5 Easy Things To Prevent Chapped Lips This Fall

5 Easy Things To Prevent Dry Cracked Lips This FALL

If your like me your looking forward to sweater weather and the leaves changing colors, but as temperatures drop chapped lip season starts. Here are 5 easy things you can do this year to prevent dry cracked lips before they start, but don't wait. The trick is to start early so you can enjoy hot cocoa and apple picking with kissable lips all autumn long.  
  1. Hydrate From The Inside Out 

There is no better way to avoid dry skin or cracked lips than staying hydrated, but in the fall & winter months it can be harder to stay hydrated. That’s right, cold weather actually suppresses your body’s thirst sensations! This could be due to the fact that our blood vessels constrict in cold temperatures (peripheral vasoconstriction), which then leads to an increase in central blood volume and stimulation of central volume receptors, essentially tricking the body into thinking it’s well-hydrated. The Mayo clinic recommends woman drink 11.5 glasses of water per day and men 15.5 glasses of water! That’s a lot of water, but keep in mind that fruits like watermelon and vegetables like spinach are 100% water by weight. You might be thinking well “how do I know that I’m drinking enough water”? Your fluid intake is probably good if you rarely feel thirsty and your urine is a light yellow color or colorless color.

  1. Ditch The Chemicals

It’s so so important to review all of the ingredients in your cosmetics especially now a days as companies move to swap out natural ingredients for chemical compounds. This is done to help their bottom line and generate additional value for shareholders. Chemicals in cosmetics have been proven to cause some cancers as well as be endocrine disruptors.  Below are a few chemicals to pay close attention to:

  • Methylparabe- Methylparaben is added to lipstick because it is an antifungal and a preservative. Methylparaben is rapidly absorbed through the skin and intestinal tract. It has been restricted in most of Europe because of the possible cancer risk. It can possibly alter the endocrine system or be toxic in other ways. 
  • Poyparaben - is added as a preservative to lipsticks to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. It keeps the oily part of the lipstick from going rancid.  There is evidence that it is an endocrine disruptor and that it is an allergen for some people.
  • Retinyl Palmitate - Retinyl palmitate is used as a synthetic preservative. It’s a synthetic form of vitamin A, and it has been shown that it may be harmful to pregnant women. It is easily absorbed by the skin. Once absorbed, it turns first into retinol and then into retinoic acid. When exposed to ultraviolet light, retinol compounds break down and produce toxic radicals that can damage DNA and cause genetic mutations, which are a precursor to cancer.
  1. Protect Your Lips From The Sun

I use a sun screen to protect my lips and face from the sun, but some ingredients found in SPF products can be a little scarry. No one wants to get sunburnt, and we all know how harmful the sun can be, but some people are considering limiting how often they expose themselves to these chemicals. Apply sunscreen to your lips when applying to the rest of your face and body. Or if you use a SPF lip balm limit using it to when your spending time outdoors not as an everyday go to balm. This will help limit your exposer to these chemicals. Here are some chemicals that are commonly found in sunscreens and SPF products that you want to avoid.

  • Octinoxate One of the most common ingredients found in sunscreens with SPF, it’s readily absorbed by our skin. The chemical's effects on estrogen can be harmful for humans and may actually cause premature aging, as it produces menacing free radicals that can damage skin and cells.
  • HomosalateThis UV-absorbing sunscreen ingredient helps sunscreen to penetrate your skin. Once the ingredient has been absorbed, homosalate accumulates in our bodies faster than we can get rid of it, becomes toxic and disrupts our hormones.
  • OctocryleneWhen this chemical is exposed to UV light, it absorbs the rays and produces oxygen radicals that can damage cells and cause mutations. It is readily absorbed by your skin and may accumulate within your body in measurable amounts. Plus, it can be toxic to the environment.
  • Retinyl Palmitate – See Above
  • Poyparaben – See Above
  1. Start NOW: Don’t Wait Till Your Lips Are Cracked
Licking your lips seems like the natural thing to do when they start to get dry and chapped. This can actually make dryness worse. Repeated lip licking can even lead to a chronic condition known as lip licker’s dermatitis. The skin on the lips is thin and delicate. It needs extra care to avoid drying out, especially during the cold winter months. Start earily in the season using a good natural lip balm. Look for balms that contain Castor Seed Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, and Organic Jojoba Seed Oil. 
  1. Hydrate your lips overnight

Lip balms work best the longer you can leave them on your lips, but life can get in the way of that. If you’re a coffee drinker like I am you have a mug in your hand all morning, but with every eye opening sip you’re removing lip balm and the healing moisture it provides. At night you won’t be running into these lip balm removing practices. Having a good all natural lip balm on your night stand is a must. If you’re in the market for a new all-natural lip balm LA LA LIPS is worth checking out. It won Best In Show -Indy Beauty Expo- Best Lip Care and is formulated with only the best all natural ingredients like:  Castor Seed Oil, Yellow Wax, Organic Shea Butter, Meadowfoam Seed Oil, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil…. Click Below to learn more about LA LA LIPS and see the full ingredient list.

 

 


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