How to Take care of Lips

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To get smooth, rosy lips, follow a regular regime of cleansing, exfoliating and moisturizing. Like skin and hair, your lips too need regular care. Here is how you can pamper them.

Cleanse

Lips need a special cleanser to make-up and grime. You could use a creamy cleanser like cold cream or you would like make something of your own. Try this - 1 teaspoon coconut milk, 5 drops jojoba nut oil. Blend and smear on the lips. Wipe away gently with moist cotton. Lips which are very dry need a cleanser with more moisture. You can try this - 10 drops almond oil, 1 teaspoon vitamin E cream, ¼ teaspoon white petroleum jelly. Blend into a smooth paste and use every morning and night. Store these in the refrigerator to make them last longer.

Moisturize

Lip moisturizers come in the form of balms and or usually wax based with added oils. They work by forming a film over the lips to protect them from further moisture loss and need to be reapplied several times a day. Alternatively, you could use quick absorbing jojoba oil as a night lip moisturizer. Just massage on the lips and leave it on.

Brush, buff and slough

Regular moisturizer protects your lips, but you may sometimes need to slough away loose dead skin. Run your tooth brush under warm water to soften the bristles. Then gently dip it into a scrub paste and massage in circular movements. Rinse and blot dry with a soft tissue and moisturize immediately.

Sun protection

When you are using a lipstick, make sure it has a double protective sun block which protects against UVA and UVB rays. Lips have very less melanin so they get tanned easily. You can try this simple home remedy to remove a lip tan – 1 teaspoon anti-tan fade pack, 1 teaspoon coconut milk, 1 teaspoon fresh tomato juice. Mix and blend the ingredients. Apply on the lips and massage lightly. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash. Moisturize immediately.

Dark lips

Lips which become unusually dark due to an allergy or a chemical reaction to drugs should be treated very gently. Oral intake of antioxidants can help, as well as GLA-120, a form of essential fatty acid which can keep you safe from abnormal metabolic reactions in the body.

Keep these simple rules in mind:

• Always use a branded lip color with sun protection.

• Remove your lip color before retiring to bed.

• Protect your lips from pollution by using lime lip gel.

• Use pure petroleum jelly for cracks, fissures or cuts in your lips.