Tears, redness and even cracking ... The skin of the lips, delicate and sensitive, is one of the areas most exposed to external aggressions. It is therefore necessary to take the greatest care to prevent them from drying up and spoiling.
Their particular fragility is due to the fact that they do not produce melanin and, above all, do not contain sebaceous glands or sweat glands to protect against external aggressions such as water, cold, heat, wind, air conditioning , acidic or spicy foods such as tomato, lemon or peppers.
What Assets Prefer For an Effective Lip Balm?
The formulas of the lip balms are generally concentrates of oils, thickened by waxy bodies.
Vegetable oils or vegetable butters used for their nutritive virtues, and mineral or synthetic oils, for their protective and adherent effect on the lips, are found in large quantities.
Among the star ingredients of lip balms are beeswax, shea butter, jojoba oil and glycerin.
Soothing active ingredients such as thermal water, bisabolol or calendula can also be found.
Lips damaged: what should not be done
Avoid overly aqueous (ie liquid) balms, not nutritious enough as well as those that contain essential oils or paraffin.
Another common mistake is to apply face creams or serums to the lips. Avoid because their perfumes and active ingredients are too easily absorbable by the lips and can cause tingling.
Cracked or chapped lips: SOS care to adopt
If the lips are severely damaged, cracked or cracked, it is important to avoid infections, reduce injuries and relieve the sensations of tightness, burning and tingling.
We will therefore favor the balsams that contain ingredients "surgraissants" like the Cold Cream.
In the case of chapped lips, it is possible to carry out a light gumming of the lips to eliminate some of the dead skin (and thus avoid tearing them with teeth!)
To do this, apply a generous layer of balm to the lips, wait 5 minutes, add fine sugar, then rub the fingertips without pressing too hard. Finally, a layer of lip balm is replaced after exfoliation.
On the other hand, we avoid this bad reflex (which we all have): pass the tongue on the lips to moisten them. Even if this gesture gives the impression of calming the pain for a few seconds, it will just further dehydrate the lips. To be banished.
How often to apply your lip balm?
The minimum is to put it in the morning after brushing the teeth (because the toothpaste tends to dry the skin of the lips), after lunch and in the evening before going to bed.
If the lips are damaged, they are put as soon as they are dry or torn.
During the day, lip sticks, practical and hygienic, are sufficient to moisturize the dry lips.
It is also used as a base before applying a lipstick (especially if it is matte) so as not to dry them more than they already are.
Thanks to Madie Fanguin, Head of Innovation Pierre Fabre Dermo cosmetics and Joëlle Nonni, expert care and make-up Eau Thermale Avène.
