Suffering from chapped lips? Winter is a hard time for every skin type. The outdoor air combined with the indoor heat can dehydrate our skin and cause lips to crack, peel and even bleed. Nevertheless, it’s not necessary to suffer from these painful lips until the start of spring. In this blog I provide you with some tips and tricks to avoid this annoying winter issue and to help you get silky smooth kissable lips (all year long ;-)).
Tips and tricks
Stop licking your Lips
When your lips feel dry and chapped, you want to lick them. But soon after licking them, they feel dry again, so you lick them once more. This turns into a continuing cycle of lip-dehydration. To calm your lips and avoid dehydration it’s suggested to apply a nourishing lip balm throughout the day.
Gently exfoliate
Do you suffer from unsightly lips? Gently exfoliating your lips every day can prevent a lot of trouble and helps to gently remove peels. To do this, use a soft toothbrush and brush over your lips with circular movements. Or keep your lips soft with a mild, natural scrub. The soft rice grains in our Boost of Oxygen Facial Scrub help to get rid of loose skins and keep your lips well hydrated. Just rinse with water and hello, soft lips!
Don’t irritate your lips
Your lips are very sensitive. Pulling away even a small part of skin can quickly cause bleeding wounds. Whatever you do, try to resist the temptation to pick your lips. Is the damage done? Then use a balm that is not only hydrating but also restorative. In our Soft Luxurious Lip balm we consciously chose Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil: a substance from mother nature that works against inflammation and skin irritations.
SOS mineral oils
At SELF we believe that Mother Nature has the best ingredients to optimally nourish your skin. And that certainly also applies to what you put on your lips. Because if you use lip balm, you swallow some of it anyway. Normally this process should not be causing any harm, but contra dictionary what you think, most balms contain saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH – Mineral – Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons) and aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH – Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons). The benefits of these substances are not known yet, but there are strong suspicions that they do not much good for your health and may even be carcinogenic. Unfortunately, these substances are currently not banned in the cosmetic world.
How do you recognize these substances?
Unfortunately, it’s not made easy to recognize whether you lip balm contains MOSH or MOAH. That is because it’s not possible to read these ingredients exactly from the ingredients list. However, you can make an initial estimation yourself. If the packaging contains one of the following ingredients, then the product is based on mineral oils, which can contain MOSH or MOAH:
- Cera microcristallina
- Microcrystalline wax
- Ceresin
- Ozokerite
- Paraffine
- Petrolatum
Self is not using these harmful ingredients
No worries. The products of Self do not contain minder oils and are 100% based on natural and vegan ingredients. Our products are only made with the best ingredients from Mother Nature. That means: no animal products, no artificial colors, no synthetic scents, no parabens or other chemical components. Everything is 100% plant-based or plant-derived. The natural ingredients we use:
- Candelilla Wax: A vegan alternative for beeswax. Very rich in nutrients and easily absorbed into the skin. Acts as a barrier and helps seal in moisture for the skin.
- Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil: Used effectively against inflammation and skin irritation. Also acts an emollient which traps moisture and keeps skin well-hydrated.
- Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil: Rich in phytosterols that help keep skin moisturized and protected against sun damage.
- Oryza Sativa Starch: Gives skin a shine-free finish. Acts as an emollient to maintain soft, smooth and supple skin.
- Jojoba Oil: Packed with nourishing antioxidants that draws water deep into your skin and seals it in for long-lasting hydration.
DIY: lip balm with natural ingredients
Making your own lip balm at home isn’t that difficult and of course a lovely idea to spend your time during the Holidays.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, ½ tablespoon of candellila (vegan alternative to beeswax), 1 tablespoon of vegetable butter and 5 drops of essential oil.
Just mix everything together and conserve in a small jar.
Ps. As a jar, you can re-use the container of our mini products 😉
Do you have any other questions? Feel free to send me an email!
Lots of love,
Team SELF
