10 Tips to Keep Your Lips Moisturized Year-Round

Cold weather, dry air, sun exposure, wind… there are so many ways the weather can leave your lips feeling dry and parched. In fact, two of the biggest factors that affect lip moisture are your environment and the ingredients in the products that you apply. 

But that doesn’t mean you have to live with dryness and discomfort! Whether you’re battling the harsh winds of winter or the scorching sun of summer, we’ve got 10 expert tips to help you keep your lips moisturized and kissable year-round!

How to Keep Your Lips Moisturized

By incorporating the following tips into your daily lip care routine, you can maintain beautifully soft, hydrated lips that feel comfortable in any weather. 

1. Hydrate Your Whole Self

Summer isn’t the only time your body needs hydration. Drinking plenty of water is important for maintaining hydration levels all year long - and that includes maintaining supple, moisturized lips. When your body is dehydrated, your lips are too!

Sipping water throughout the day certainly helps, but most of us don’t drink enough to stay properly hydrated. Experts recommend that you drink 6-8 glasses of water every day. Herbal teas and other decaffeinated beverages are also good options. 

Remember, caffeine is a diuretic, meaning that it encourages water to leave your body, which in turn will cause your lips and skin to feel dehydrated. Opting for caffeine-free alternatives will help ensure that you’re not inadvertently depleting your body’s moisture levels.

2. Use Lip Oil During the Day and Overnight

To keep your lips moisturized, apply a high-quality lip oil throughout the day and right before you go to bed at night. Lip oils with healing and hydrating ingredients like honey and grapeseed oil provide essential nutrients to rejuvenate parched lips and seal in moisture. 

Apply lip oil on its own or over your favorite lip color, and reapply as needed throughout the day. Making this a daily habit ensures that your lips remain nourished and protected against environmental aggressors. 

And, don’t forget to make the most of your body’s natural healing process by applying lip oil before bedtime. Your body undergoes cellular repair and regeneration while you sleep, so it’s the perfect time to give your lips some extra TLC. Incorporating this step into your nightly routine can make a noticeable difference in the texture and health of your lips right away and over time.

3. Exfoliate Your Lips Gently

If you find yourself battling dry, flaky lips regularly, regular exfoliation can make a huge difference. This step removes the dead skin cells from your lips, allowing your moisturizing lip products to absorb more effectively.

The best time to exfoliate is right out of the shower, while the skin on your lips is soft from the warm water and steam. Take a wet washcloth, soft toothbrush, or natural lip scrub and rub your lips gently to loosen the dead skin, rinse, pat dry, and then apply your lip oil. Just be careful not to overdo it - once or twice a week is usually enough.

4. Stop Licking and Biting Your Lips

We’re all guilty of it! Licking your lips can become a habit when your lips are dry. It may feel like you’re adding moisture, but you’re actually doing just the opposite. The enzymes found in saliva are meant to aid in food digestion, so they can actually be drying and irritating to the delicate skin of your lips. 

So, as the saliva evaporates, your lips become even drier causing you to lick them again. It’s a vicious circle, really! Keep in mind that biting or picking at your lips to remove dead skin is also very irritating, so make a conscious effort to break these bad habits and reach for a hydrating lip oil instead.

5. Sleep with a Humidifier

Keeping a humidifier in your bedroom can be a game changer for maintaining optimum hydration levels. The Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) in our skin cells helps maintain elasticity in the skin and prevent our lips from chapping. 

People with oily skin have more NMF while those with dry skin have less. However, when the air in your home is dry due to running the heat or air conditioning, the moisture in your skin evaporates more quickly, leading to moisture loss, dryness, and discomfort.

Sleeping with a humidifier in your bedroom can be super helpful for counteracting the effects of dry air, keeping your lips hydrated throughout the night. As an added bonus, it will help to keep your hair and skin hydrated, too.

6. Protect Your Lips from the Sun and Harsh Weather Conditions

Just like the rest of your skin, your lips are vulnerable to the damaging effects of sun and harsh weather conditions. Exposure to UV radiation, wind, cold, and dry air can all contribute to dryness and chapping.

Sun protection is crucial even on cloudy days or during winter months when UV rays can still penetrate through clouds and snow. Apply lip oil throughout the day to create a protective barrier against windburn and chapping. Covering your lips with a scarf or high collar can also provide protection from biting winds and cold temperatures. Be sure to prioritize antioxidants in your diet and lip care to protect for an extra layer of protection against dryness and damage.

7. Avoid Lip Products That Contain Potential Irritants

Contrary to popular belief, tingling, burning, stinging, and discomfort are not indicators of effective skincare. They’re actually signs of irritation and disruption to the skin’s natural moisture barrier, leading to increased dryness and discomfort. 

Common irritants to avoid in your lip care products:

These ingredients are known to cause irritation or sensitization.

• Salicylic acid
• Menthol
• Eucalyptus
• Camphor
• Octinoxate or Oxybenzone 
• Mint
• Cinnamon

Embrace lip-friendly ingredients instead:

Opt for lip products with soothing, nourishing ingredients that promote hydration and healing.

• Honey: Known for its emollient, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties, honey helps to soothe, hydrate, and nourish dry lips.
• Grape Seed Oil: Rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, grape seed oil nourishes and protects the delicate skin of the lips, leaving them feeling soft and supple.
• Sunflower oil: Packed with vitamins and essential fatty acids, sunflower oil helps to replenish moisture and support a healthy skin barrier keeping lips smooth and moisturized.
• Rosehip seed oil: Renowned for its regenerative properties, rosehip seed oil helps to repair damaged skin and promote a more youthful appearance.

By choosing lip products enriched with gentle, nourishing ingredients, you can ensure that your lips receive the care they need to stay moisturized and nourished throughout the day.

8. Stay Away from Lip Plumpers and Matte Lipsticks

We all love the allure of plump, voluminous lips and the chic look of matte lipsticks, but these products can present major obstacles to moisture retention. 

Plumping lip products contain irritants like capsaicin or menthol, which are meant to stimulate blood flow to the lips and create a temporary plumping effect. Unfortunately, these ingredients also cause dryness, irritation, and discomfort to the delicate skin of your lips.

Matte lipsticks are also notoriously drying on the lips. Their matte finish comes at the expense of moisture, leaving the lips feeling parched and accentuating any dry, flaky skin. Rather than enhancing your natural beauty, matte lipsticks tend to exacerbate dryness and discomfort.

Instead, opt for formulas that nourish and hydrate dry lips with ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, or hyaluronic acid. To maximize moisture retention and keep your lips moisturized all day long, top your lipstick with a hydrating lip oil.

9. Be Mindful of Your Diet

Just like the rest of your skin, a healthy diet plays a key role in the appearance of your lips. Eating nutrient-rich foods supports lip health from the inside out. In particular, essential fatty acids, such as those found in nuts, seeds, and avocados, are crucial for maintaining healthy lips and skin.

Vitamins and antioxidants are also important for supporting lip health and protecting against environmental damage. Include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet daily to ensure that your body has the nutrients it needs to regenerate skin cells and keep your lips healthy.

10. Avoid Smoking

Smoking not only poses numerous risks to your overall health but also takes a toll on the appearance and condition of your lips. From dryness to fine lines, the detrimental effects of smoking on your skin and lips are undeniable.

What Causes Dry Lips?

Unlike the rest of your skin, your lips don’t have oil glands. This leaves them particularly vulnerable to dryness and moisture loss. If they get too dry, they can become chapped, and may even crack or peel.

Exposure to harsh elements, insufficient hydration, habitual licking, irritants in lip care products, and certain medical conditions can all cause dry lips. Since your lips can’t moisturize themselves, it’s up to you to keep them moisturized using the tips we’ve outlined above. 

By understanding the causes of dry lips and taking a proactive approach to lip care, you can keep your lips moisturized, comfortable, and healthy throughout the seasons.

How Often Should I Moisturize My Lips?

So, how often should you moisturize your lips to achieve the best results? The answer will be different for everyone, and it may take some experimenting to find what works best for you. 

Start by paying attention to how your lips feel throughout the day. If your lips feel dry, tight, or uncomfortable, they need moisture. If you’re spending a lot of time outdoors or the air is particularly dry, you may need to moisturize more often. On the other hand, if your lips feel soft, supple, and comfortable, you may not need to apply lip moisturizer as often.

How Do You Keep Your Lips Soft All the Time?

Keeping your lips soft all the time requires a combination of proactive lip care, protection from the environment, and healthy habits. By staying hydrated, applying lip oil regularly, practicing gentle exfoliation, and avoiding irritating ingredients you can keep your lips moisturized, soft, and looking beautiful all the time. 

Unlock Soft, Moisturized Lips

From proper hydration to protection from environmental stressors, we’ve covered everything you need to know to keep your lips moisturized and healthy year-round. With these expert tips, plus the power of Gisou Honey-Infused Lip Oil, you’re well on your way to achieving soft, kissable lips that can handle whatever life throws their way!