guys.... i need to rant about a product, bear with me.
so... i came home tonight and made myself a little yummy dinner, and as i always do, to unwind from a long day - i eat my dinner, read the news, check the weather, catch up on my instagram... etc. tonight, in the process of my insta-check... i saw it again. its almost like something is spitting venom into my eyes when i see it... yet another ... lip. scrub. ugh. make it stop.
so, with winter around the corner, and the cold weather already starting to cause problems for our skin, i decided tonight is the perfect time to address this topic.
lip scrub? what? who on earth ever thought up this product... and why on earth is everyone copying it? those are usually my first thoughts, and then they go something like " youd be better off rubbing your face in a sand box, at least it would be all natural" or " wow, i cant believe companies would intentionally sell a product that makes your issue worse" and well... the truth is... they do. and either they dont really care about you, or they arent very educated. a or b. maybe both.
so, heres the deal guys, from someone who truly cares about you and your skin.
lip scrubs are awful. why? alright, lets do a little skincare 101.
the skin on your lips is very different from the skin on your face and body, it has a very thin protective layer unfortunately, and also does not have any oil glands ( other than your palms and soles, this is the only skin on your body with no oil glands) and although it does have a natural protective barrier, its a fragile one, and sometimes it can get a little rough, dry, a bit flaky. typically that happens for a few reasons. its possible your internal hydration is a bit wonky, maybe too many diuretic foods/drinks in the diet, or maybe youre using a product which is drying them out ( like carmex, blistex, bad ingredient chapsticks, stay put lip sticks, etc) perhaps a medical issue that causes dehydration.. or the elements are playing a role, like harsh... cold....wind and the heat set on inferno in the house. one thing so many people dont realize, is the skin on your lips has no way to hydrate itself --- other than saliva... so when it experiences issues, you kinda have to help it along by keeping it moisturized with a good, healing product.
naturally -- we look for ways to remedy the problem. of course we do. i promise you, a lip scrub isnt the answer. as your lips are getting chapped -- that outer protective barrier is for sure suffering, but underneath it -- your body is busy rebuilding a new one. until its complete, youre better off just treating the one thats there, not scrubbing it off. if you scrub it off ---- youre just prematurely exposing the skin underneath that is trying to form in order to protect you, and now, youve got raw, exposed skin which is going to end up in the same condition, if not worse because youve just torn off what was protecting it as it tried to form.
lip skin is so much different than the skin on the rest of your face. it is not the sort of skin that should ever be exfoliated, and honestly, even the skin on your face shouldnt be exfoliated with any sort of abrasives. exfoliating basically sandblasts the skin, leaving it baby soft. and sure, this sounds like a great idea at first.. but what ends up happening... is your body starts trying to protect itself by toughening and thickening its skin because something keeps damaging it. kinda like how a callus forms. and... using your lip scrubs is going to pretty much do the exact same thing to your lips, except its going to be so much more noticeable because again, that skin is so different, and so very thin, that its going to crack, flake, peel, and the cycle will continue.
man, my lips are just so dry... let me use that lip scrub stuff.. oh wow, my lips feel soft and amazing, wow - lip scrub is just awesome. and then a few days later, you need it again.. and again... and again.. and then you think well heck, maybe its that lip scrub, let me try another etc... and it just gets to be an ongoing chore that should never have become part of your skincare regimen to begin with, but its not your fault. its the companies that keep marketing the product to you. my advice, stay away from them. all of them.
further advice, be sure to keep well hydrated internally, apply protective lip balms before you leave the house -- reapply after youve eaten, and even under your lip stick. lip sticks, especially the stay put color types will really dry out that delicate skin. really fast. and really -- you should avoid lip products that contain anything petroleum based, or ingredients that are way too intense for such delicate skin like camphor, phenol or menthol. these ingredients can be very drying. sure, the product you may use that has them may feel great initially, but long term, you will notice having to constantly use said product because your lips are just.so.dry. and sadly, its been the product making it all worse.
the key to keeping the skin on your lips soft and healthy is to use oil based lip products that actually help your protective barrier protect itself, to heal and moisturize the barrier youve already got,even during trauma ( such as cracked, dry, flaky) -- while the new layer below is busy forming. use chemical free lip products, and remember - just as we treat all skincare at bg, we want to soothe it -- not attack it.
whew. rant over.
quick fact -- cocoa cardamom lip love is my favorite.( i fell in love with it last year when it came out and is actually the very reason i started using our lip loves... i made em for years, but never used them lol ) ... whats your favorite?
until next,
-heidi