Why Your Lip Balm Habit Could Be Doing More Damage Than Practiced - How To Heal Dry, Sore Lips With Plants

Did you know that our lips are as distinctive every bit our fingerprints? With thousands of tiny lines and wrinkles that are entirely unique to the states, the complex pare on our lips is very vulnerable to damage and dryness.

Not only are our lips complex, but they are too thin & delicate. About of our peel has about 15 or 16 outer protective layers, but the lips just have 3 to four. This isn't helped by the fact that our lips take no oil glands and very piddling melanin leaving them a) unprotected from harsh environmental aggressors, and b) unable to moisturise themselves.

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Equally such a vulnerable part of our face, our lips can actually suffer in harsh environments similar freezing common cold winds or vivid sunshine. The resulting dry, chapped feeling is not only uncomfortable and distracting - but it can apace become painful if our lips crack and bleed.

So, why does lip care oft become neglected in our skincare routines? Near of us swipe on a lip balm and hope for the best, only it turns out the incorrect products could be doing far more than harm than good. Caring for your lips the right way is really surprisingly easy, all it takes is a carefully selected lip balm that works for you, and some knowledge of how the skin on your lips functions. But first, yous need to know what ingredients and habits to avoid…

Lip Balm Addiction

Although lip balms often provide firsthand relief, it turns out that some harmful ingredients may actually have a drying outcome on the lips. This starts a barbarous cycle that can quickly become mildly addicting.

If you're a regular lip balm user, y'all might know the dry out, thirsty feeling I'm talking near. No matter how much balm you lot employ, the lips never feel satisfied, so you reach for the lip balm and start the cycle all again. There are a few factors/ingredients that tin lead to 'lip balm addiction'….

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Irritants

Firstly, at that place are potential irritants included in many lip lotion recipes, such as fragrances, preservatives and other added ingredients that tin pb to a loss of hydration on the lips. Joshua Zeichner, a New York-based dermatologist suggests avoiding balms that contain fragrance, camphor, menthol, or salicylic acid, which can irritate the fragile skin on and around the lips. You should as well avoid flavoured lip balms as they can encourage you to lick your lips which only dries them out further.

Unbalanced Humectants vs. Occlusives

Secondly, y'all need to be conscientious of lip balm recipes that include humectant ingredients WITHOUT the presence of occlusive ingredients. Some humectants, such every bit glycerine or hyaluronic acid, pull moisture out of the lips leaving the peel dehydrated and sore. This is because humectants work like a magnet and draw water out of whatever is nearby. Withal, we're not saying that humectants are bad. When used correctly, humectants can exist very moisturising. The fox is to pair a humectant ingredient such every bit Castor Oil, with an occlusive ingredient, such as Shea Butter.

This is because the occlusive ingredient creates a protective bulwark that seals the moisture in, helping the lips to stay hydrated all twenty-four hours. Dermatologist Leslie Baumann MD explains it simply 'Humectants hold on to h2o, and occlusives keep it from evaporating,'. The perfect lip lotion finds the right residue of ingredients that will hold on to wet in society to hydrate the lips but will too create a protective seal to prevent wet evaporation.

Lazy Lips

And finally, over-use! No thing how practiced your lip balm is, if you're applying it too oftentimes it volition end upwards doing more harm than proficient. This is because the lips become reliant on the product and lose the ability to moisturise themselves. Dermatologists phone call this 'lazy lips' – and, unfortunately, the merely style to combat it is to slowly wean yourself off of the product your lips take become dependent on. Sad! We know that that's a painful procedure – but we do have some tips and tricks to make it a little easier.

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How to Intendance For Lips With Natural Alternatives

Armed with the knowledge of what isn't skillful for the delicate skin on our lips – we can at present look at the methods and effective natural alternatives to really nourish and intendance for the lips.

Step 1 - Healing, Natural Ingredients

The get-go step is to heal any cracks or splits. Partly because this will ease whatever discomfort but besides because when our lips are dry & damaged, they are no longer protected from the elements. By healing the peel, the lips are able to return to a natural rhythm where they are better able to hydrate and support themselves.

Herbs & Botanicals

We use certain herbs, plants & botanicals in our lip treatments that accept been used to aid with wound healing and skin regeneration for centuries. Many of which have stood the examination of time and are now scientifically proven to benefit the skin.

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Calendula – Calendula is commonly used to speed tissue healing subsequently burns or injuries. Information technology actually encourages cellular regeneration which enables the skin to heal itself. The bloom is an fantabulous healer for chapped, dry lips because it is rich in linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that seals cracks between the cells in the outer layer of the skin. It is also rich in antioxidants known every bit carotenoids which reduce inflammation, aiding the skins reparative process.

Comfrey – Comfrey has similar healing properties equally Calendula – with the added benefit of Allatonin, a substance that stimulates prison cell regrowth. It is likewise an emollient, meaning it helps soften and moisturise dry, rough skin on the lips. And Comfrey contains important minerals that are essential to the skins natural healing process.

Chickweed – Chickweed, as well known as starweed, stitchwort, or scarwort, is demulcent meaning it relieves irritation and inflammation. Every bit a food-rich herb, containing Vitamin A, B & C, Chickweed helps the body assimilate trace minerals and vitamins to create overall vitality at a cellular level. In layman'due south terms, Chickweed nourishes the health of the lips to assist them heal and soften.

Rosemary – Rosemary is what is known as a warm herb, meaning information technology stimulates, motivates and warms bodily systems. It boosts circulation, which not only helps the lips look plumper, merely can speed the healing process every bit blood rushes to the area conveying white blood cells, oxygen and all the ingredients needed to soothe wounds.

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Oils, Butters & Waxes

While herbs & botanicals exercise an excellent chore of stimulating cell regeneration to heal wounds, this is only half the formula. Oil, butters, & waxes are needed to hydrate and moisturise the lips to enable a healthy healing process. (Psst. This is where information technology'south important to find that careful balance betwixt humectant & occlusive ingredients.)

Tamanu Oil (Occlusive) – Tamanu Oil, harvested from the nut of the Tamanu tree, has a high fat acrid content, making it incredibly moisturising on the sensitive pare of the lips. It's been used in Polynesian cultures for generations to heal wounds, and a study in 2016 constitute evidence to suggest that the oils loftier antioxidant content tin stimulate skin cell proliferation and wound healing activity.

Brush Oil (Humectant) – Rich, gilt and thick Castor Oil is harvested from the seeds of the Castor plant. Rich in a monounsaturated essential fat acrid known every bit Ricinoleic Acid, Brush Oil provide a deep moisture heave for the lips. Equally a humectant, it works like a magnet for water and draws moisture from the air and environs into the lips. Nonetheless, information technology tin can as well describe h2o out of the skin cells, then must be paired with an occlusive oil, such as Tamanu, to retain that wet in the lips.

Beeswax (Occlusive) – Beeswax is an occlusive, and then does an splendid job at creating a barrier on the skin to protect the lips. It stops irritants from getting in and prevents moisture from getting out. However, beeswax doesn't actually hydrate the lips, information technology just creates the protective barrier needed to seal any oils within – much similar the skin's natural lipid barrier. This is why it must be paired with a humectant, such as Castor Oil. Overuse of beeswax can lead to lazy lips – so effort and but use once a day to give the lips a chance to exhale.

Shea Butter (The Magic Multi-tasker) – Shea Butter is a skin saviour when it comes to moisturisation. It is a creamy lipid loaded with antioxidants and fatty acids to protect and hydrate the peel. Shea Butter is occlusive, meaning information technology creates that seal to continue wet trapped in the lips – but it also has hydrating properties to nourish the skin of the lips. Shea is full of vitamins A, E & F and boasts a high number of triglycerides and fatty acids that condition and hydrate skin.

Step 2 - Once a 24-hour interval Masking & Avoiding Lazy Lips

When information technology comes to the lips – less is definitely more. Y'all should be aiming to give the lips the tools they need to hydrate and moisturise themselves without smothering them in heavy product. Remember earlier when I said nosotros had a few tips & tricks to help - we recommend using a lip mask every night (or equally you lot feel you need it) rather than compulsively applying balm throughout the day.

This is what inspired our Overnight Lip Treatment Mask – it includes all of the products mentioned in a higher place and has been crafted to permit the lips to do their healing overnight. Significant that during the daytime, the lips are well moisturised without the need for a protective & occlusive bulwark layer. This frees your lips to breathe and return to a naturally healthy rhythm.

We curated a ritual that combines our overnight lip mask handling with Gua Sha massage to remove stagnant lymphatic fluid and promote healthy blood flow. It was designed with simplicity and natural methods in heed. Our skin & bodies are far cleverer than we requite them credit for, and our lips are no exception. All they need is a nudge in the right direction (i.eastward. a once a solar day treatment mask) to heal themselves without the need for harmful chemical ingredients.

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Because how delicate and vulnerable our lips are, lip care should be a natural part of our skincare routines. I think the problem is that most people think they are taking care of their lips with balms and sticks from the supermarket – when in reality, they're accidentally making the problem 10 times worse. So, I hope this article has helped you empathize your lip wellness ameliorate, and that you at present have the tools to never have to suffer through a dry lip season again.

Thanks for reading,

The Earth To You Team

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Lip Treatment Ritual

An Evening Ritual To Treat Dry out & Cracked Lips With An Intensive, Overnight Revival Mask

"The goal of life is living in agreement with nature."
— Zeno