The lips are an extremely delicate part of our body and need special attention in all weather. Dry, cracked, and dark lips can reduce a person’s overall appearance by 30%. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know to take care of your lips and some effective lip care routine for dark lips.
Causes Behind Dark Lips
Lack of Care
The lips are one of the most delicate parts of our body and need constant care. If you do not follow any routine or remedy for your lips, the dead skin cells will form over your lips. When dead skin cells over lips get mixed with oil, then they bring a change in the original color of the lips.
Smoking
The nicotine and tar contained in cigarettes shrink our blood vessels, which results in less blood flow. Thus, it leads to the darkening of lips and gums.
Tanning
Our lips are even more delicate than our skin. Excessive exposure to sunlight will encourage your body to make more melanin, contributing to darker skin and lips.
Dehydration
If you are not drinking enough water every day, dehydration will make your lips dry quickly and dull their color.
Excessive Licking or Biting
Excessively licking and biting your lips are the most damaging habits for your lips. When you lick or bite, it gives you an illusion that your lips are glossy, but they contribute to dry lips and their dull colors.
Excessive Consumption of Tea/Coffee
The diuretic compound in tea and coffee tends to soak up water from our body and makes our body feel dehydrated. Thus, excessive consumption of tea or coffee can lead to dry and dark lips.
Allergies
Many people get allergic to low-quality products that use high levels of chemicals. Lips get adversely affected when exposed to products with artificial fragrances, extra colors, or artificial flavors. Thus, we recommend following a natural lip care routine for dark lips.
Genetics
Like every other bodily feature, you can also get your lips from your parents. Some people have naturally dark lips. Still, following home remedies and a natural lip care routine at home can help enhance these colors and give a glossy look to lips.
Healthy Habits for Lips
Stay Hydrated
Drink plenty of water every day to keep your skin and lips hydrated. Consume at least 3 to 5 liters of water in a day. During winter, the humidity in the air can cause chapped lips, and staying hydrated can help prevent that.
Wipe Your Lips after Food
After having some oily food, don’t let the oil stay on your lips. So, after having a meal, take a clean napkin and wipe your lips to get rid of oil. It would be best if you were gentle here. Since lips are delicate, harshly rubbing your lips can damage your lips.
Follow a Lip Care Routine at Home
Use home remedies to exfoliate, scrub, and moisturize your lips. We have mentioned some effective home remedies that give the best result and only need some ingredients from your kitchen.
Choose Lip Balm Wisely
When you buy a lip balm, do check out its ingredients. Avoid lip balms that contain too many chemicals like methylparaben, polyparaben, dyes, retinol palmile, etc. Buy lip balms with SPF-30 or more to protect your lips from tanning.
Home Remedies for Lips
Use Baby Toothbrush
Here we will use a baby toothbrush since its bristles are soft. Take one tablespoon of honey, half a tablespoon of white sugar, and one tablespoon of coconut oil. Mix them all using that little toothbrush. Apply that mixture to your lips, and gently massage your lips for 2 to 3 minutes using that brush. Wash it off with cold water. Repeat this process about three times a week. Don’t forget to apply some lip balm after this process.
Glow with Red Pigmented Fruits
You can use any red-pigmented fruits like beetroot, strawberry, or pomegranate in this remedy. We recommend you to use beetroot as they’ll give the best outcome. Take one tablespoon of beetroot juice, 3-4 mint leaves, and one tablespoon of turmeric. Mix them well, and apply them to your lips. Leave the mixture on your lips for 2-3 minutes, and then wash off using lukewarm water. Repeat this process at least twice every week. It is the best lip care routine for dark lips.
If you ever encounter any remedy that suggests using toothpaste, lemon, or vaseline on your lips, kindly ignore them. These remedies have short-term benefits for lips and can harm your lips permanently in the long term. Your lips may also get highly sensitive in extreme weather. The home remedies and healthy habits mentioned above are enough to enjoy pink and glossy lips as you have always wanted. Do let us know how these lip care routines worked for you.