"A smile is the best makeup any woman can wear".
"The brighter the lips, the brighter the smile".
We all believe in these sayings and we also want to follow them, but for it we have to achieve healthy, soft and luscious, beautiful lips.
Today's we are going to talk all about our lips,because the skin on our lips is actually quite different to the skin on the rest of our face and bodies.Some of the most common problems we see including: chapped lips, split lips, aging lips, angular cheilitis.There are some common ingredients for your lip types that should be discussed so that we can understand what actually is required for specific lip conditions.Understanding the anatomy of our lips can help us alot for treating issues related to our lips, so let's get into it first.
Lip Anatomy:
Typically we don't really think too much about our lips. But did you know there are multiple different parts? Let's talk about them.
Philtrum:
Starting from the top you might see two vertical peaks that lead up to your nose and this is the Philtrum and it serves no real purpose.The Philtrum is actually where the formation of our entire face in the womb takes place.This happens between 2 to 4 months of when we're in the fetus stage. Our formation of face comes out from here and your face and your eyeballs and your ears just form in this middle section. This is the creator.This is the like the core of the Earth face.
Cupid's bow:
Then there's the Cupid's bow which is at the end of the Philtrum.It's the curve at the top of the lip. Once again, not everyone has this,but it creates the shape of the lip, with things like highlighters, we like to highlight this part to accentuate it to make the lip look fuller.
Vermilion border:
Now we get into an interesting part, the border where our lip actually meets the rest of our face,this is called the Vermillion border, and this happens because the skin on our lips is actually the thinnest and is made completely of soft tissue, and the skin on our face is thicker which means the blood vessels on our lip area are much closer to the surface, and so when this changes it creates this kind of border between the lips and the face.The blood vessels being closer to the surface also explains why our lips are naturally redder than the rest of our face and some people's will be more defined while other's will be very faint and it just gradually blend into their skin. Because lip color is a whole other story,Like some people's are really pink and light while other people's are darker browns or like sometimes purple looking.
With the Vermilion Border, it actually splits into two different sections,the wet and the dry and this is one of the biggest reasons why our lips actually get chapped in the first place,because the section that's closest to the inner portion,you know when we get all that gunk stuck in here,so that's the wet Vermilion and this is the extension of the inside of our body which is called the mucous membrane,this keeps the portion of the body wet or moistened because of the salivary glands.
You can also find mucous membranes inside the nasal passages, trachea or your windpipe,lungs, stomach and intestines and all these areas will always be moistened and never dry.Then the dry Vermilion is where our lips get chapped and we need to use balms and products,because there are no salivary glands.So once again, the skin is very thin and it has no source of natural hydration in this area.The two outer edges are called the Oral Commisure and this is important for functions like smiling . Inside the lips are known as the lip pillow which gives our lips that full cushion like effect like some people have more of it, some people don't have it.
Layers:
Now let's talk about the layers.Our skin is made up of three layers, the epidermis or the surface layer, the dermis,and the hypodermis or the deepest layer and our lips are also made up of these exact, same three layers of skin but the stratum corneum that sits on the top of the skin is thinner than most other areas of our body,so once again, it's very sensitive and the skin on your upper lip is actually slightly thicker than the skin on the lower.Unlike the skin on the rest of our face, our lips don't have hair follicles or any sebaceous glands,so it has to rely on saliva to keep itself moisturized.But that doesn't mean you should go ahead and start licking your lips.
So let's go even further,now you've realized, that the skin on our lips is very similar to the thin skin under our eyes.Both very sensitive, very thin, and we have to take care of it! and on top of that, our lips also lack in melanin and it's the pigment that helps protect our skin against UV rays and sun damage,with darker skin tones producing more and lighter skin tones producing less so chances are that if you have dark skin colors, some of that melanin might show on your upper lip,while those with lighter skin have a lighter upper lip color.
Common Lip Issues:
Let's see some common lip issues and why they're caused and what can we do to actually treat them:
Chapped Lips:
This is probably the most common lip condition that we have all,probably gotten some time in our lives.When our lips get dry or split, our first reaction is to moisten them with our saliva.Frequently licking our lips due to general discomfort which only leads to more dryness.Because saliva may be a lubricant for our body, but it's actually an irritant for our lips and everytime we lick our lips, the moisture caused by saliva evaporates and further dries out the thin skin which can then leave it itchy, dry, and flaky, and cracked and it's the same principle as we said, as T.E.W.L, or Transepidermal Water Loss,same with our skin which is not good.Did you know that dry lips are actually a common sign of digestive tract problems? When you are dehydrated, your body pulls water from other parts of the body, like the intestines,to hydrate the cells.This can cause dryness in the colon, leading to constipation, and dryness in the rest of the body.Overall, its leading to intense dehydration, that's actually affecting your entire body.So what shall we do then?Obviously, there are lip care products ,but internally treating it is much more effective and if you're out and about, you can also grab some coconut water which is very hydrating because it contains natural amounts of sodium and potassium which is what your cells need to bring water into the body.
Our lip health can be affected when we have irregular eating patterns or when we're stressed.Another thing you can do for your lips is to consume foods that nourish their health like warm cooked foods, broths, stews and warming spices, like ginger and tumeric,
Angular Cheilitis:
So moving on to Angular Cheilitis.What actually is it?Angular Cheilitis is a condition that looks like a rough, painful, red, itchy and swollen patch,normally located on the corners of your mouth,and it can show up on just one side or on both corners of the lips.The patches are irritated. They're raised and inflamed when it occasionally cracks.The open wound makes it actually very difficult to open your mouth, and to eat and smile,and it's quite painful actually.So it's kinda similar to having Eczema on the sides of your mouth.It happens at least once or twice to many people every winter.There's actually a few reasons for this lip condition.For external factors, apart from the obvious ones, like weather and overall dehydration,another main reason for this could be the pulling of saliva around the corners of your mouth,especially when you're sleeping,it creates a wet environment that causes bacteria in that area to grow and flourish and thrive,you wake up and its like, its not that type of drool, but sometimes like you can see people talking and it just like pools,or it could be from nutrient deficiencies, like Omega-3 or Omega-6, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3,or even zinc and iron.All of which you can actually get by eating healthy oils, like coconut or avocado, and things like salmon. For internal factors, Angular Cheilitis is commonly found in those who have a history of Atopic Dermatitis or Eczema, or in those who have Candida overgrowth which is an overgrowth of yeast in your body or skin.So it's a type of fungus.So how do you know if its actually from Candida?You'll notice that this area will clear up during the hotter, summer months,and it may suddenly come up and be active again during the damp, cool months,since it tends to thrive in these kind of environments.You can get this during any season but it often happens in the winter because of the lack of humidity in the air can hurt your lip barrier and it's more prone to cracking.The yeast finds the corner of your mouth a very pleasant and sociable environment to live and thrive.Then what should we do?Focus on killing off the yeast.You can do so by limiting sugar, carb-rich and refined food intake in your diet.Incorporate more leafy greens and vegetables, coconut oil and garlic and once it heals, just try to avoid licking that area of your lips to prevent it from creating that environment again, for it to then pop up again.
Aging lips:
The thing is you all know that as we age, our skin is going to age too and it's inevitable and natural.Since your lips are made of the most delicate and thinnest skin to begin with,we're going to start seeing them wrinkle sooner than the rest of our face and what's the reason? Collagen,normally, your collagen production peaks in your late teens, like 16 to 18 years old,so that's where your lips and the rest of your face, really, appear the fullest and plumpest, like a fresh grape and once you reach about your twenties, that amount of collagen production will slowly decrease about 1-2% a year, and that just kind of keeps on going down every decade or so.But it's fine you know,age is good! Without the aid of collagen to help you, your once voluminous and luscious lips might start appearing flat and thin.So for those who have aging lips, start focusing on restoring collagen by using treatments containing active, anti-aging ingredients and regularly using lip balms with SPF protection.Because, remember that sunscreen is actually the best anti-aging ingredient for anything.Because our lips are so thin and it doesn't have melanin to protect it, the sun actually ages this and it will cause those like puckering, much quicker,so SPF all the way.
Ingredients to look for in lip care products:
Let's move on to some ingredients to look for and to also avoid.Maybe, when searching for that perfect lip balm,here's the thing, there are literally so many lip products out there! So, how can you be sure you're picking out the best one for your lip? So before going into ingredients, keep in mind that each person will tolerate certain ingredients well,while others may be not so well and it's also a personal preference kind of thing, because in terms of textures, and scents, and brands.
Petrolatum, petroleum jelly, mineral oil:
If you thought of Vaseline, you are correct!Petroleum jelly is also an occlusive that works as a barrier to prevent the skin's moisture from evaporating into air while keeping out bacteria and other outside particles from entering the skin.
Petrolatum, petroleum jelly and mineral oil are all derived from crude oil, which is found in the Earth and to give another perspective, it's also used for things like gas for running your car.This is the key reason for why these ingredients are considered harmful and carcinogenic.But what's commonly misunderstood is the fact that these ingredients are actually ultra-refined,and so all the impurities from the natural crude oil are actually stripped away during the process and what's leftover are products that are generally safe to use in cosmetics and on the skin.Note that we're saying *generally*, not everyone can tolerate these ingredients which is why it is still considered comedogenic in many reviews and can develop reactions with the skin.The good news is that for our lips, there's less of a chance of it clogging pores because there are no pores on our lips. So you won't find, you know, Vaseline is comedogenic, and it actually works really well when the skin is really, severely chapped.
Lanolin:
Lanolin is a natural, animal-derived product that is harvested from sheep's wool and when refined, the outcome is an occlusive again,that helps to prevent water from evaporating the skin, but to also keep the skin moisturized and soft-feeling.It also helps to stay on the lips for a longer period of time.Because you know how sometimes you apply lip products and it's gone within 5 minutes? Like you lick it and it's gone.
Lanolin sounds like any other occlusive.But what makes Lanolin controversial?Allergies! Ironically, when Lanolin or Lanolin Alcohol are considered safe ingredients,it's also one that some people don't know they have an allergy to.So the safest is to test it out yourself.Some people may not find anything wrong with putting it on their lips,but it might happen to others.Lanolin is more so catered to unbroken and intact skin,so when your lips are just in need of a little extra moisture,some people swear by Lanolin as their holy grail and as the holy grail ingredient for getting that soft pucker.
Their are many lip products that have Lanolin in them and for some extra nourishment they can also have shea butter which helps to soften and soothe and moisturize dry skin.Some lip care products have natural oils which can prove to be natural emollients,with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties,and some products can have a little bit of beeswax which you can see in most lip products which helps in moisturizing the skin.Then ingredients like almond oil, primrose oil, Vitamin E, jojoba and avocado are also used in these lip care products .
Honey:
Raw honey has a variety of healing properties on the skin.It works to hydrate, even out texture, and plump the skin while destroying acne-causing bacteria with its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.The good news is that this ingredient is safe to use for healing your lips.It's rich in minerals, vitamins, amino acids and antioxidants,which is great for fighting off free radicals.
Beeswas:
Beeswax is another very popular ingredient to help provide structure to the actual lip balms.So there are so many brands that actually use beeswax or bee properties.So the more waxy the lip balm feels, and the less greasy, the more likely it has a higher content of beeswax.So once again, this just goes back to personal preference as well because some people prefer less glossy or oily effect from the lip balms while others enjoy it and the more wax, the less shiny it will look.
Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter:
Shea butter and cocoa butter might be comedogenic ingredients for slathering onto the skin,especially if you're sensitive and oily skin type,but they can be fantastic for your lips.Shea butter is rich in fatty acids, and contains terpenic alcohols and phytosterols,which are key components to healing wounds and soothing inflamed skin and cocoa butter is rich in vitamins, from A1, B1, C, D, E, iron, magnesium.which are all nutrients needed to maintain soft and healthy looking lips on the outside.
Natural Oils:
We mostly talk about base oils such as coconut, olive, jojoba, almond, sunflower, and hemp seed.Basically all the oils we can use on the rest of our face as well and they do very similar things.So these oils contain essential fatty acids which are a rich source of antioxidants,and help to deeply moisturized the skin on our lips, while forming a protective barrier.
Zinc Oxide.
Zinc oxide provides strong sun protection, it is a mineral that doesn't breakdown in the sun sitting on top of the skin, scattering, reflecting and absorbing UVA and UVB rays.
SPF in your lip balm is another essential ingredient that you should look for in your lip care products. As we discussed earlier on how sunscreen and SPF is so important to maintaining your skin's health, the same applies to your lips.Finding a lip product that contains SPF is great in protecting not just your skin,but your delicate lips.
Exfoliating your lips:
Our lips also requires exfoliation as our face, especially before applying lipstick, the best method is take your toothbrush, and wet it, and then just like slowly go over it, and it actually stimulates blood to go to the lips which then like makes it more red and vibrant,you can do that a few times a week,wash your toothbrush after brushing your teeth and tongue, then brush your lips softly and gently.Afterwards apply Vaseline or chapstick.
Drinking water:
Drinking enough water is always recommended for staying hydrated but if you are already dry, and dehydrated,no matter how much water you drink,your lips are still going to be chapped.So it is essential always to apply some sort of lip care product. An overnight lip mask can help.
There are floral oils that nourishes and moisturizes the skin,and there is bioceramides to smooth and provide anti-aging benefits.Vitamin E offers antioxidant protection.
Also there are many products out there in the market like 3-step Lip Pack for lip care, it's a three-step process.First, you exfoliate, and the pad that you exfoliate with contains the herbs and botanicals,like flower extracts then you move on to step 2 which can be like the hydrogel lip mask that you put on,which is more anti-aging and soothing.The last step is the lip serum,a good quality lip serum can contain honey extract, royal jelly extract,and these ingredients helps to seal everything in,so its kind of a self-care type thing, instead of for the face, it's for the lips.
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