Your lips are one of the most sensitive and delicate parts of your body. Neglecting them only harms and deteriorates their health. A lip can be puffy, cracked, or burnt because of being exposed to a lot of hot weather or even from frequent licking or chewing.

Lip care is an important part of daily skincare. The lips are very sensitive and lip care is a must for people who want to keep their lips healthy. Soft lips are beautiful, but only when they are healthy and hydrated. They are thin, sensitive, and need to be protected from the elements, especially the sun. They don’t have oil glands, hence they become dry and chapped.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends the following tips to keep your lips healthy.

• Moisturize

Avoid licking your lips, as this can dry them out. Instead, use a moisturizer for dryness and apply it throughout the day. Apply a moisturizer to your lips. Moisturizing is an important part of keeping the skin on your lips healthy and supple. Look for lip balms that contain ingredients like shea butter, beeswax, vitamin E, or cocoa butter to help keep your lips moisturized. Avoid balms that contain camphor, phenol, salicylic acid, or menthol as these ingredients may irritate the skin on your lips.

• Exfoliate

Exfoliate them once a week. When you exfoliate your lips, you remove dead skin cells and help them to stay smooth and supple. You can either make a lip scrub by combining granulated sugar with petroleum jelly or coconut oil or buy one from a store.

• Protect

Protect your lips from the sun. If you plan to be outdoors, apply sunscreen to the skin on your lips before going outside to protect them from the damaging effects of the sun’s rays. Lip balms with SPF protection are available at many drugstores and grocery stores.

• Hydrate

Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day (at least 6–8 glasses). If you’re not a fan of plain water, try adding a lemon or some mint leaves to make it more interesting.

• Use Vitamin E Capsules

If you have vitamin E capsules, you can simply cut one open and apply the product right to your lips. Vitamin E boosts circulation and may help generate new skin cells, making your lips softer.

• Limit Exposure To Toxins

Polluted air, smoke, and chemicals can prematurely age skin, making lips look dark or wrinkled. Habits like smoking can aggravate this effect and give your lip color a faded appearance.

It’s important to avoid some habits when you are trying to care for your lips. If you tend to breathe through your mouth instead of your nose, this could create dryness. When more air passes across the lips, it can dry the saliva on them, leading to drier lips. Try breathing through your nose more and see if you notice an improvement in the moisture of your lips.

Certain medications or chemicals found in common skincare products are proven to dry out your lips. Ingredients that can cause lip dryness to include:
Vitamin A
Eucalyptus
Menthol
Camphor
Flavorings — especially irritating flavorings like cinnamon, citrus, mint, and peppermint
Salicylic acid
dipropyl gallate‌

For healthier-looking lips, you can start by adding a few vitamin-rich foods to your diet each day.

Here are some foods to look out for:

• Vitamin A

Benefits
Helps skin and lips to repair damage and retain moisture.

Natural Sources
Eggs, milk, carrots, spinach, apricots

• Vitamin B

Benefits
Helps boost the immune system, restore lips after sun or wind damage, and retain collagen.

Natural Sources
Orange juice, strawberries, green peppers, citrus fruits, tomatoes, sweet potatoes

• Vitamin E

Benefits
An antioxidant that helps keep skin smooth.

Natural Sources
Nuts, leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, vegetable oils

• Vitamin Zn

Benefits
Zinc is a mineral that helps skin and lips maintain moisture.

Natural Sources
Oysters, beef, crab, lobster, yogurt

By incorporating more nutrient-rich foods into your diet, you’re helping to make your lips healthier and preventing breakouts on the skin like acne and cold sores.