Easy 5-Step Lip Care Routine

Do’s

Do stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water can help improve the way your lips look and feel by providing you with much-needed moisture.¹

Do eat a healthy diet. A nutritious, well-rounded diet rich in vitamin-rich foods, such as fruits and veggies, can help you maintain your skin and lip health.²

Do use lip balm to keep your lips hydrated. Lips are thin and delicate, and they often dry out quickly.  Lip balm can help moisturize lips when they’re dry, especially when the cold weather arrives.

Don’ts

Don’t lick your lips. Although this may seem counterintuitive, licking your lips to moisten them when they’re dry can actually cause them to dry out more.

Don’t peel or pick at dry, flaky lips, especially if you have a cold sore. You never want to pop a cold sore either, as it can lead to scarring and cause the virus to spread.

Don’t smoke cigarettes. Smoking can accelerate pigmentation on the lips and may increase other signs of skin aging.³

Lip Care Routine: Know the Basics

Before you start a lip care routine, get familiar with what healthy lips look and feel like. Everyone’s lips are different and can vary in tone, thickness, and moisture level. However, no matter what kind of lips you have, dryness, flakiness, bleeding, and/or cold sores are generally signs of poor lip health. On the other hand, lips that feel soft, smooth, and hydrated are likely on the healthy side.

If you’re having issues with your lips on a regular basis, talk to your doctor. They can help you determine the cause or causes of your lip issues and prescribe a course of treatment.

5-Step Lip Care Routine

It may sound difficult and time-consuming to start a lip care routine. But we’ve got some good news—it’s actually pretty easy! In fact, simplicity is key when it comes to lip care. Keeping your routine quick and manageable can help you stay consistent. Below, we list a few steps you can include in your lip care routine. Every person’s lips are different, and you may need to cater your routine to accommodate your specific needs. Here is a foundation to help you get started:

Step 1: Moisturize your lips in the morning right when you wake up. Many people sleep with their mouths open, which can dry out the lips. If the air is dry in your bedroom, be sure to apply a moisture-rich lip balm as soon as you wake up to treat your lips. You may also want to consider a humidifier for your bedroom, which can help keep your skin and lips hydrated.

Step 2: Apply SPF. Just like the rest of your skin, your lips need SPF every day. Many people combine Step 1 and Step 2. Simply choose a hydrating SPF lip balm you like, and put it on before you walk out the door. SPF lip balm can come off when you talk, eat, drink, and touch your face, so be sure to reapply it every 2 hours as you would with regular sunscreen if you’re spending time in the sun.

Step 3: Exfoliate your lips. Like the other skin on your face, lips can benefit from exfoliating scrubs as well. Exfoliation can make your lips smooth, soft, and shiny. For example, you could buy ChapStick’s lip scrub from the store, or get creative and make a DIY lip scrub at home. Be gentle when you exfoliate. If your lips feel raw or irritated, you might be exfoliating too hard. Once or twice a week is enough for lip scrubs. Do it in the morning or evening, whichever way best suits your schedule.

Step 4: Apply lip treatments as needed. If you have a specific lip condition, such as bleeding lips or cold sores, you may need to apply a treatment to the affected area. For cold sores, use Abreva Cold Sore Cream, which can heal cold sores in as few as 2 ½ days when used at the first sign.*

Step 5: Use a lip mask before you go to bed at night. Slightly thicker and more buttery than lip balm, lip masks can be worn overnight to help your lips recover from any environmental elements or stressors they faced during the day. If you’re wearing any lipstick or lip gloss, don’t forget to remove it before you apply your lip mask and hit the hay.

Thanks for reading our guide to lip care routines. We hope you’re ready to start your routine ASAP! Learn more about lip care from Abreva today.

* Median healing time 4.1 days. 25 percent of users healed within 2½ days.