Lips tend to crack when the weather is dry or due to dehydration. Many conditioners aren't moisturizing enough to keep them smooth and plumped over the long term. Applying petroleum jelly helps to soften them and reduce cracks.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Exfoliate the Lips
Step 1. Remove dead skin cells before applying petroleum jelly
Exfoliate your lips with a lip scrub. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells, which make lips rough and chapped.
- You can use a home-bought or homemade scrub. The recipe is simple: mix a tablespoon of brown sugar with enough honey or olive oil to make a thick paste.
- Do the scrub once a week (maximum 2). Massage it vigorously to soften and detach dead cells. Leave it on for 1 minute and remove it with a damp towel.
Step 2. Exfoliate your lips with a toothbrush
Take a clean toothbrush and massage the flat part of the bristles into your lips in a motion similar to what you do when you brush your teeth.
- Perform the movement with approximately 30 seconds per lip and stop it if it starts to hurt. Cracks, which are caused by dead cells, cause dryness, so they must be treated by exfoliation.
- Rinse your toothbrush and lips with tap water. You could also exfoliate them with a towel.
Step 3. Mix sugar and petroleum jelly
Being tiny, the crystallized sugar molecules help to gently eliminate dead cells that have accumulated on the lips and around the contour.
- Apply the mixture as if it were a face scrub and you will see that it will immediately take effect to remove dead cells from the lips.
- Be careful not to ingest or swallow it - remember that petroleum jelly is not edible.
Part 2 of 3: Apply Vaseline
Step 1. Massage the petroleum jelly into your lips
You will immediately notice them softer and plumped up. Use a cotton swab or your finger.
- Some balms only temporarily moisturize and soften lips, or leave a layer of product to create the illusion that they are hydrated. Vaseline penetrates deeply to hydrate them more effectively, not to mention that it also has a polishing effect.
- Apply about three times the normal dose. Lips should feel slightly greasy, but don't overdo the product. Avoid creating a heavy layer.
- You should be able to rub your lips together without feeling any discomfort. Leave the conditioner on for about 3 to 5 minutes to soften the dead skin cells. Petroleum jelly helps remove cracks, as long as it is used consistently. Being a by-product of oil, it is very economical. It allows you to protect the lips by creating a sort of barrier. In this way it prevents them from being exposed to harmful factors such as cold and toxins that circulate in the environment.
Step 2. Leave the petroleum jelly on your lips overnight
The next morning the dead cells can be removed together with the product. Keep moisturizing your body and apply a conditioner to keep them from drying out again.
- Vaseline treatment should be done about 3 times a week in winter and 1 in summer (or when the weather is humid). Lips may turn pink, as this product helps to fade dark spots.
- It is possible that the petroleum jelly residues form a crust on the lips or around the contour depending on the sleeping position. You can easily remove it when you wake up by moistening a soft towel and massaging it gently on the area.
Part 3 of 3: Fighting the Chaps
Step 1. Drink lots of water
You should drink plenty of water and maintain proper hydration. In some cases, chapped lips are due to the wrong diet. Also, people sometimes forget how important water is for the body.
- When not given proper care, lips tend to crack, split, dry out and be affected by other blemishes. Just like with the skin in general, they must be hydrated so that they are always beautiful and healthy. In fact, since the epidermis of this area is particularly thin, it is necessary to care for and hydrate them even more than in other areas.
- Hydration is the secret to keeping lips smooth. It is necessary to drink lots of water or other liquids that are good for the body to have healthy skin and, above all, lips.
Step 2. Always bring lip balm
In addition to using petroleum jelly, apply this product regularly.
- Generally, it is good to apply it every 3 or 4 hours. Overdoing it can cause dark patches to form on the lips.
- You can use lip balms that contain ingredients like peppermint, peppermint, or eucalyptus. A wide variety of brands can be found in the supermarket and pharmacy.
Step 3. Try natural oils
Some people fear that constant use of petroleum jelly can negatively affect the environment and health. Natural oils can be a good substitute.
- Coconut oil is a great option. It is good not only for the hair, but also for the skin and lips. Just apply it just like petroleum jelly. Olive oil is also indicated.
- Alternatively, try using organic petroleum jelly, which is available at health food stores.
Step 4. Avoid actions that tend to dry out the lips
For example, do not moisten them with saliva, otherwise they will become dry and cracked.
- Don't touch your lips excessively. Even biting them can cause dryness and discomfort.
- Applying sunscreen to the lips is ideal for protecting them from UVA / UVB rays in the summer months.
Advice
- Applying petroleum jelly to your lips before exposing yourself to the cold helps protect them and prevent possible splits.
- Drink lots of water. It is good for the body in general and also for the lips.
- Moisten the toothbrush with water and then rub it on one lip at a time. The lips will immediately become much smoother. At the end of the exfoliation apply a small amount of Vaseline on the lips, rub them together and that's it. It is a very effective remedy for treating and preventing dryness and cracking.
- Apply a generous dose of petroleum jelly just before bedtime. You can also use a peppermint-based lip balm, which not only helps heal your lips, but also refreshes and soothes them.
- Check the ingredients of the lip balms. Avoid them if they contain dehydrating components, such as chemicals whose names end in "-ol". Use natural conditioners based on beeswax or oils with SPF 15-45.
Warnings
- Be well informed. The use of petroleum jelly on the lips is a rather controversial topic. Before using it consult your dermatologist.
- Some people argue that petroleum jelly should be avoided because it is not an eco-bio product.
- Petroleum jelly is not water-soluble and can be difficult to rinse from the skin.
