Cracked, dry, sore lips? Ah! This is the most common problem that tags along with winter season. I swear by certain home-remedies to treat most of the beauty issues caused by dry, cold air. Lips tend to dry up in change of weather primarily because of the fact that they don’t have sweat and moisture glands that could have kept them hydrated.

 

1. Drink lots and lots of water: The first sign of body dehydration is chapped lips, therefore, Zuri recommends going for atleast 10-to-12 glasses of water daily. This practice is applicable in summers as well as winters. Try to put a reminder on your mobile phone. This way you will always remember that it’s time for your next dose of water-intake.

2. Gentle massage: If the lips are super dry and irritable, it is advised that you gently massage your lips weather with a wet toothbrush, homemade scrub (honey and sugar), oil or a lip balm. Please do not use a soap based scrub which has beads in them. It can cause some serious damage by drying out your lips further. You can also rub some cucumber juice on your lips daily for about 10 minutes. It is pretty effective.

3. A good lip balm/chap stick to your rescue: Look for a mild lip balm or a chap stick which has beeswax, shea butter, coconut butter, almond oil, and/or other natural moisturizers. Zuri suggests avoiding heavily-scented and super flavored balms & creams. Avoid waxy and grimy lip-balms that only smell good but don’t give any immediate relief to your lips. Besides, there was a time when I almost gave-up on the most under-rated beauty product (read LIP BALM).

I was fed up of a certain brand that wouldn’t moisturize my lips, would instead leave a horrible stain on the rough patch and edges of my lips. Yuck! The point to remember is that if you have to reapply a balm after every hour then consider it’s a flop show.

Zuri recommends: Vaseline petroleum jelly, Elizabeth Arden Eight hour cream, Maybelline Baby Lips Rose Addict, Clinique Superbalm lip treatment.

4. Avoid licking your lips and a complete no-no to picking at it: We do understand that under harsh weather conditions, lips can get really irritable and all you feel like doing is rubbing them or picking at them. But, avoid it! It can lead to an infection and severe soreness. Instead, massage them with an ointment (vitamin E or glycerin-based) or warm clarified butter (ghee).

5. Apply oil: Age old remedy that is so helpful and I swear by it! To soothe and moisturize your lips, add a layer of warm clarified butter (ghee) on your lips thrice a day. Alternatively, you can also opt for coconut, olive or almond oil.

6. Re-consider your diet: Avoid citrus foods and have diet rich in vitamins such as A, B, C, B-12 and E. Eat lots of apples, bananas, nuts, pears, carrots, spinach, pumpkins and peas. Avoid smoking, chewing excessive gum and snacking processed food items as it can lead to drying lips and eventual cracking, especially under extreme weather conditions.

7. Say yes to oil-heaters: Especially for working women, the 24 hour artificial air conditioning/indoor heating leaves lips cracking or scaling round the year. It is best to install a humidifier or an oil-based heater at workplace and/or home. This moistens up air in a room and ensures skin/lips don’t dry-up.

So, now say goodbye to chapped and cracked lips. Flaunt a perfect pout with your ultra-soft and supple baby lips. After all, lips are meant to plant a kiss on the cheeks of your loved ones. Why ruin the experience with the dry, flaky ones?

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