Table of contents:
- What are the causes of dry lips?
- How to prevent dry lips?
- 1. Don't lick your lips
- 2. Drink lots of water
- 3. Put on lip balm
- 4. Choose the appropriate lipstick
- 5. Protect your lips from exposure to chemicals when you are using facial care products
Lips are a matter of pride for some women. The shape of the lips is one of the attractions of women. Having healthy lips is certainly an added value for women. However, some women often complain of dry and chapped lips. Using lipstick that aims to make your lips look more beautiful can actually make your lips look bad when they're dry and chapped, making women less confident.
So, what exactly causes dry and chapped lips and how can you prevent it?
What are the causes of dry lips?
Moisture is lost through the lips rather than through the rest of the face or body. When lips lose their moisture, the skin that lines them can become stiff and begin to crack. Lips can crack and dry out when they lose moisture from exposure to sun, wind, or cold air.
Lips are different from other parts of the skin. It lacks melanin, the pigment that helps protect the skin from the sun leaving lips vulnerable to exposure sunburn. In addition, the protective layer of skin is 4 to 5 times thinner than facial skin. Lips also do not have oil glands such as skin which function to keep moisture on the skin, so that the moisture of the lips can quickly disappear.
Some of the main causes of dry lips are:
- Breathe through the mouth. For those of you who like to breath through your mouth when you need a lot of oxygen, you should reduce this habit. Breathing through the mouth can dry out the lips because the air that passes through when you breathe can remove moisture from the lips.
- Lick your lips. Lips can also be dry and chapped because you lick your lips a lot. You may lick your lips when you feel them dry to moisturize them. However, what happens actually makes your lips dry. Licking your lips keeps them moisturised in just a short time. This moisture will disappear because it quickly evaporates and makes the lips dry again.
- Enzyme. Enzymes in saliva function to break down the nutrients in food when they first enter the mouth. Well, it turns out that this enzyme does the same thing to your lips so that your lips dry out quickly. The habit of biting your lips can also dry out your lips.
- Lack of nutrients. Dry lips can also be a sign that our bodies are deficient in certain nutrients. Dry lips can be a sign that the body is not getting enough folic acid and riboflavin or vitamin B2. Dry lips can also be a sign of dehydration or the body is lacking fluids.
How to prevent dry lips?
Healthy lips will look more beautiful and attractive. To keep them healthy, the lips also need care. The following is a way to prevent dry lips howstuffworks.com.
1. Don't lick your lips
You already know, if it turns out licking your lips it will dry out your lips instead of moisturizing them. Therefore, reduce the habit of licking your lips from now on.
2. Drink lots of water
This is one of the easiest ways to keep your lips moisturised. Lack of fluids in the body can reduce the moisture in your lips, causing them to dry out. Therefore, drink enough water, at least 8 glasses a day.
3. Put on lip balm
Lip balm keeps your lips moisturized. Lip balms usually contain petroleum, beeswax, or other oils that will act as a barrier to prevent moisture loss from the lips. Lip balm can protect your lips from sunshine, wind, and cold or dry air by locking the lips in moisture and protecting them from infection. The emollient content in lip balm also functions to soften lips. Vitamins or other compounds are also often added to help regenerate tissue and also for protection. Some lip balms also have SPF, at least SPF 15, added to them to protect your lips from the sun.
4. Choose the appropriate lipstick
The alcohol content in lipsticks, such as in matte lipsticks or long-lasting lipsticks, usually tends to reduce the moisture on your lips because the alcohol evaporates quickly. However, because alcohol is an important ingredient in lipstick, some manufacturers use alcohol from plants that act as emollients or compounds that can soften lips. Some lipsticks also contain the same additives as the ingredients contained in them lip balm which serves to moisturize the lips. We recommend that you choose this type of lipstick to keep your lips moist.
5. Protect your lips from exposure to chemicals when you are using facial care products
Facial care products, such as anti-acne creams, anti-aging creams, or masks, usually contain chemicals that are meant to remove dead layers of skin or to dry out pimples. Remember, your lips have a thinner layer than the skin on your face. So that if your lips are exposed to this chemical, your lips will dry out. Better, apply petroleum jelly or lip balm to your lips to block your lips from being exposed to these chemicals.
