As the cold moves in, there are a few things that always happen: People look at the forecast daily hoping for a snow day, and lips start to resemble the floor of a desert.
So why do our lips get so dry and chapped during the winter? Well, it's partially the weather — and it's partially us.
Dry, cold air (not to mention wind) tries to pull moisture from anything it can, including lips. The saliva on freshly licked lips evaporates into the air, and draws moisture onto the surface which is also evaporated. The constant licking of lips can create a vicious drying cycle as lips become dryer, and are then licked to counteract that.
So what can you do? First, stop licking your lips. Instead, opt for an alcohol-free lip balm. There are a number of locally made, natural options. The Beehive in Edgewood sells a variety.
You can also try your hand at making your own.
Other ways to avoid winter lips are exfoliating and sleeping with a humidifier. As always, be sure to winter-proof the rest of your skin. You can keep track of the weather and just how dry it is here.
Just remember, the colder it is and the lower the humidity, the more TLC you’ll need for your smackers.
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