Say Goodbye to Chapped Lips this Fall

Last Friday I had a really busy 12-hour day with clients. It was a very successful day and I was feeling good …when suddenly I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. There they were, staring me cold in the face: heinously dry, chapped lips. It looked as if there had been a snowstorm on my face and my lips hadn’t made it out alive. My mind instantly flashed to all of the clients who I had seen that day, with my parched lips flapping. Had they noticed? Of course they did, I looked like the abominable chapped-lip snowman. I vowed this would never happen again.

So here it is: my foolproof 4-step system for having beautiful soft supple lips this Fall and Winter.

• Step 1 — Hydrate. It’s easy to feel thirsty when the blazing sun is beating down on a hot summer day, but somehow not quite as easy or natural in the cooler Fall and Winter months. So, keep a Nalgene with you at all times – I recently bought this portable water bottle that folds up when it’s empty, which makes it easier to keep with me at all times. To keep things interesting I will often make my own spa water to drink by infusing it with cucumber, lemon and even strawberries overnight. Staying hydrated will help prevent dryness from within.

• Step 2 –Exfoliate. This step is key – as you need to start with a clean, smooth surface. Use a gentle exfoliating cleanser to remove any peeling and to instantly smooth out your lips. Take a nickel sized drop of cleanser on your fingers gently rub on your lips in a circular motion for about 1 minute. Rinse with warm water.

• Step 3 –Use the right protection. In case you have not read my post on mineral oil – it’s the most common ingredient in chapstick and is NOT something you want to use. It’s a by-product of gasoline production, toxic and not safe to eat. But, you don’t eat chapstick so what’s the problem? Well, actually…you do. On average we consume about 25% of our chapstick every time we put it on. So, go for something all natural. I swear by our Beauty Balm which has an olive oil, honey and soy wax base and is not only effective, but completely safe. After my experience on Friday, I will never leave home without my Beauty Balm again. Another good option if you’re in a pinch is to just use some extra virgin olive oil directly on your lips (see more beauty uses for Extra Virgin Olive Oil here).

• Step 4 –Prevent licking. Licking your lips will bring them back to parchville in no time. So, you either need to exercise self-control or prevent yourself from doing it. I prevent myself from licking by applying our natural lip plumper Hot Lips after my Beauty Balm —the Hot Lips is spicy so I won’t lick my lips when it’s on. It’s my own little system to prevent bad habits.

Do you have any other tips and tricks to address dry lips? Let me know in the comments section below!