, does have paraffin in it!) Since then I've been using Boots own lip balm and it's been no help whatsoever. I'll be picking up some Nivea lip balm tomorrow and give it a go!