Dry, rough, peeling lips or soft, supple, hydrated lips? Which would you choose? Just kidding! We don't even need to ask to find the answer to that. No matter who you are we are certain nobody would choose dry, chapped lips over hydrated ones. So many seem to struggle with the perfect formula for healthy, moisturized lips. scrub me™ is here to guide you on the path to your healthiest lips yet!

Why are my lips dry and peeling?

There are a few different causes of chapped, flaky, sensitive lips. Chances are there might be a couple factors affecting your skin.

scrub me secret: our lips don't produce oils like the rest of our skin. this makes it easier for them to get dry, unbalanced, and damaged. Daily nourishment is a must to keep the skin happy.

Dehydration:

When our body does not ingest enough water or hydrating fluids, it affects our whole system. The skin is very much troubled by this as it is the last organ that receives the benefits from our water intake. Drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages like coffee and energy drinks dehydrates our bodies. Also, excessive amounts of cardiovascular exercise or activities without proper water intake can leave our bodies needing more water. We usually like to drink a little less than half our body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 150lbs you'll want to drink about 75-90oz of water in a day. When we have more caffeine than usual or do an intense workout we will up the water intake a bit. This is what works for us to keep our skin and bodies nourished. The Mayo clinic suggests 120oz of water per day for men and 88oz for women. Find what works best for your body!

scrub me secret: factors like flying, being exposed to dry air from heaters or air conditioning, and sleeping in a dry climate can dehydrate lips as well. use a humidifier if your house feels dry and bring a hydrating toner like rose water with you while you travel!

Environmental factors:

The weather and climate have a lot to do with dry, sensitive, flaking skin. Factors like the sun, cold temperatures, harsh winds, and dry air can cause lips to lose moisture. Just like the rest of our skin, we want to make sure we are protecting it from the sun, especially if you're going to be spending a few hours or more outside. There are some lip balms that contain an SPF, we recommend using one of these when going on a sunny vacation or doing outdoor activities on a hot day. Protecting lips from cold winds and icy weather can be done easily by using a hydrating balm that contains a wax. The wax will provide a coating that will insulate the lips, keeping them from being affected by the weather and locking in moisture. Covering your mouth with a soft scarf while walking outside also helps. Beware! Fabrics like wool and polyester can sometimes irritate the thin skin on the lips. If you reside in a dry climate you'll want to keep a hydrating balm on you at all times. Hydrate your lips whenever you feel the need, they can never get too much moisture!

Abrasive skin care ingredients:

Some more potent skin care ingredients can irritate the sensitive skin on our lips; specifically products for acne and chemical exfoliants like retinols, other vitamin A serums, and glycolic acid. While these products can help with skin issues, they may be too sensitizing for our lips. We recommend applying a protective balm or oil to your lips before performing your facial routine and avoid your lips during the entire process.

Products for treating acne diminish excess oils in the pores. This can dry out our lips

scrub me secret: did you know serums, peels, and other products spread and travel to other areas of your skin after applying? this is why our eyes sometimes water or burn if we apply moisturizer or sunscreen past our zygomatic bone (the bone underneath and around our eye socket). lips can also be sensitized and dried out if abrasive products are applied too close around the mouth.

Constant chewing or licking the lips:

A good rule to follow to keep your skin clear and blemish free is to touch it as little as possible throughout the day. Same goes for your mouth! Even though you might not be touching your lips with your hands, you can still do some real damage with your teeth and saliva. Licking our lips may give us a sense of relief for a moment but what you're actually doing is making your problem worse. Saliva contains acids and enzymes to break down food when chewing. This affects your lips by drawing away moisture and disrupting the barrier of the skin. Chewing and biting the lip area not only introduces saliva onto the area but also harms the skin. Pulling away at flaking skin most often brings some live tissue along with it. You can end up with small cuts, raw areas, and areas that don't heal all the way. If you're a nervous lip biter try to be more conscious and transfer your energy elsewhere as to not damage your skin.

scrub me secret: chronic chapped lips can sometimes be a sign of a more serious medical condition. if you can't seem to get them healed with care, hydration, and protection we suggest checking in with your physician to be safe.

How to stop peeling lips!

It's no secret, when you care for skin on a daily basis with the right products it makes a huge difference. Every inch of our bodies needs to be cared for, especially sensitive skin like our lips. Nourishment, some exfoliation, and protection will have your lips feeling super healthy!

Protection:

Like we stated earlier, the environment and weather can cause some damage to our lips. Lip balms with sunscreen in them are a good addition to your beauty routine but just like any other product containing SPF, it's not likely you'll find one that is completely plant-based and chemical-free. Shea butter has some sun protection; not as much as products containing sunscreen, but it still has some of the protection factor. Balms and products with shea butter, argan oil, coconut oil, and other nourishing oils are great for providing a nourishing layer of protection from winds and cold weather. Plant wax and beeswax are also excellent for creating a protective barrier for lips.

Nourishment:

Daily nourishment is key to keeping your pout smooth and soft. Since the skin on the lips doesn't produce oils of its own we need to moisturize them more often. Massaging a nourishing oil like rosehip, argan, jojoba, coconut, or, shea (just to name a few) into lips during your AM and PM skincare routine can really help lock in the moisture. Then, carrying a balm with you on-the-go can help you hydrate lips throughout the day. Eating, encountering dry air, being outside, and removing lipstick are all small daily actions that can leave your lips wanting nourishment.

scrub me secret: some lip products are filled with mostly petroleum, waxes, or other ingredients skin cannot absorb. These provide the layer of protection you need but not all the nourishment. to actually heal your lips you'll need a product that contains a good balance of hydrating ingredients as well.

Exfoliation:

For exfoliating lips, you don't need to do a lot. Sticking to manually scrubbing your lips rather than relying on a peel or enzyme is best for this type of skin. Using a softer, fine-grained exfoliant is best. We like crushed rose hips, crushed grape seed, or even a fine grain sugar; all these scrubbing ingredients have round soft edges and are very small in size. Daily exfoliation is not necessary when lips are soft and healthy but we have found that when trying to cure dry/flaking skin, daily exfoliation really helps to remedy them fast. You'll want some type of moisturizing ingredient mixed with your exfoliating ingredient of choice. We like shea butter, coconut oil, and sweet almond oil.

scrub me™ chapped lip remedy.

Living in Chicago really takes a toll on our skin. Even with daily water intake, hydrating balm, and exfoliation it's hard to keep our lips soft and smooth 24/7. We created our butter balm to moisturize lips and create a protective barrier for them. Our 'kiss me' lip polish is the absolute perfect lip exfoliant, and the best part is you can use it anywhere at any time!

butter balm:

This ultra nourishing lip hydrator is packed full of moisturizing oils such as shea butter and fractionated coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil comes in liquid form and can sink more deeply into skin than regular coconut oil. Then, we add a plant wax called candellila wax so your lips are left with a protective coating after use. Spearmint and peppermint essential oils give this balm a nice fresh taste.

'kiss me' lip polish:

This uber popular product is dry lips' ultimate savior. Crushed rose hip provides a light but effective exfoliation for lips. Crushed rose hips are also full of anti-aging and skin-firming antioxidants; this helps with those little lines we get over time. The best part is you can buff on this exfoliant and just wait for the rose hip to dissipate. No removal or washing off needed! Shea butter and fractionated coconut oil are also in this item, helping infuse moisture into lips as the dead cells are buffed away.

scrub me secret: when our lips are feeling extra dry and flaky we use the 'kiss me' lip polish about 3-5 times in the day. we aren't exaggerating when we say we wake up with smooth healthy lips the next morning! it's quite the quick fix.

Wait for it! Later this month we will be dropping an exclusive, mini 'scrubmesecrets' blog where we will feature some of our favorite DIY at-home lip pampering treatments for when you want to do a little extra. Happy scrubbing!

Let's Talk Lips